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TapTheForwardAssist
Apr 9, 2007

Pretty Little Lyres

Angra Mainyu posted:

If anyone wants pictures you'll have to pm me on how the hell to do it.

http://tinypic.com/

If your pics are large, use the Resize menu to shrink them down to 800x600 or smaller.


Awesome, glad you're enjoying it. First musical instrument ever?

Are you mostly improvising on it, or have you tried yet to learn any American Indian tunes, or any other tunes (like some old hymns and whatnot) that fit that scale well?



quote:

The ID of the flute has not been sanded out which I could theorize would help tone and might be a feature on higher end flutes

Not necessarily; a rough interior affects the tone, sometimes in positive ways, so it's entirely possible that the ID is deliberately left unsanded so as to mellow out the tone. At the other extreme, plastic instruments can often sound too "clean", so people will actually rough up the inside of plastic didjs, flutes, etc. to add some "fuzz" to the sound.


quote:

I'd be happy to come back and write up any other electronic instruments you might want to hear about,

Awesome, do you have any opinions on the Korg Monotron, Korg Kaossilator, and the Rebirth app for the iPhone? Any position on how those would be as starter instruments for noobs looking to try out electronic instruments? Any other cool iPhone/iPad musical apps? I've been curious about DigiDrummer, since it's used in various Brett Domino tracks.


Moving back into the acoustic stuff I know better:

Bağlama (often called Saz by Westerners. The "ğ" is silent)



The bağlama is a Turkish instrument, part of a larger family of similar instruments throughout the Northern Middle East and Central Asia. It seems to be part of the Persian family from which the dutar and setar come from, but hell, that's most things with strings in Asia. In any case, it's a bowl-like body with a long skinny neck, with six or seven strings strung in pairs. The frets, unlike what we're used to, are tied on pieces of cord (fishing line these days), so they're movable and adjustable. They also have more frets than a comparable Western instrument would have, in order to play some of the smaller tones of Middle Eastern scales.

For those interested in taking it up, you'd probably have an easier time learning foreign music on this than many other instruments, being that it's fretted, so the finger positions are quite well-defined. And even if you don't get into specifically regional music, it just sounds drat good in general. It's surprisingly akin to playing an upright Appalachian dulcimer in concept, though a wirier but richer sound.



Clips:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i89BHMQWIc&feature=related A dude who looks oddly like Alice Cooper improvising on baglama
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=809qWrlxnMg A Kurdish saz player hanging out at home
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXdsU1J3rfo A Swedish Jojkpolska on baglama, illustrating that completely unrelated types of music sound great on this
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSyatsFM2Aw Dude with a guitar slide doing baglama blues


Overall, if you're not too focused on actually learning a foreign style of music, the basics of this aren't much harder than dulcimer, overall easier than guitar due to fewer strings, and definitely a very distinctive sound.

So far as where to get them, I had an opinion, read some folks online arguing against, then read some folks arguing for it and came back around. Long/short, for a baglama, I'd risk getting a cheapie from a reputable seller. They're like $89 for a small cura saz (which are still pretty good-sized, and its pronounced "jura") from Lark in the Morning, who I wouldn't normally recommend, but I owned one of their sazlar in the past and it was a great bang for the buck. Honestly, saz is kind of hard to dick up, all things being relative. I'd even risk getting one on eBay if the guy had good enough feedback for selling other baglamas. As one guy on Mike's Ouds said: "I was repairing an $800 baglama that had cracked its back, and it was a pain removing the rosette, getting inside it and all. And it occurred to me that at that price you could get a dozen from Lark in the Morning, keep the best one, and give the rest away." Truth.

If you're European (and this might even be a good deal for Americans), there's http://saz-hamburg.de/ . I don't know of them directly, and they sell some ouds that are probably cheaper than you want to be buying, but I wouldn't feel uncomfortable risking $100 on a baglama from them. They have curas for €45, larger sizes for €119. For Americans, if you are so incredibly enamored of baglama that $600+ doesn't sound bad at all, these guys have a strong recommendation from folks at Mike's Oud Forum: http://www.touchtheearth.com/saz.htm



TapTheForwardAssist fucked around with this message at 04:39 on Jul 12, 2011

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TurdBurgles
Sep 17, 2007

I AM WHITE AND PLAY NA FLUTE ON TRIBAL LANDS WITH NO GUILT.
Thanks!

This is my first musical instrument since I attempted the sax from 4th to 6th grade before my schools band lost our funding :( . Know that I am over 2x as old I think I appreciate it more (the follies of youth).

What I've been doing is working through fluteportals excellent eight part intro on flute playing and running scales before attempting anything. This also gives time for the wood to warm up which I find effects how it "holds" the notes.

I usually zen out for about thirty minutes to let go of my work issues and try to make something that flows together. It is an excellent form of therapy.

I'll work on the pictures!
BEHOLD:

Tacticat is wary..


Overall I have no complaints and totally worth $50.

TurdBurgles fucked around with this message at 04:23 on Jul 12, 2011

Xiahou Dun
Jul 16, 2009

We shall dive down through black abysses... and in that lair of the Deep Ones we shall dwell amidst wonder and glory forever.



That cat's expression is adorable.

Xenoid
Dec 9, 2006
Angra Mainyu I just found this thread and first thing I keyed in on was the NA Flute. You should let me/us know how it goes and maybe upload a little something if you get the hang of it. I think I'll be picking one up soon..

What kind of Native music do you listen to? I'm a fan of Mariee Sioux. Might appeal to someone that is a Sigur Ros fan or something..

BigHustle
Oct 19, 2005

Fast and Bulbous
Thanks to this thread, I'm bidding on autoharps and looking at other musical instruments. That brings me to an instrument that I don't remember being mentioned in the thread but is one I plan to take up. My apologies if this is a duplicate.

The Washboard



Originally a device used for clothes washing, the washboard is one of the more versatile of the homebrewed percussion instruments. Originally made of entirely of wood, by the beginning of the 20th century the washboard was made of a wooden frame that contained a corrugated sheet of metal. Today, washboard corrugations can made from galvanized metal, tin, stainless steel, or even glass. They are also made with a wide variety of corrugation or patterned crimps to create different tonal qualities from board to board. Columbus Washboard Company, the oldest washboard manufacturer in the US, has several sound clips of what the variety of washboard types sound like here.



The sound of the washboard can be found in a wide variety of classic American music, most notably Appalachian folk music, jug bands, and zydeco sounds from the Cajun country. In jug bands and folk music, the washboard usually took the place of the drums in providing the rhythm for the rest of the band. In zydeco music, the washboard either replaced the drums or acted as a replacement for the snare if the group had a drummer. The washboard can be played in a variety of ways. Traditionally it was played with a whisk brush creating a muted snare-like sound, or with any handy metallic object like a spoon or bottle opener for a louder, raspier sound. Most modern washboard players tend to use metal thimbles or home made gloves to get the most sound out of their instrument.




Washboards, like some of the other instruments listed in this thread, are relatively cheap and easy to come by. You can find them in thrift stores, antique shops, or your hometown hardware store if you don't want to order online. With the exception of the cheaper $8 models on Amazon, most are produced by Columbus Washboard Company and retail for $20 to $35 depending on size. If you want to go whole hog, you can drop $90 for a special edition hand-made model with wood blocks, cowbells, spoons, and a reception bell attached to it. Thimbles can be found virtually anywhere for pocket change, as can bottle openers, spoons, etc.
THIS JUST IN If you live in a somewhat rural area, check your local feed store. I picked up a very basic cheapie Mexican made washboard for $12.75 this morning.

Here are a few videos of the washboard in action:
Elephant Revival play 'Fine Line Situation' with Bonnie Paine on washboard.
Reverend Peyton's Big drat Band video for 'Clap Your Hands' with Breezy Peyton on the board.
David Holt and the Lightning Bolts - David explains how the oldest woman in the world taught him how to play.
Spring Street Ruckus playing the Surfari's classic 'Wipe Out' on banjo and washboard.
Japanese high school dixieland band with a fantastic washboard player playing 'Sweet Jenny Lee'.

The Frottoir

The popularity of the washboard in zydeco music was so great that in 1946 the King of Zydeco, Clifton Chenier, invented the frottoir (zydeco rub-board) which is a frameless washboard worn as a vest and played using spoons or bottle openers.



Frottoirs are a fair amount more expensive than your basic washboard. The only manufacturer I was able to easily find was Key of Z Rubboards, run by zydeco musician Tee Don Landry. His new Tee Don Board line of rubboards are smaller than the vest sized models (coming in at 6" X 10") and run $40 to $45 in price. Full sized models run from $150 for a 'novice board' to $240 for a 'pro board.' Various other sites online had 'no name' frattoirs for around $200, but every reference I found said to just buy from Tee Don if you want quality.

Here's some videos of the frottoir in action:
Zydeco Dance Camp footage of students playing the frottoir.
Tee Don Landry playing the washboard then the frottoir and drums simultaneously.
Zydeco Hepcats play 'Zydeco Boogaloo'
Key of Z Rubboards - Tee Don Landry shows how he makes his frottoirs.

EDIT: Added feed store shopping tip

BigHustle fucked around with this message at 17:34 on Jul 12, 2011

Xenoid
Dec 9, 2006
TapTheForwardAssist could you do that American-South instrument that is a bucket upside down with a string on the top? That has always fascinated me..

BigHustle
Oct 19, 2005

Fast and Bulbous

Xenoid posted:

TapTheForwardAssist could you do that American-South instrument that is a bucket upside down with a string on the top? That has always fascinated me..

That would be the Gutbucket or Washtub Bass.

Until TTFA gets a chance to do a full write up, check out Tub-o-tonia for mid 90's web design, playing tips, and instructions on how to build your own washtub bass.

Chin Strap
Nov 24, 2002

I failed my TFLC Toxx, but I no longer need a double chin strap :buddy:
Pillbug
Played with a bigass piano accordion someone brought into work. That fucker is heavy. Big ol' shoulder braces and everything. Made me look forward to the concertina I ordered even more because that beast felt really huge.

Ratatozsk
Mar 6, 2007

Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...
Not that we're anywhere near to exhausting the list of weird/less common musical instruments, but any chance at a write-up on jaw harps or harmonicas?

TapTheForwardAssist
Apr 9, 2007

Pretty Little Lyres

Xenoid posted:

TapTheForwardAssist could you do that American-South instrument that is a bucket upside down with a string on the top? That has always fascinated me..

Right-o.

Washtub bass (or "gut bucket", Anglos have the equivalent "tea chest bass", tons of other variants)



In America, the washtub bass is the standard low-end instrument for jug-bands. The Brits used the tea-chest bass in the same way for the later genre called skiffle.

In whatever case, it's a version of one of the earliest musical instruments ever, the musical bow. Same basic principle, vibrating piece of string, flexing an arm to change its tension, but with the added bonus of a resonating body to amplify the sound.


quote:

Not that we're anywhere near to exhausting the list of weird/less common musical instruments, but any chance at a write-up on jaw harps or harmonicas?

We briefly covered harmonicas way back on the first few pages, but feel free to PM him to bring it back in. I can cover jawharps in a bit; might cover them at the same time as musical bows since they're pretty similar.

At its simplest, a washtub bass is a upside-down bucket with a hole in it, a string secured through the hole and at the other end to the top of a broomstick. The stick is then placed against the body (in most designs), levered to stretch the string, and the string is then either plucked or hit with a stick or whichever.



So far as getting one, illiterate farmers in areas so remote that they saved every glass jar and piece of twine managed to make these, so I don't see any reason folks here couldn't scrounge up some materials. As long as you have the basic idea down, you can't go too wrong. So far as instructions, take your pick:

http://www.jugstore.com/washtub.html
http://tubotonia.freehomepage.com/tublinks.html#plans
http://www.myspace.com/thekahunacowboysjugband/blog/292154552
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUs4xxhoQKs

Don't overthink this poo poo.

So far as variants, plenty of them. Particularly cool is the whamola which has a lever handle rather than angling the stick:



There are also folks who add a fretboard to a washtub bass, but for my money that's kind of getting away from the classic design. If you want to finger your bass, maybe make a bottle bass. This site is in Polish, but it's not like the text matters.



If you would rather buy than DIY (or just want to get the idea for another design), the folks at Bogdon Bass make a ready-made kit for building a cardboard bass:




Unfortunately, it's hard to really hear bass well through tiny laptop speakers, so you might need to rearrange your listening settup to enjoy some of these:

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6cTbaBApM4&feature=related Good but short demo of a carboard bass
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_2AgJh078g&feature=related Electric whamola
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ixgeQawY9Q&feature=related Acoustic whamola
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt3a8mflFsQ&feature=related Really cool bottle bass clip by that Polish guy
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYA-6hWqifk&feature=related interesting washtub variant, appears to get some great tone/volume


I looked through a lot of clips trying to find just pure washtub bass, but most of the clips I looked at either the mixing was too bad to hear it properly, or the people were so annoying I wanted to knock their teeth in. I am totally open to having the best washtub bass video clip if anyone wants to find the best one and bring it back here.


quote:

The [Native American] flute fingering is not as straightforward as I thought, but I am adjusting.

Just got my NAF in the mail today: Northern Spirit, made from ABS plastic. The simplest version of the pentatonic scale is really easy to finger, but as I mess with it (haven't bothered looking at a fingering chart), I'm struck by the variety of chromatic possibilities from cross fingering. These things cross finger (i.e. hit middle notes by an interspersed mix of open and closed fingers) really easily and cleanly, so I can already puzzle out a blues scale by switching fingers around. These are also much harder to over-blow than a tinwhistle, to the point it takes me real effort to hit the next octave. That double-chamber design really mellows out the tone, and adds a lot of stability to the bass octave.

Glad to see more goons taking up NAF; if you want to learn an instrument, but are really intimidated by most of these, NAF is one of the easiest wind instruments to learn the basics on. It can do a lot of fancy things down the road, but as a starter piece it almost takes deliberate effort to sound bad on.

Angry Mainyu, is your girlfriend no longer fretting, now that she's heard how chill NAF is to have around the house?

TapTheForwardAssist fucked around with this message at 03:25 on Jul 13, 2011

TurdBurgles
Sep 17, 2007

I AM WHITE AND PLAY NA FLUTE ON TRIBAL LANDS WITH NO GUILT.
She's much more relaxed now that she has heard it. The NAF is also pretty easy to play quietly, which is nice.

The cat is on the fence, though :)

TapTheForwardAssist
Apr 9, 2007

Pretty Little Lyres

Angra Mainyu posted:

She's much more relaxed now that she has heard it. The NAF is also pretty easy to play quietly, which is nice.

The cat is on the fence, though :)

Just a quick question on cross-fingerings: does the following produce a clean-sounding blues scale for you?

XXX XXX

XXX XXO

XXX XOO

XXX OXO

XXX OOO

XOX OOO

OOX OOO



quote:

She's much more relaxed now that she has heard it. The NAF is also pretty easy to play quietly, which is nice.

Awesome, maybe you can use your good example to convert her too. Also, if you can impress/romance her with it, it'll make buying a drone flute all the easier when the time comes.

TurdBurgles
Sep 17, 2007

I AM WHITE AND PLAY NA FLUTE ON TRIBAL LANDS WITH NO GUILT.
EEWWWW that sounds bad, but maybe I don't know exactly what blues scale is...

For my scale I do

XXX XXX
XXX XXO
XXX XOO
XXX OOO
XXO XOO
XOX OOO
OOX OOO

I play up the fact that flutes were originally played as part of the courtship process. Gets me doe eyes approximately 25% of the time.

TapTheForwardAssist
Apr 9, 2007

Pretty Little Lyres

Angra Mainyu posted:

EEWWWW that sounds bad, but maybe I don't know exactly what blues scale is...

For my scale I do

XXX XXX
XXX XXO
XXX XOO
XXX OOO
XXO XOO
XOX OOO
OOX OOO

For the last three, are you sure you're not doing this on the top hand?
XXX
XOX
OOX

Generally speaking, the hole third from top is the one that's optional/extra, so a lot of folks, on their most basic fingering, leave that finger down the entire time, or in some cases even cover it up with a bit of tape or band of material (rubber, leather) so they don't need to pay attention to the extra hole.


quote:

I play up the fact that flutes were originally played as part of the courtship process. Gets me doe eyes approximately 25% of the time.

:3:



On a less romantic note, I noted that how I set down my ABS flute makes a difference; if I set it down wrong the spit pools and blocks the airflow. I know with wooden flutes it's pretty important to let them rest every 30min or so (people that play for hours generally have several flutes and switch between them), and to set them in a fashion so they dry out properly when not in use.

On plastic ones, spit isn't going to damage it, but since it has no absorptive ability the spit does pool fast if you let it. I'm used to that on pennywhistle, but for that you just flick your wrist sharply and knock the spit onto the ground. Good thing most Irish pub sessions aren't overly class affairs.


EDIT1: a clip on playing blues on NAF: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY0wA1nRiro

EDIT2: And a bit more medium-skill since it involves partial-holing, but here's a clip on playing a Middle Eastern scale: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dynKXvS4_4

TapTheForwardAssist fucked around with this message at 04:19 on Jul 13, 2011

TurdBurgles
Sep 17, 2007

I AM WHITE AND PLAY NA FLUTE ON TRIBAL LANDS WITH NO GUILT.

TapTheForwardAssist posted:

For the last three, are you sure you're not doing this on the top hand?
XXX
XOX
OOX

Positive. It sounds a bit sharp or flat if I do it your way.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR PEOPLE WHO BUY A NAF:

Outline where that stupid block goes the second you pull it out of the box! When I play for over an hour it gets full of spit so I pull the block off to let it rest/dry. The first time I did this it took me a full half hour to find the sweet spot again. On mine it is not exactly centered WRT the hole.
There are also a few different ways of tying the leather with various suggestions on which way is right. I just copied the way I received it; If a guy who builds flutes chooses that way, its got to have some backing, right?

edit: I can spell!

TurdBurgles fucked around with this message at 06:03 on Jul 13, 2011

TapTheForwardAssist
Apr 9, 2007

Pretty Little Lyres
Got to dash out to the motorbike to take a friend to go get Japanese noodles, so I"ll make this a quick one, since there's basically one maker and this is a variant of an established instrument:

Didjeribone

The didjeribone is a variant on the Australian Aboriginal didgeridoo, invented by a white Australian dude probably around the 1970s or so. As noted earlier in this thread, though didj has its unique musical role, it's not always easy to use in other styles of music. It doesn't change tones a lot (and not particularly tunable), it's mostly a drone with a whole lot of interesting effects. Along comes this Charles McMahon, and combines the didj with trombone. Bam:



In this pic, you can see the yellow inner and red outer tubes, which can slide against each other to lengthen or shorten the tube, and thus change the note. This was (and apparently is) a bit controversial, as there were some who felt he was dicking with an ancient and primal religious instrument, but McMahon and others say that there are traditional Aboriginal musicians who think it's just a brilliant idea, so it just depends who you talk to.

I haven't played a ton of didj, and haven't tried one of these, but given that you could certainly play it without moving the slide, at least at first, I don't reckon it'd be any harder than any other didj. Note too that even if you didn't want to slide while playing, you could use the slide to tune it to a specific song and then leave it in place. They actually sell a cheaper version for doing just that, with a less-efficient slidy bit but with a locking mechanism to hold it in place once you've tuned it.

So far as getting one, there might be some knockoffs out there, and you could probably build one (though getting it to slide as smoothly as you like is probably trickier than you think), but the primary company is the one making McMahon's original design, and I can't fault him for doing good business on a pretty clever idea: http://www.didjeribone.net/. AUS$160 shipped worldwide.


Yes, that's McMahon. Bet the dude has some stories...

Clips:

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZifAZBgHBQ&feature=related McMahon himself demo'ing the instruent, and his "Face Bass"

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFyc4xOIi_k Another, trippier, McMahon

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MfV8fo0dDo&feature=related Tjupurru is a young Aboriginal musician, here doing some looping tracks during performance

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44aXY1uSrBU&feature=related Ordinary dude beatboxing on didjeribone, so a cool combo of techniques


Filthy hippy instrument? Sure. Fun? Definitely. I have to admit this is another instrument tempting me (stand by in a week or two for pics of how much crap I've acquired while working this thread). The main limit of didj for me was its, well, limits in terms of tone, as doing endless variations on a drone is a bit much even for me. But I am deficient in the brass instrument department, and this seems a cool way to get in some low-end and be able to play along with a wide variety of keys, since as a slide instrument it can play in any key just by ear.

Have any of our few resident goon didj players tried these out? I wish there was some way I could cross-post this in TCC, as wherever stoners are gathered you're guaranteed to find a didj player (and a djembe player), so I'll see what I can dig up.

By the by, this page is overall worth reading for didj variants: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_didgeridoo_designs

BigHustle
Oct 19, 2005

Fast and Bulbous
Per TTFA's request, here are some pictures of my newest toy...



Thanks to the magic of Craigslist, I was able to get my hands on a 15 bar [url=http://www.rhythmband.com/default.aspx?page=item+detail&itemcode=RB1545]ChromAharP autoharp from an elderly gentleman for $65.

The body is in pristine condition, with the exception of some grime and a spot of sticker residue on the bar bracket. The strings are tarnished as hell, so those are going to have to be replaced. I can pick up a set of strings online for $60, which will still leave me having spent about half the cost of a new one. Alternately, I may just go up to the local music shop and use their tool to measure the strings and replace them with guitar strings of the same diameter. Buying loose strings will probably save me a couple bucks for a little bit of effort.

Imgur is being a bitch so I'll have to put pics up later, but I also picked up a cheap Mexican made washboard at the local feed store for $12.75. It's not the 'top of the line', but it gets the job done for now.

TapTheForwardAssist
Apr 9, 2007

Pretty Little Lyres

BigHustle posted:


Thanks to the magic of Craigslist, I was able to get my hands on a 15 bar ChromAharP autoharp from an elderly gentleman for $65.

Groovy. What kind of music are you going to play on it? Not to commit you to a LiveJournal post, but if you have any comment on how you came to choose autoharp as your next endeavor, that's be useful


quote:

The strings are tarnished as hell, so those are going to have to be replaced. I can pick up a set of strings online for $60, which will still leave me having spent about half the cost of a new one.

Hay goon, before you go spending cash, might want to ascertain how bad your tarnishing is. Are we taking "grayish and a little scratchy" or are we talking "black and crusty" or "red and flaky"?

If more the first of these, try googling up "tarnished strings", "cleaning autoharp strings" and other such keywords. You might be able, depending, to take a few bucks' worth of steel wool and white mineral oil and polish up your strings decently.


I was hanging out with a friend yesterday, and brought over an NAF to show her, thinking I could let her try it and see if she liked it. Before I even mentioned having an NAF, or having one with me, we were talking about learning instruments, and she says "yeah, I think it'd be cool to learn one of those Native American flutes." So I felt pretty slick when I hauled it out of the backpack and said "oh, like this one I brought for you to try out?" In fairness, it wasn't that amazing of a guess since she's a filthy hippy, but the timing was pretty cool.

It's a Northern Spirit flute, made from ABS plastic so not pretty but conveniently durable:

BigHustle
Oct 19, 2005

Fast and Bulbous

TapTheForwardAssist posted:

Groovy. What kind of music are you going to play on it? Not to commit you to a LiveJournal post, but if you have any comment on how you came to choose autoharp as your next endeavor, that's be useful

I basically chose the autoharp because I've got some nerve damage in my left hand from an accident back in the day and can play the guitar/bass for about 5 minutes before I have to stop. I've also been trying to learn guitar for about 10 years now and it's just not coming to me. I like the sound of string instruments, so autoharp is the next logical choice. I plan to use it to learn some cover tunes and write some of my own songs and possible go out busking downtown or play some open mic nights. Mostly as a backup instrument for now, but if I get good with the fingerpicking, I'd like to play some melody parts here and there too.

quote:

Hay goon, before you go spending cash, might want to ascertain how bad your tarnishing is. Are we taking "grayish and a little scratchy" or are we talking "black and crusty" or "red and flaky"?

If more the first of these, try googling up "tarnished strings", "cleaning autoharp strings" and other such keywords. You might be able, depending, to take a few bucks' worth of steel wool and white mineral oil and polish up your strings decently.

The pics I posted don't show much detail, but we're talking black and crusty for the most part, with some of the wound strings showing a greenish buildup. They aren't rusted. I honestly don't think this thing was ever played... The strings were all uniformly out of tune (lowered approximately 2 steps) and despite the tarnish don't have that 'old string' dull sound. The music shop I got my replacement string at recommended steel wool or a 3M pad to clean them up, so I should probably just go that route for now. If I get good at it and enjoy playing, I'll end up wanting to upgrade to a 21 bar model to get more chord selection anyway.

TapTheForwardAssist
Apr 9, 2007

Pretty Little Lyres
Sounds like you're on good track then; will be cool to see how you end up adapting autoharp to your sound and ergonomics. And yeah, if you can buff up the strings a little that'll save you some expense in the interim.

I'll do a new instrument tomorrow, but just wanted to do a quick follow-up on the didjeribone:

Didjflute

Though I'm sure there must have been other people who've tried this, I've only run across one selling them commercially so far. Basically, a didge with finger-holes:



There's a sound-clip on the manufacturer's site (http://www.didjbox.com/flute.php), but that aside the only YouTube clip I can find is, bizarrely, a clip of someone playing it for their dog, and only the dog is shown: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrvlc1nSw3I

The main maker has plastic ones for $50, which doesn't sound bad. They don't have much range, just C-D-E-F-G, but that's five times as many notes as a regular didj has.

Overall ran across a few other interesting didj variants while searching. Didges that double-back on themselves to save length seem pretty cool, and there are a few makers who make didges where the exit ends up pointing back at the player's face so that they can hear themselves play; one model is appropriately called the "mindblower".

If anyone has a didj or has a filthy hippie friend with a didj, I do recommend "didj massage". You can get a pretty cool feeling from just the bass washing over your skin:

Xiahou Dun
Jul 16, 2009

We shall dive down through black abysses... and in that lair of the Deep Ones we shall dwell amidst wonder and glory forever.



I bought a penny-whistle in D for 3 bucks today from a pawnshop on my way home today.

You win, I caved. Currently figuring it out by ear. All fingers is a D, and then each removed finger is a half-step, yes? So a scale looks something like :

XXXXXX
OXXXXX
OOXXXX
OOOXXX
OOOOXX
OOOOOX
XXXXXX (But blowing harder)

Am I on the right track? This is the first non-stringed instrument I've ever owned. (Except for poo poo like a tambourine or whatever.)

Mradyfist
Sep 3, 2007

People that can eat people are the luckiest people in the world
Well, you're missing the C# in that scale, which is all fingers off. You can also usually do it with one finger on your right hand down, just for stability. And generally you notate in the opposite direction, so your scale should go like this:

XXXXXX
XXXXXO
XXXXOO
XXXOOO
XXOOOO
XOOOOO
OOOOOO (or OOOXOO)
XXXXXX (overblowing for the next octave)

Each finger off is the next interval in a major scale, so whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half.

TapTheForwardAssist
Apr 9, 2007

Pretty Little Lyres

Xiahou Dun posted:

I bought a penny-whistle in D for 3 bucks today from a pawnshop on my way home today.

You win, I caved. Currently figuring it out by ear. All fingers is a D, and then each removed finger is a half-step, yes? So a scale looks something like :

XXXXXX
OXXXXX
OOXXXX
OOOXXX
OOOOXX
OOOOOX
XXXXXX (But blowing harder)

Am I on the right track? This is the first non-stringed instrument I've ever owned. (Except for poo poo like a tambourine or whatever.)

Another one bites the dust...

Not a half-step each, but each finger removed (and left up) is a note up the diatonic scale. So yeah, on a D whistle what you show is a Dmaj scale. And yes, you "overblow" to get to the next octave.

Not to be pedantic, but on ASCII flute tab usually the top of the flute is on the left side, so opposite what you have, but I still get what you mean.

Can you tell what make of 'whistle and what key? Pics?

Xiahou Dun
Jul 16, 2009

We shall dive down through black abysses... and in that lair of the Deep Ones we shall dwell amidst wonder and glory forever.



Thanks ; I actually meant to type the all open but I'm really dumb.

No idea on what the make is ; it's some old beat up thing that was cheap. I can tell where the name was, but it's long since turned into just a couple of motes of paint. I'll see if I can't find my camera.

I do, however, know it's in D. Apparently they're color-coded and my girlfriend told me what it was. I think it's green? (Don't ask the color-blind guy!)

Edit:

Here's the whistle :





And, because I was already there, a pic of my mando :



Sorry for the crappy pics ; it's a bullshit camera I bout for 40 bucks in Taiwan.

Xiahou Dun fucked around with this message at 01:17 on Jul 15, 2011

MrGreenShirt
Mar 14, 2005

Hell of a book. It's about bunnies!

Looks like a Feadog whistle to me.

Econosaurus
Sep 22, 2008

Successfully predicted nine of the last five recessions

The dulcimer is a great conversation starter with strangers, FYI.

Thanks for all the help tap, I'm watching Dulcimerica and feeling like I'll never learn this thing. But it's definitely fun!

Edit: If I want to mess around with DAD, can I just tune the top string on my DAA tuned dulcimer, or does it need special strings? Don't want to break a string already.

Econosaurus fucked around with this message at 03:18 on Jul 15, 2011

Xiahou Dun
Jul 16, 2009

We shall dive down through black abysses... and in that lair of the Deep Ones we shall dwell amidst wonder and glory forever.



MrGreenShirt posted:

Looks like a Feadog whistle to me.

That good or bad?

TapTheForwardAssist
Apr 9, 2007

Pretty Little Lyres

Econosaurus posted:

The dulcimer is a great conversation starter with strangers, FYI.

Pick up chicks with your dulcimer on the Metro on your way home?

quote:

Thanks for all the help tap, I'm watching Dulcimerica and feeling like I'll never learn this thing. But it's definitely fun!

Dulcimer is really, really easy. Way easier the ukulele. The more advanced stuff on Dulcimerica is just FYI for now, but there's plenty of easier stuff there. I'd do mainly drone tunes at least the first couple weeks. Amazing Grace is a popular tune to learn in DAA, starts out 0-3-5-3-5-4-3-1-0


quote:

Edit: If I want to mess around with DAD, can I just tune the top string on my DAA tuned dulcimer, or does it need special strings? Don't want to break a string already.

Depends on your dulcimer's scale length and brand of strings, but generally, yes, you can hit DAD on most dulcimers. Most dulcimers I have can go as high as DAD and as low as GAD, but any lower than that and I have to start raising my drones to compensate because I really can't drop the chanters much lower.

I think most dulcimer strings are "Mixolydian" sets, made with the intent that you can go as high as DAD Mixolydian tuning. Usually around gauges 12-14-22. There are Ionian sets as well (Ionian is DAA tuning) which I suspect are made with the assumption that you tune Ionian and lower, so probably gauges 14-14-22.

So far as the names for all these tunings and their different characteristics, check out the In Search of the Wild Dulcimer book, and it makes things a lot clearer. And I definitely suggest you sign up for the Everything Dulcimer forum.

Post your dulcimer (and 'whistle, and stylophone) pics when you get them.

TapTheForwardAssist fucked around with this message at 04:15 on Jul 15, 2011

Xiahou Dun
Jul 16, 2009

We shall dive down through black abysses... and in that lair of the Deep Ones we shall dwell amidst wonder and glory forever.



When you get up to it, learn Hangman's Reel.

It sounds really, really good on dulcimer.

Econosaurus
Sep 22, 2008

Successfully predicted nine of the last five recessions

TapTheForwardAssist posted:

Pick up chicks with your dulcimer on the Metro on your way home?

I actually did, not even kidding.

TapTheForwardAssist
Apr 9, 2007

Pretty Little Lyres

Econosaurus posted:

I actually did, not even kidding.

Did you use your mack skills to convince her to play dulcimer?

Xiahou Dun
Jul 16, 2009

We shall dive down through black abysses... and in that lair of the Deep Ones we shall dwell amidst wonder and glory forever.



I'd hear the rest of this story.

Just saying.

MrGreenShirt
Mar 14, 2005

Hell of a book. It's about bunnies!

Xiahou Dun posted:

That good or bad?

It's the whistle I'm using and I have no complaints!

Chin Strap
Nov 24, 2002

I failed my TFLC Toxx, but I no longer need a double chin strap :buddy:
Pillbug
My Elise Concertina from Concertina Connection came yesterday. Played with it a little last night and it was very comfortable to pick up. The trainer book that came with it was too rudimentary, but I'm not expecting much written material to be able to help with things.

My main issues at first are A) remembering where the C notes end and the accidentals begin on each row and B) remembering to change the bellows between phrases to not run out of air.

Love it so far though. The size is good, and the button layout will still afford a decent amount of the melody + backing that you can do with an accordion.

a penus
Aug 14, 2004



see you next mission
This thread has been fantastic, there is nothing I love better than learning new instruments. I go to school for music education and I play the double bass in the symphony during the school year, so summer is the perfect time to learn new instruments for pleasure. I bought a beautiful dulcimer off of craigslist for $40:



I put some new strings on and it plays like a dream mostly- there seems to be something off with the whole step frets. When I have my fingers placed too high up, the notes tend to get a bit strangled, but when they're closer to the bottom of the fret it sounds fine. Is this something I can do anything about and repair, or should I just focus on placing my fingers closer to the bottom of the fret?

also, someone just posted this: http://anchorage.craigslist.org/msg/2496101790.html -is this a reasonable price for a Moog theremin? I kind of feel like I need one of those in my life. At this point I'm having a hard time choosing between a theremin and a concertina.

TapTheForwardAssist
Apr 9, 2007

Pretty Little Lyres

radium's grandmother posted:

I bought a beautiful dulcimer off of craigslist for $40:


... there seems to be something off with the whole step frets. When I have my fingers placed too high up, the notes tend to get a bit strangled, but when they're closer to the bottom of the fret it sounds fine. Is this something I can do anything about and repair, or should I just focus on placing my fingers closer to the bottom of the fret?

Okay, so is what you're saying is when your fingers are just a bit on the head-side of the fret, it sounds nice and clean, but when they're a few more centimetres towards the head, away from the fret, it sounds muffled? If that's what you mean, then yes, that's because when you push down too far away from the fret, your string doesn't cross the fret at a sharp enough angle and thus does not cut the note off cleanly. You don't need to be right up against the fret, but you do need to be within a few centimetres of the fret to get a clean tone. You can't just plunk your fingers down anywhere in the gap between one fret and the next, or could won't have a sharp enough angle to pressure the string into the fret firmly. Not that you need to push particularly firmly, just a nice solid push close enough to the fret.

quote:

also, someone just posted this: http://anchorage.craigslist.org/msg/2496101790.html -is this a reasonable price for a Moog theremin? I kind of feel like I need one of those in my life. At this point I'm having a hard time choosing between a theremin and a concertina.

Not a theremin guy, so all I can really tell you (unless a theremin guy drops in) is to compare that to other retail and used prices of the same model and figure out whether the money you might save is worth buying on short notice.

If you were to get a concertina, what type are you thinking: Anglo, English, or Duet? Again, if your budget is anything under $1000, Concertina Connection is pretty much the go-to choice.

a penus
Aug 14, 2004



see you next mission
What I'm really wanting to play is the bandoneon (I got to play Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas in a string ensemble and I fell in love with Piazzolla's music), but I know that's way out of my price range right now, since I'm not really prepared to pay $2000+. I'm thinking that a duet concertina might be the next best thing for tango, since (I think?) it's chromatic, but frankly I'm kinda guessing.

TapTheForwardAssist
Apr 9, 2007

Pretty Little Lyres
By the way, what make is your dulcimer?

radium's grandmother posted:

What I'm really wanting to play is the bandoneon (I got to play Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas in a string ensemble and I fell in love with Piazzolla's music), but I know that's way out of my price range right now, since I'm not really prepared to pay $2000+. I'm thinking that a duet concertina might be the next best thing for tango, since (I think?) it's chromatic, but frankly I'm kinda guessing.

There are a few different ways you can go so far as not-bandoneon-bandoneones. I won't venture too-too far into trying to give advice on that particular topic, but speaking broadly there are a few instruments which are not bandoneon, but might have some skill crossover:

- Anglo concertina: like bandoneon is bi-sonoric. That is, when you change bellows direction it changes notes. However, unlike bandoneon it doesn't have so many extra buttons to provide chromatics and alternate notes (as in pushing button #8 gives you a D, but so does pulling button #12, so you can find a D in either direction).

- Duet concertina: unisonoric, so bellows changes don't make a difference, but the $375 Concertina Connection model can play comfortably in C, D or G

- Hybrid bandoneon: these are bandoneon-style instruments, but rather than having the bisonoric keyboard they have keys based on the CBA (chromatic button accordion). I think I cover these a few pages back in a response to chinstrap. Nice ones are pricey, but imports are around $900, but they occasionally come up used cheaper.

- Chemnitzer concertina: the chemnitzer is conceptually about the same as a bandoneon, but the key layout developed in a slightly different direction so the fingerings aren't exactly the same. Fortunately, they're less hip that bandoneons, so they can be a fair bit cheaper. I picked up a Morbidoni chemnitzer for like $400 on eBay, and if you ask around on Concertina Forum they might be able to help you find a good deal.

Not to get too redundant, but a few pages back I discussed pretty much these same models (including pics and video clips) with Chinstrap (who ended up getting a CC Duet concertina). If tango is definitely your thing though, I'd post at Concertina Forum asking the consensus as to whether there's a good less-expensive transition instrument to learn and later switch to bandoneon. Alternately, some big hobbyist with tons of boxes on CF might have an extra inexpensive/small bandoneon that they'd sell affordably to a noob. Personally I have a Hyrbid Bandoneon to unload, so I should get around to posting that on CF.

Various ways to go about it, and overall you really can't go wrong learning any of the above in general and later getting a bandoneon, but some of the above may be more or less good in the short term for trying tango stylings on; definitely ask at CF.



- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdBdzclbxJA&feature=related bandoneon and guitar duet

a penus
Aug 14, 2004



see you next mission
The stamp inside says "Here, Inc.", and the lady I bought it from said that she bought it around 30 years ago in Minnesota. Thank you for all of the concertina/bandoneon information, by the way, you've given me a really good starting point (and gotten me a bit more optimistic).

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TapTheForwardAssist
Apr 9, 2007

Pretty Little Lyres

radium's grandmother posted:

The stamp inside says "Here, Inc.", and the lady I bought it from said that she bought it around 30 years ago in Minnesota. Thank you for all of the concertina/bandoneon information, by the way, you've given me a really good starting point (and gotten me a bit more optimistic).

Ah, that name sounded familiar, so I dug into it, and they're that one Minnesota outfit that merged with Hobgoblin or something in recent years. The company goes back to the 1960s or so, so a make popular with some hippies. Hobgoblin, a British shop that bought them out, is actually worth a visit for those UK goons: Birmingham, Bristol, Canterbury, Crawley, Leeds, London, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Wadebridge. For US goons, Minneapolis and Redwing. Same caveats as anywhere though: make sure you read up before any purchase, as even established stores carry some percentage of junk. For goons in Seattle, vist the Lark in the Morning store (though LiM carries way to much shoddy stuff, so choose carefully), and definitely go to Seattle's Dusty Strings music store, which is far pickier about carrying quality gear than any of the other shops.


So, another instrument. This is for those who kind of want to play fiddle, but want something a little more exotic, but yet still something that can play Western music easily, but something not too expensive or bulky:

Gadulka



The gadulka is a bowed instrument, not played off the shoulder like a Western violin, but off the lap or knee, or tucked into a belt or strap if standing. It's part of a larger family of "knee fiddles" throughout the world, which probably used to outnumber shoulder-played instruments. Even today, there are musicians in Iran, India, and other such places that play modern Western violins, but standing upright in the lap since that's what the region is used to.

Though it looks complicated with a ton of strings, it actually only has three strings that you finger; the other (5, 7, 10) strings are sympathetic strings. That is, strings that are not actually touched, but that start vibrating simply because the environment around them is vibrating, so they provide a sort of hum/glow echoing in the background as you play. The fingering is different from Western violin: rather than push the strings down to a fingerboard (there is none), you can either place the fingertips on the string, or else slide the backs of your fingernails onto the string. It is a bit counter-intuitive for Western violinists, but they need to stop bitching about "wow, it's so hard" because it's not any harder than violin (and arguably quite easier), they're just unwilling to admit there are other ways to do things. Hide-bound dicks.



So far as learning one: if you want to learn actual Bulgarian music and technique you have a separate issue to address, which is probably going to involve just listening to a lot of that music until it sinks into your skull. That aside, not a terribly complex instrument, just a matter of practice to get the fingering style down, be able to find your notes by feel, etc. The site Cool Music Instrument recommends The Gadulka Books, but it's a bit pricey of a book, so unless you're really trying to learn the specifically Bulgarian genre I'd consider in optional. Personally, I think it would sound great in a wide variety of genres, as it's a slightly quirky-sounding fiddle that can easily do awesome sliding effects.

The great news is that the instruments themselves, even decent ones, are quite inexpensive. There are some $10 cheapies that are just wall-hangers, but you can buy serious ones for less than $70. So far as sellers, I'd lean to Bulgariana. Their shipping isn't bad even to the US, and they have gadulkas by actual named makers starting at €44. When ordering, make sure to get a tuning wrench from the site (it makes it a ton easier to grab all those little pegs) and a bow (though most of the listings specify that they include one), maybe a few spare strings at €1 each. While you're paying shipping anyway, the site has some cool inexpensive stuff, including bottles of Bulgarian liquor for €2 (if having alcohol isn't going to add Customs hassles going to your country).



Clips:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHz5YHnQvuc&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL Kind of amateur, but nice slow clip that shows the instrument outside of rapid-fire Bulgarian dance tunes. His technique is a little rough, so just bear that in mind.
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0qJC0J8M_A A more pro clip that's no too crazy fast
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpQ-oHn7hRY&playnext=1&list=PL15550140589BF066 Great player, but cheesy Slavic music video
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfAB-7wkfgw Iron Maiden (excellent) on gadulka
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNULnAlzJdQ Filthy hippies play gadulka, djembe and didj


I'm getting a sinking feeling that I may be stuck getting one of these, as the price is just eminently reasonable, and it's both freaky and yet versatile. And so affordable. Dammit.

TapTheForwardAssist fucked around with this message at 18:16 on Jul 16, 2011

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