Ask me which weird musical instrument you should learn this summer

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Ask me which weird musical instrument you should learn this summer

djinndarc: Dec 20, 2012; "I'm Bender, baby, please insert liquor!"

Visteri posted:

Well, uh...My dad got me an Appalachian dulcimer for my birthday.

I had asked for that cardboard kit because it was cheap, hard to screw up on, and came with a helpful little book, and I wasn't even sure I'd like playing it to begin with. But I guess he decided to go the extra mile and he got me a really nice one. This one, in fact. It's beautiful, it's expensive, it has no book, and I'm just sitting here looking at it and feeling way too intimidated to even touch it. (And feeling like the world's most ungrateful child. )

So...any advice? Am I being ridiculous for feeling intimidated by it?

I have In Search of the Wild Dulcimer open in another tab, but I haven't started looking through it yet. (I've also started seeing comments on forums about how this one isn't even worth the money compared to the cardboard one, and oh poo poo, I'm freaking out too much to keep looking now.)

I played dulcimer for a while and then kind of let it go when I got tied up with other things. I suggest that you check out and/or join the Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer forum (http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/forum) and possibly also the Everything Dulcimer Forum (http://everythingdulcimer.com/). These will help point you in the right direction as far as what style you want to play and what you want to do with the dulcimer. Ask lots of questions, as most of the folks are friendly. I know the main mod/lady who runs Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer. She goes by Strumelia (real name Lisa; tell her Genford says 'hi'). She has a great Youtube channel with a lot of dulcimer tutorial vids that will help you get started and make the whole thing less intimidating.

Do you know if your dulcimer has a noter (a small wooden, plastic, bone or glass dowel)? There is a specific style of playing that uses the noter (it is kind of the older, more traditional style, but somewhat restrictive) and I recommend anyone who starts out at least try noter style or watch some videos of noter style playing to see if they like it. It gives the dulcimer a fiddle/bagpipe-ish sounds that I really dug. If you PM me your address and contact info, I may have some old books that I don't need that I can send you. Also, let me know if you have a noter or not, as I have some extras I could send you if you want. Good luck.

# ¿ Sep 6, 2013 22:30

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# ¿ Apr 27, 2024 04:56

djinndarc: Dec 20, 2012; "I'm Bender, baby, please insert liquor!"

Visteri posted:

Thank you so much for the advice.

That was another problem I forgot about : this one doesn't come with a noter and the kit does, which is another reason I wanted the kit. I love how noter-style dulcimer sounds.

I really appreciate your offer but I don't have PMs here, so it would probably be cheaper if I just bought a noter.

Time to check out those forums now. Thanks again!

Depending on how handy you are, you could probably make a noter (or find something cheap at the hardware store that you can use as a noter). It literally is just a small wooden dowel (just a cylindrical piece of wood, maybe the size of a piece of chalk). Lots of dulcimer players make their own or improvise them out of stuff they can get their hands on. Ask around on the forums and they can make suggestions. Also, some people on the forums make and sell these beautiful handmade noters that are turned on a lathe and are works of art. There is also an ebay store called Carrot Creek that used to sell handmade lathe turned noters. I just checked and they are out of them right now, but contact them or keep checking back. Playing with the noter is a bit more challenging than just fretting with your hands, but I think it sounds way better. So, watch tons of vids, keep practicing, and don't give up. You'll figure it out eventually. Good luck!

# ¿ Sep 7, 2013 00:08

djinndarc: Dec 20, 2012; "I'm Bender, baby, please insert liquor!"

TapTheForwardAssist posted:

Ah, that is the downside of the Elise model: one of the best settups for accompaniment, but in its smaller 35-button incarnation sacrifices chromaticity, until you get up to 42 buttons or more. If you end up not needing it, you should be able to sell it on the Concertina Forum for not too much of a hit, if not right here in the thread.

Are you thinking to try out a small piano accordion at some point for contrast, or at least try to find a CBA (chromatic button accordion) in a shop somewhere that you can at least feel out? Oddly enough, a goon PMed me not long ago to say that he'd bought a CBA based on this thread, so I'm trying to get him to come megapost on them.

Here's an instrument that's incredibly accessible and affordable, to the point I feel remiss in not having made a full megapost for it years ago. I also might should've brought it up earlier before Christmas since they can make great musical gifts, but there are still a few shopping days left...

Kalimba, mbira, thumb-piano, etc.

The "thumb piano" refers to a wide range of "plucked lamellophones" originating in Africa. That is, instruments where one plucks a flexible tongue, setting it vibrating and producing a note. These were found intermittently scattered across most of Sub-Saharran Africa, though I've tended to think of it mostly as being a Middle-West thing (Wiki says Congo and Zimbabwe particularly known for it). The produce a very clear, inharmonic, humming tone, almost vaguely digital to our modern ears.

The settup for most kalimba is unlike most Euro instruments (save for, oddly enough, English concertina) in that instead of having a clear "low notes on the left, high on the right" layout, they tend to put the lowest note in the middle, then have the notes alternate back and forth. This has several advantages, in that it makes runs up and down a scale faster since you divide the work between two hands, and also adjoining tongues tend to harmonize so you can smack several together.

A lot of the kalimbas sold on the mass-market today are "diatonic", playing a basic Western scale in one key. However, I'm a strong believer that the average kalimba buyer would be best off choosing a "pentatonic" model, one having a 5-note scale like a Native American flute has. Such an instrument is very hard to sound bad on since most of the note combinations you could hit, even randomly, sound pretty good together. I don't think most people who get their hands on a kalimba are best served trying to pick out the melody to "Sweet Home Alabama" on it by ear, so much as to simply establish a groove they can enjoy. I've given pentatonic kalimbas to non-music friends as gifts, and I tell them not to even think of it as "notes", but just as patterns. Like imagine you had a drumstick in your hand, and on the table in front of you a tin cup, a porcelain mug, and a hardcover book. You'd be frustrated trying to "make it sound like XYZ", but if you just do "book...mug...tin-tin, mug" and then repeatedly play that riff, maybe warping the rhythm a bit, or throwing in an off-beat here and there, you could just groove into that for minutes at a time. Same with a pentatonic instrument like a pent kalimba, just establish a pattern and sink into it.

Some traditional-style African kalimbas are a little harder to tune since the bracket holding the tines is staked in, but on most modern ones there are bolts on the bar trapping the tines, so you can just carefully loosen the bolts just enough to wiggle a tine longer or shorter, so you could turn an A Major pent into a A Minor Pent by just pulling your C tine out slightly until it plays a C#.

You see a number of variants on these: some solid-body with just tines on a board, others with hollow bodies or wood, gourd or metal, and some electrified via transducer. Some of the acoustic ones are amplified by placing them on top of a drum or other resonating body. One common addition especially on trad ones is to have small rattly bits like bottlecaps nailed to the body, or metal or plastic rings on the tines to cause slight interference and buzzing.

Like a lot of things in this thread, there are enough great affordable kalimbas that you really don't need to risk buying unknowns to save a fiver. The shop Kalimba Magic carries a mid to mid-high range of instruments, but the Catania brand they stock has some good stuff as low as $25. If money isn't an issue and you want a really cute pentatonic to give as a gift, the Bothe are great but pricey tiny things for $100. Mountain Melodies makes some affordable but good cedar kalimbas for as low as $25, in pentatonic or diatonic. Hugh Tracey is the classic brand that introduced kalimba to an audience outside of Africa; they're a little boxy and focused on playing Western scales, but have a solid grip on a facet of the market.

I've given a few kalimbas as gifts and may do so again, but for myself I'm fixing to buy an electric to use in a friend's upcoming project. I'm pretty sure I'll spend the $100 to get the Catania 11-note (2octave) pentatonic solid-body, and then run it through the effects pedals I have to give it distortion, flange, etc. Though there is a mad genius who runs eKalimba.com and has built all manner of freaky-deaky electrics, for moderately more than the mass-market options.

If you want an instrument that takes very little maintenance, compact and relatively inexpensive, and that (though not optimal for trying to play set melodies on) is extremely easy to just groove out on and sound good even as a novice, then it's really hard to beat a kalimba, especially in a pentatonic scale.

Clips:

- South African singer backing himself up on mbira with acoustic effects: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTT0fIxxxRU
- mbira ensemble in Zimbabwe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl0Nq_YuhmU
- a pretty good example of what a total novice mucking around with a diatonic sounds like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPp5NJ8bmjw
- a little Legend of Zelda soundtrack music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAtDluPjweM
- a Hugh Tracey retuned to the Japanese pentatonc Akebono scale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e_6o6wHpi4
- a tiny electrified kalimba with effects pedals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWAzm4HzAV0

Sorry about not doing the CBA writeup. My lovely CBA arrived at my house with the innards thoroughly bashed. The accordion store that sold it to me were amazing to work with and offered me a full refund with no hassle whatsoever. They told me that it was not uncommon for full sized accordions to be damaged in transit, which spooked me a bit. So, I took my refund and put my accordion ambitions on hold for a while. However, I may give kalimba another run, as I haven't touched my old one in about a year.

# ¿ Dec 17, 2013 20:48

djinndarc: Dec 20, 2012; "I'm Bender, baby, please insert liquor!"

No Gravitas posted:

Since I will be buying from Susato shortly, what is special about their whistles? Might as well pack my orders together...

No Gravitas posted:

Since I will be buying from Susato shortly, what is special about their whistles? Might as well pack my orders together...

I'm not sure what slap me silly was referring to specifically, but I have a susato (Kildare S[small bore] Key of D). Susato seems to be divisive-people love them or hate them. They are ABS plastic, not metal. Some people think this makes them sound like a recorder and not a proper whistle. I personally like the sound but check them on YouTube to make sure you do. Also they have different bore sizes which affects both sound and volume. I have S (small bore) which is the standard, and it is LOUD. Great for a session; not great if you are in an apartment. They make a V/VS/Very small bore which is quieter. Also the mouthpiece is shorter than most whistles and takes some getting used to. Last, the upper octave/register of the susato requires a disproportionate amount of air compared to the lower notes. And it can be hard to figure how much air you need for higher notes. I personally love my susato. I keep it in my car or take to work cause it's too loud for my apartment. Thinking about getting a vs bore at some point.

Edit: slapmesilly beat me to it.

# ¿ Mar 22, 2014 05:49

djinndarc: Dec 20, 2012; "I'm Bender, baby, please insert liquor!"

Power_13 posted:

I know it's not really a weird instrument, but does anyone have any advice on buying/learning violin/fiddle?

I am currently learning Old Time fiddle. I would say first off, join the Fiddle Hangout. Do some research and decide if you want to learn classical violin or some time of folk fiddle tradition (if fiddle, try to decide what genre of fiddle music you want to do, such as old time, bluegrass, Irish, etc.).
While there are definitely people who learn fiddle on their own, I strongly recommend getting a teacher, at least in the beginning. You don't have to necessarily do lessons every week, but occasional lessons will help you correct mistakes and bad habits, so you don't have to unlearn them later. If you can't find a teacher near you, you can do online lessons with a teacher (I do this) Skype or Google or something. Also a teacher can help you find a good instrument at a decent price (for example, my teacher sold me one of his old fiddles and bow).

If you do the online route, You can find. Several amazing teachers on Fiddle Hangout. There are also threads for advice getting your first fiddle (you might also be able to catch a deal from somebody selling their starter fiddle when they upgrade).

If you by any chance choose old time fiddle, I can advise some good books and maybe YouTube channels.

I'm laertes22 on FHO, as well.

# ¿ May 19, 2014 01:48

djinndarc: Dec 20, 2012; "I'm Bender, baby, please insert liquor!"

WAFFLEHOUND posted:

So I've thought about getting one of these for four and a half years, and sat on a waitlist for a while and fuuuuuuuck it's amazing

What is that?

# ¿ Jun 14, 2014 14:30

djinndarc: Dec 20, 2012; "I'm Bender, baby, please insert liquor!"

TapTheForwardAssist posted:

Definitely do, NAF is one of the chillest instruments to mess with. And though less traditional, I'm fond of the plastic ones because they're easy to just chuck in a backpack, or carry around with you during the day to play when you have a spare moment. Just take a glance at the most basic fingering charts (you don't need the fancy cross-fingered notes at first, just the simple notes), and then just mess around by ear.

Out of curiosity, have any NAF goons here actually learned any traditional songs on it? I mess around playing some familiar Anglo melodies just as an exercise, or I'll wander around riffing, but I've never really tried to figure out what the "classic" tunes of the genre are. Although presumably any standardized repertoire would be a pretty modern innovation given how disparate the American Indian cultures that played these.

Tonkori would be pretty awesome; it's a very limited instrument in the sense that Anglo-Saxon lyre or traditional small kantele are, but for making personal chill-out music that's no problem. The only place I personally know of selling them is the Ainu Museum in Sapporo, but it may be that some local makers turn them out. But not sure what places other than the museum would have them as an off-the-shelf item.

We have a goon here who was building an Ainu-Siberian hybrid lyre, not sure where that project is at the moment.

It is indeed a really reasonable starter instrument. The tone on my Elise is actually pretty good, reed response decent. What got me to upgrade was mainly the fewer buttons (doesn't apply in the Anglo case), the stiffness of the bellows, and slow return of the buttons. But even having a nicer Morse duet now, I still keep my Elise as a decent backup. Good pace on shipping; Wim got mine out to Afghanistan in about that much time too.

What kind of music are you looking to play, and how did you come to choose Anglo from amongst the three types?

FAKEEDIT: I usually pick up beater 20b Anglos in the $50 range if I see them (used 20b are way cheaper than 30 since Irish players want 30), but I don't as often see cheaper English concertinas, but I just picked a 30b Scarlatti English up for $150. I'll check it out when I get it, and if it's decent of fixable I'll post it in SA Mart (and link here) in case we have any goons who've wanted a cheap English. The Concertina Connection instruments are better and more reliable, but those are usually at least $275 used, so this Scarlatti could be a serviceable cheap-cheapie.

Well, I'm Native American (Coharie Nation) and played NAF as a kid. Haven't really played much since college, although I keep a few flutes at the house (I mainly play clawhammer banjo and Old Time fiddle nowadays). It is hard to speak of a "genre" as traditional songs (as well as the flutes themselves) will vary by tribal group. Also, there is a good bit of improvisation and making your own songs in the tradition. If you want a tunebook, R. Carlos Nakai put out a good one. http://www.amazon.com/Art-Native-American-Flute/dp/0786628987

He is Dineh (Navajo), and considered to be one of the best NAF in the world (or at least the most famous). I don't have the book in front of me, but I thing it has standard notation and fingering tab.

While I am thinking of it, does anybody here play spoons (like actual spoons, not the easy to play ones where the spoons are joined on the end)? I didn't see it list in the OP. I am trying to teach myself and struggling, so could use any good resources or advice.

EDIT: This NAF book is also pretty decent http://www.amazon.com/Mel-Bay-Flute-Magic-Introduction/dp/0786658169/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y

djinndarc fucked around with this message at 16:42 on Jul 14, 2014

# ¿ Jul 14, 2014 16:36

djinndarc: Dec 20, 2012; "I'm Bender, baby, please insert liquor!"

Well, I think I mentioned in my last post, but I've been doing clawhammer banjo for about 2-2.5 years and Old Time fiddle for about a year. I've messed around on and off for the last few years with ukulele, rhythm bones, spoons, kalimba, tin whistle, mountain ocarina, and NAF.

Also, I did traditional shamisen lessons (Hokkaido, Nanbu/Hachinohe, and Tsugaru regional styles) for 5 years back when I lived in Japan.

# ¿ Jul 17, 2014 04:40

djinndarc: Dec 20, 2012; "I'm Bender, baby, please insert liquor!"

I feel like a lot of YouTube vids and books oversimplify bones. There is a lot of subtlety to how they are held and positioned, and also to adjusting the tension on your grip. It took me several months of constant practice before I could get a consistent sound. I kept them with me at all times in my messenger bag and practiced when I was on break at work, stuck on traffic, etc. Just be patient and keep practicing.

# ¿ Aug 7, 2014 01:09

djinndarc: Dec 20, 2012; "I'm Bender, baby, please insert liquor!"

Reading the different posts about concertina have made me want to maybe save up for one. I almost did accordion a while back, but it didn't really work out, but concertina seems like it might be neat to try. I will probably be trying to save up for one of the beginner models from concertina connections. However, I am stuck between the Anglo (Rochelle) and the Duet (Elise) and was looking for some advice.

I currently play Oldtime/Clawhammer banjo, Old Time Fiddle, and uke (and have interest in Irish trad music, too), so naturally I thought the Anglo would be the one for me. Then I started reading some of TTFA's posts about Duet, and I am kind of leaning more towards that. It might be neat to play some old folk/old time songs, but since I can more or less do those on banjo and fiddle, so I thought it might be neat to have something to just jam with people or accompany myself singing or do weird covers of pop songs (maybe what I do on uke right now), so I though the duet might be better? I also kind of like the fact that with the bass notes on one side, it is kind of accordion-ish? However, I don't really see a lot of Youtube clips of the Elise, nor do I see people doing popular music covers on concertina. Any suggestions to check out?

I also worry about the lack of range on the Elise (this is the main thing making my choice difficult and keeping Anglo as an option). I worry about not having a lot of notes to work with or not being able to accommodate keys for different songs. Anybody have any thoughts on this?

I also wondered about resources for songs to play on the Elise. I know it comes with a book with some songs that teach you how to play. But once I exhaust those, what would be a good place to find songs that would fit within its range of notes? Any good books or websites that you recommend?

# ¿ Sep 10, 2014 03:13

djinndarc: Dec 20, 2012; "I'm Bender, baby, please insert liquor!"

slap me silly posted:

You would have to be crazy as balls to take up duet concertina, for which there is essentially no tradition and no literature. Not saying that's bad, but is that you?

I honestly don't know as much about duet concertina as I'd like to, hence my post. Is it true that there is essentially no tradition and literature? When I was trying to research it, it said they came about in the 1850s and were also popular in the prewar salvation army concertina bands, so I was assuming there should be some tradition/literature. I was also basing it on the fact that TTFA recommended it, especially for jamming and accompaniment (saying that it was more flexible than Anglo or English). Then again, I don't know from concertinas, so any information or advice would be appreciated.

# ¿ Sep 10, 2014 04:39

djinndarc: Dec 20, 2012; "I'm Bender, baby, please insert liquor!"

slap me silly posted:

Ok ok I will make a real answer. The Elise (34 key model, right?) has about 1.5 octaves on each side. That means crossing sides for most stuff. A lot of folk tunes won't fit on the right hand in standard keys, so you'd either have to play them half on each side or accommodate some missing high notes. It has limited chromaticity: you get F, C, G, D and related minors. That's less than the 30 button C/G Anglo, which can also play in A and (awkwardly) in Eflat, E, Bflat. However the duet is much more versatile in terms of the chords you can make.

The push-pull thing is a big deal (same note like duet vs different note like Anglo). It's a completely different bellows mindset - learn one, you still don't have the other.

I don't know anything about the fingering. Anglo fingering is intuitive to me now, but that's largely because I've been playing it so long. The Hayden duet layout is really rational and a couple of basic chord patterns would get you a long way.

Overall if I were going to trouble to learn duet, I'd look for one with more range and available keys than the Elise. But if you're committed to the concept of the duet it would make a lot of sense to start with this one.

This was actually quite helpful. I am actually not married to the idea of the Duet, and the Anglo is still very much on the table (actually trying to get some info on here to help me decide). You point about chromaticity is well made-that is actually what I was very awkwardly trying to ask about when I mentioned "range" and "not having enough notes". Being able to play in G, C, D, and A with an Anglo would be great for Old Time since the repertoire has a lot of overlap with Irish trad. And it seems like it would be good for other folk/dance stuff. Also, I kind of like the push/pull (bisonoric?) aspect of the Anglo.
How is the chromaticity of the Anglo? I assume with the Elise, you have 34 notes, so 1.5 octaves as you mentioned. What about the Anglo? I am looking a 30 buttons x 2 (for push/pull), but assuming there is probably some overlap with notes? Do you get plenty of accidentals?
Also, curious if you play a Rochelle (and what you think of it) as opposed to some (all) of the pricier Anglos. I was looking at the HomeWood musical Instrument website, and the guy who runs it (Mr. Tedrow) plays and services concertinas, and for an extra $85 he will disassemble, adjust, and upgrade, as well as do setup for the Rochelle/Elise ("Tedrow adjustment" as he calls it), which I thought might be a good thing as I don't foresee myself dropping thousands of dollars on a concertina and just want something that sounds good to dick around on. Thoughts?

# ¿ Sep 10, 2014 16:31

djinndarc: Dec 20, 2012; "I'm Bender, baby, please insert liquor!"

I know we've been talking a lot about concertinas lately, but I am also curious a bit about the Sackpipa, especially the polymer ones mentioned on page 2. What kind of maintenance/upkeep is needed to keep a set in good working order? Are they hard to maintain? Are they a pretty rugged instrument that you can take with you and not worry that you are going to "mess it up".

Also, how is the sound quality and playability of the polymer ones, as opposed to wood or something?

# ¿ Sep 11, 2014 17:17

djinndarc: Dec 20, 2012; "I'm Bender, baby, please insert liquor!"

I got a mystery check in the mail, and since it is going to probably take some time to track down my concertina, I decided to go ahead and order a sackpipa. I bookmarked the smallpipa websites and forums from back on page 2, but any ideas for places to get sheet music (or tab or whatever sackpipa uses)? Swedish music or otherwise (anything that would sound good on or be in the musical range of sackpipa).
FYI, per Seth Hamon, all his polymer sackpipa come with synthetic reeds now.

Also FYI, I am Native American and played Courting Flute (aka NAF) in my younger days (and occasionally still do). I also studied shamisen under a traditional master for 5 years when I lived in Japan. So, if anyone has questions about either of those, let me know.

# ¿ Sep 14, 2014 01:24

djinndarc: Dec 20, 2012; "I'm Bender, baby, please insert liquor!"

TapTheForwardAssist posted:

Definitely let us know how ordering weird stuff from China works out.

Regarding the shakuhachi thing, one dude at Chiff & Fipple has the weird practice of taking lovely eBay "Irish flutes" made in indifferent Pakistani workshops, and adding a shakuhachi-type head to them to make them meditational instruments with an arbitrary scale: http://forums.chiffandfipple.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=34685&start=120

Another good time to remind people do not buy "Irish flutes" or any kind of bagpipe off eBay without an extremely clear idea of the maker, as there are a ton of unlabeled or "Fakie MacScottishname" stuff floating around that's complete garbage. If you need an uber-cheap bagpipe, get a Swedish or one of the cheaper synthetic Euro-made smallpipes (which aren't great but at least sorta work). If you want an uber-cheap Irish flute, get a PVC one from Tipple, or just generally ask around on C&F to see what the current recommended inexpensive models are.

Separately, I'm finally trying again to learn the knack of playing bones, so I was carrying my cedar set (which I bought as a teen in 1996 or so) around Bogota click-clacking away and annoying other people on the sidewalk. I'm still suspicious that I may just enjoy the idea of bones more than their actual sound, but in the meantime I have a pair, I need more percussion experience, my udu drum is back in DC, and bones fit in my pocket.

EDIT: I'm refusing to buy more bones until I get decent at the set I have, but if I ever expand I'm really drawn to these ones by the Triskel shop, made of bog oak (preserved wood hauled out of peat bogs):

Do you play more if the Irish grip/one handed or two handed American Minstrel style. I go through phases of love/hate with bones and spoons. I'll be real into them for a couple months, then get burnt out and not touch them for months. As I mentioned before, there is a lot of subtlety of grip and finger pressure to bones that almost never gets explained well. Also it's one if those instruments that everybody makes like it is really simple, but I has to practice everyday for months just to get a consistent sound and steady rhythm.

Although I already own way too many bones, you are tempting me with those sunken water ones.

# ¿ Sep 26, 2014 13:20

djinndarc: Dec 20, 2012; "I'm Bender, baby, please insert liquor!"

I have a sackpipa related question. So, I got my plastic sackpipa from Seth Hamon yesterday. I was super excited...until I realized the chanter was not playing right. Part of it can be drummed up to my inexperience and inability to regulate the pressure. However, it was also suggested that I might need to adjust my reeds. So, how do I get at the reeds without damaging my instrument? Do I have to actually remove the drone/chanter from the bad itself? Or are there supposed to be "joints" on the drone/chanter that can be removed to get at the reed?

# ¿ Sep 30, 2014 18:46

djinndarc: Dec 20, 2012; "I'm Bender, baby, please insert liquor!"

I have an instrument related question, if anybody has any ideas. As I mentioned in some previous posts, I am Native American and played Native American flute in my younger days, but have kind of gotten away from it in recent years. Maybe it's just that I am getting older, but I started getting nostalgic and pulled my flutes out the other day and have started back playing. My thoughts are that since I am scheduled to be married next year, I might serenade the future Mrs. Laertes22 "Courting Flute" style at either the ceremony or the reception. My questions is about cases for the NAF. I have some old flute bags that I either made or bought as a kid, but I kind of want a hard case. That being said, the amount of money that some places want to charge for a hard flute case...let's just say that the case shouldn't cost more than the flute IMHO. I was thinking that maybe I could make a hard case (maybe using PVC pipe and some kind of lining?), but my google fu skills are lacking and I can't find any plans, designs, etc for what I am looking for. Any chance that some kind goon might be able to help me out or give me some ideas?

Also, TTFA:
1) I have not forgotten about concertina. The future Mrs. Laertes22 needed books for school and it tapped my concertina fund, so I have to start back up from scratch saving up.
2) Also have not forgotten about Sackpipa. Right around the time the I got my sackpipa, one of my best friends called up to tell me that he was having a Hawaiian/tiki themed wedding and asked if I would play uke for the ceremony. So, I put all other instruments down (including my banjo and fiddle) and have been hardcore practicing uke for like the last month or two.

# ¿ Oct 28, 2014 19:46

djinndarc: Dec 20, 2012; "I'm Bender, baby, please insert liquor!"

Check out the Banjo Hangout. They have a section specifically dedicated to asking and answering questions about setup, maintenance, and repair. I'd recommend posting pictures with your questions, as they can probably help you pick out appropriate hardware/replacement parts, as well.

# ¿ May 7, 2015 17:20

djinndarc: Dec 20, 2012; "I'm Bender, baby, please insert liquor!"

TapTheForwardAssist posted:

Let me know how cheap/easy it ended up being. If it's not particularly pricey, I might be interested in sending y'all a small 3/4 electric guitar for conversion to 8-string octave mandolin. I was debating doing it myself, but then I realize that I have a ton of things I should be focusing on right now, and that other than doing action jobs on dulcimers I don't have a great history of follow-through on luthiery projects and would be way more effective if I just teach more lessons and workshops and let defter people do craftsmanship for me.

Nothing wrong with piano, I myself intend to start taking piano lessons soon since it's a useful fundamental skill everywhere and good for understanding music theory.

Definitely try out a clavichord sometime using your piano skills, though I wouldn't say no to a Hohner Pianet either, which is not at all electronic, but rather plucks little metal tines and amplifies them:

Video clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q0e6l05KTs

I have mainly played claw hammer banjo, old time fiddle, and ukulele, but I recently dug out my old Yamaha keyboard/digital piano. (I took piano lessons years ago and the Yamaha and pedal still work). Not in a position to do lessons right now, but are there any good resources for online lessons/self-teaching, free sheet music, or chords for pop songs or jazz?

# ¿ Jul 8, 2016 05:50

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# ¿ Apr 27, 2024 04:56

djinndarc: Dec 20, 2012; "I'm Bender, baby, please insert liquor!"

Thinking about picking up a drum/percussion instrument and looking at an udu. Any recommendations of a good quality and good sounding udu for under $200?

# ¿ Aug 31, 2017 02:32

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Ask me which weird musical instrument you should learn this summer