hi,
in your opinion what's the most physically undemanding instrument?
I personally play fretted strings and a little piano and my wrist is sometimes painful with the former and both hands with the latter.
the flute and other mouth blown instruments I assume take a lot of breath to play.
What about the fiddle and free reed instruments ( box , concertina etc)?
h
Whenever i think if i lost a couple of fingers i wouldn't be able to play flute anymore and would have wasted all this time learning tunes, i console myself that there's always the harmonica.
For one hour of playing time, the following calories are burned by a 155 pound person:
Cello, flute, horn, woodwind : 141
full drum kit (inlcuded only for demonstration!) : 281
guitar (classical or folk, sitting) : 141
piano, organ, violin, trumpet : 176
I'd imagine the box and especially the pipes take more effort and so burn more calories than, say, the fiddle, but not as much as a drummer on a full kit. Unfortunately, at a session you're likely to drink far more calories than you use up...
Of course, that hasn't much to do with strain on hands and wrists. You could take up singing.
Seriously, though, I would think it would depend on the nature of your pain -- it might be that the angle of the hands on a flute or whistle might be different enough that it wouldn't give you pain. Try picking up a whistle for couple of bucks and see how your wrists take it.
Yep, I'd say whistle, tho stay away from anything lower than a Bb at first (finger holes start to stretch out a bit beyond that).
Fiddle has to be one of the more unnatural instruments. Almost anything will affect you, tho. My rule of thumb is that you don't start to approach competency on an instrument until it begins to change your anatomy somehow, from permanent callouses on the finger tips, to noticeable muscle development, to--in extreme cases--tissue or joint deformation (I'm thinking here of Dizzy Gillespie's infinitely expandable jowls).
Whistle uses very small delicate movements, requires no tensing or reall gripping, allows a fairly natural posture and hand position, and requires very little breath--just breath control. And you can play almost the entire Irish trad repertoire on just a few whistles in the appropriate keys. Plus they're not heavy to lug around....
The cello is a reasonably ergonomic instrument, you don't have to hold it up with your hands, or use straps, and it encourages you to sit upright. Bowing and left hand feel fairly natural (well, I would say that, I've been playing it since I was 12!), and it's my impression that beginners on the cello make quicker initial progress than beginners on the violin, and make more acceptable noises as well! But it isn't long before the violinists catch up with and often overtake the cellists.
However, as with all instruments, the cello has its own set of technical problems which materialise when you get past the beginner's stage.
The cello, though, isn't really an ITM instrument, except for appearing occasionally in the big bands. For various reasons, mainly to do with it's size and relative fragility, it's not the instrument I'd choose to take to a pub session. The other reason of course is that in ITM terms it's not really a fast tune instrument (reels, jigs etc), implying that you've got to be prepared to play lower harmony notes (or even a counterpoint tune), all of which means that you need to know the tunes and have got to work in properly with other harmony instruments such as the guitar.
So, if you're thinking of the cello, be prepared to think also about playing classical.
Zina,
That was interesting info about energy expenditure, but I would suggest that a folk fiddler who holds the fiddle with the left hand at or below the level of the heart (no shoulder rest) uses significantly less energy than the classical shoulder-level hold, which is possibly what the 176 was worked out for. Perhaps the folk fiddler with the low hold uses less than 141 quoted for the cello, bearing in mind that the fiddle player needs far less energy to finger and bow the strings than the cellist does on the cello.
I believe the 141 is also about the same energy expenditure for running or jogging a mile. Yesterday, I had a 2-hour fiddle workshop in the morning, a 3-hour intensive orchestral rehearsal (playing the cello) in the afternoon, and then a 2 hour concert in the evening. On the basis of those energy expenditure figures I must have done the equivalent of a 6-7 mile run!
The piece of music with the lowest energy expenditure has got to be John Cage's 4' 33"!
For those who aren't familiar with this "composition" for the piano, the pianist just sits at a silent piano on the concert platform in front of an audience, doing nothing whatsoever for 4' 33". And then bows to tumultuous applause and doubtless gets a rave review in the papers next day. Apparently, Cage's idea was something along the lines of giving the audience an opportunity to listen to the background concert hall sounds that they don't notice when real music is being played. So? I've only got to go to the local session and listen hard when the music stops and the players pick up their pints...
I'm now working on a new reel which I shall name 1' 4". I don't know whether Jeremy's system will accept blank ABC
Ok, Z...here's one...a Chilean rainstick. Very relaxing, soothing, and no repetitive stress. I didn't think of the repetitive injury from twanging when suggesting the jaw harp. I just want to show up at a session with one for the shock value.
It's been done -- I think it was The Shadow, wasn't it, mentioned in Ciaran Carson's Last Night's Fun? Or was that a harmonica? I can't remember. I guess you'd mainly have to worry about TMJ with the jaw harp! But the rainstick -- now there's a fine idea! So long as you're careful about wrist position when turning the thing over, of course.
Certainly the pipes must have the most aerobic potential. Fiddle's probably the lowest from that standpoint!
Try the nose flute. One hand, no fingering, its as easy as singing and you don't have to remember the words plus nobody's going to borrow it at a session.
Your role model here, I would suggest,should be the late Donncha O'Brien. I think it was muscular dystrophy which he was afflicted with , but although being confined to a wheelchair , this did not stop him becoming a Senior All-Ireland champion on tin-whistle. His solo recording ranks right up there with Mary Bergin , in my opinion.
I had the pleasure to meet him and his brothers and play in sessions with them a few times in Edinburgh and Brittany in the 80s. It was a privilege and honour to have met him.
hhold, the English concertina is certainly less demanding than the anglo as Dow suggested earlier. This is because the push and pull on the bellows give the same note and hence the much of the work goes into finger movements around loads of buttons rather than quick bellows changes.
To get a good rhythm with the anglo you need to use a fair bit of rapid bellows action which affects various muscles (none of which I can tell you about though http://www.concertina.net has various articles and discussions on physical aspects of playing.
Another thing about the anglo is that it's tricky when you first start off as you're tensing all muscles desparately trying to get the right notes and bellows direction. Once you've got to the stage where your playing has become more fluid it seems much easier (this could be a result of lack of tension or more naturally enhanced muscles).
Probably the best thing to do is see if you can get hold of an anglo on a trial basis and see how it suits you. Do leave it a while though until you've got past the first hurdle as this will be the worst phase of learning for tense wrists. Finger problems will come later when you're trying to learn tricky note jumps for tunes which are complex to play on the anglo - though you can easily omit tricky tunes from your repertoire - there's thousands to choose from.
The nose flute could very well be the least stressing instrument but I have very serious concerns about it. As a matter of fact - out right horror. We already know what leaks out of most wind instruments. I don't want to know about the nose flute during ragweed season!
The anglo concertina painful? "Only for the listener!" proclaims my life-partner. I'm relegated to playing outside. Try that in the dead of Winter!
Grav
Not a traditional Irish instrument, but the autoharp is quite untaxing to playl the chords are built in, and you can get as simple or as wild with it as you like. You can get some nice diatonic ones these days, which have changed the old "scratchbox" sound associated with the older chromatic styles. It's also not difficult to convert an older chromatic autoharp to a diatonic one. You can either put it on a table in front of you (eliminates having to hold it), or hold it upright against your chest/shoulder, Appalachian style.
So long as the thing is in tune, it sounds good, and doesn't distort the wrists when you play. You can maintain a fairly relaxed arm/hand posture.
Pan pipes. In general terms just about as traditional (and ancient) as is possible to get. No fingering, and just blowing - not even sucking like with the harmonica. Only thing is, anyone got any comments on how practical pan pipes are for ITM?
At least the "moothie", as it's known in the bothy tradition in Scotland, has a history of being recorded within The Music.
Wot's tabor pipes anyway? she's a singer, isn't she?
Tabor pipes is like a whistle with 3 holes only; you're supposed to play that with one hand and bang a drum with the other, at the same time. Lovely sound, i'm sure.
a pint of guinness??? or maybe two - good for arm exercise! a jaws harp is always a winner too. or one of those whistle things with the pole up the middle out of 'the clangers'. failing that, slapping a big fat pair of white arse cheeks... ask a stupid question and what kind of a reply do u expect... lol
Galician trad Music, Domhnaill? Yet another TLA (three letter acronym). We're doing well here. Yeah, Milladoiro do the same sorta stuff, God bless them.
Murrough, you don't take after Ruadhraí at all, do you? I remember many's the late night discussing the merits of a shaved arse cheek versus the full-on-hairy-bear-bum-drum a la Eamon Maguire percussion method within the acoustic constraints of the Hercules Bar, and not a smirk would it produce. Dead serious, your brother! ;¬) Tell him "Conán on the box" (no relation to "Jenny on the block") said hello
Glauber and Domhnaill, don't be getting excited. Yiz are barking up the wrong tree.
That air fiddle story reminds me of a rehearsal in one of my orchestras 2 or 3 years ago when a lady violinist (aged about 40 I'd guess) turned up and asked if she could join. She said she had played the violin a bit in the past but felt she might be a little out practice. Since the second violins were a bit down on numbers the section principal dispensed with the usual mini-audition and the lady was placed in the first desk alongside him so that she could be quietly assessed.
I could see her from where I was in the cello section and was immediately struck by the fact that her bow was motionless on the strings, likewise the left hand, for almost the first half of the rehearsal. Her posture and hold were good though. We wondered if we were witnessing a rare example of Zen violin playing.
At the coffee break the orchestra leader and the section principal had a quiet word with her and it transpired she had indeed played the violin in the past. For 6 months when she was 12. It was kindly explained to her that she would benefit from a series of refresher lessons and that the normal entry standard for the orchestra was Associated Board grade 8.
It will be nice to see her back again when she has reached the standard.
We recently held an air band competition at our school. Sure, there were the air guitarists, air drummers, and air keyboardists, but I was the star of the show as I was the air recording manager, not to mention the air roadie...
Cage's 4min33s is a special case, uless you're going to compose more pieces along those lines - but you could do that on any instrument.
The most consistently ergonomic instruments must be wind chimes and Aeolian harp (an instrument whose strings are set in motion by the wind) - their playing requires no human involvemnt whatsoever, aside from placing them in a suitable position. The only problem with them is that they rely on some degree of air movement. Their use in sessions would probably have to be restricted to those that take place outdoors on a breezy day.
A musical box or pianola would be another option, although I have yet to come across either that plays session tunes. Along similar lines would be a steam organ or barrel organ - preferably motor-driven, to eliminate the effort of turning a crank. For playing the tunes you want to play, in exactly the way you want to play them, you cant beat the good old jukebox.
Give the oboe or better still the piccolo trumpet a go whilst doing a 15 mile run with a heavy pack on your back, anything else will seem like a piece of cake after that.
B
instrument for the unfit
instrument for the unfit
hi,
in your opinion what's the most physically undemanding instrument?
I personally play fretted strings and a little piano and my wrist is sometimes painful with the former and both hands with the latter.
the flute and other mouth blown instruments I assume take a lot of breath to play.
What about the fiddle and free reed instruments ( box , concertina etc)?
h
# Posted on February 8th 2003 by hhold
Re: instrument for the unfit
Scandinavian flute! Three holes, as many octaves, lots of fun and little cramp.
# Posted on February 8th 2003 by Conán McDonnell
Re: instrument for the unfit
Whenever i think if i lost a couple of fingers i wouldn't be able to play flute anymore and would have wasted all this time learning tunes, i console myself that there's always the harmonica.
# Posted on February 8th 2003 by glauber
Re: instrument for the unfit
For one hour of playing time, the following calories are burned by a 155 pound person:
Cello, flute, horn, woodwind : 141
full drum kit (inlcuded only for demonstration!) : 281
guitar (classical or folk, sitting) : 141
piano, organ, violin, trumpet : 176
I'd imagine the box and especially the pipes take more effort and so burn more calories than, say, the fiddle, but not as much as a drummer on a full kit. Unfortunately, at a session you're likely to drink far more calories than you use up...
Of course, that hasn't much to do with strain on hands and wrists. You could take up singing.
Seriously, though, I would think it would depend on the nature of your pain -- it might be that the angle of the hands on a flute or whistle might be different enough that it wouldn't give you pain. Try picking up a whistle for couple of bucks and see how your wrists take it.
Zina
# Posted on February 8th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: instrument for the unfit
Yep, I'd say whistle, tho stay away from anything lower than a Bb at first (finger holes start to stretch out a bit beyond that).
Fiddle has to be one of the more unnatural instruments. Almost anything will affect you, tho. My rule of thumb is that you don't start to approach competency on an instrument until it begins to change your anatomy somehow, from permanent callouses on the finger tips, to noticeable muscle development, to--in extreme cases--tissue or joint deformation (I'm thinking here of Dizzy Gillespie's infinitely expandable jowls).
Whistle uses very small delicate movements, requires no tensing or reall gripping, allows a fairly natural posture and hand position, and requires very little breath--just breath control. And you can play almost the entire Irish trad repertoire on just a few whistles in the appropriate keys. Plus they're not heavy to lug around....
# Posted on February 8th 2003 by Will CPT
Re: instrument for the unfit
I'm so glad no one's mentioned the bodh...
# Posted on February 8th 2003 by greenman
Re: instrument for the unfit
...ran?
I reckon the English concertina's pretty energy-saving...
# Posted on February 8th 2003 by Dow
Re: instrument for the unfit
lol...first place, the 'plucked idiophone'! Your armpit comes in second place!
# Posted on February 8th 2003 by katiebythegate
Re: instrument for the unfit
Ooooh, I don't know about that, KBTG -- I mean, the repetitive stress from armpit playing? Deadly!
zls
# Posted on February 8th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: instrument for the unfit
LOL -- didn't think of that, Z.
# Posted on February 8th 2003 by katiebythegate
Re: instrument for the unfit
The cello is a reasonably ergonomic instrument, you don't have to hold it up with your hands, or use straps, and it encourages you to sit upright. Bowing and left hand feel fairly natural (well, I would say that, I've been playing it since I was 12!), and it's my impression that beginners on the cello make quicker initial progress than beginners on the violin, and make more acceptable noises as well! But it isn't long before the violinists catch up with and often overtake the cellists.
However, as with all instruments, the cello has its own set of technical problems which materialise when you get past the beginner's stage.
The cello, though, isn't really an ITM instrument, except for appearing occasionally in the big bands. For various reasons, mainly to do with it's size and relative fragility, it's not the instrument I'd choose to take to a pub session. The other reason of course is that in ITM terms it's not really a fast tune instrument (reels, jigs etc), implying that you've got to be prepared to play lower harmony notes (or even a counterpoint tune), all of which means that you need to know the tunes and have got to work in properly with other harmony instruments such as the guitar.
So, if you're thinking of the cello, be prepared to think also about playing classical.
# Posted on February 8th 2003 by lazyhound
Zina,
That was interesting info about energy expenditure, but I would suggest that a folk fiddler who holds the fiddle with the left hand at or below the level of the heart (no shoulder rest) uses significantly less energy than the classical shoulder-level hold, which is possibly what the 176 was worked out for. Perhaps the folk fiddler with the low hold uses less than 141 quoted for the cello, bearing in mind that the fiddle player needs far less energy to finger and bow the strings than the cellist does on the cello.
I believe the 141 is also about the same energy expenditure for running or jogging a mile. Yesterday, I had a 2-hour fiddle workshop in the morning, a 3-hour intensive orchestral rehearsal (playing the cello) in the afternoon, and then a 2 hour concert in the evening. On the basis of those energy expenditure figures I must have done the equivalent of a 6-7 mile run!
# Posted on February 9th 2003 by lazyhound
Re: instrument for the unfit
The instrument with the Highest power consumption must be the Highland Pipes, lowest Whistle?
PP
# Posted on February 9th 2003 by Pied Piper
Re: instrument for the unfit
The piece of music with the lowest energy expenditure has got to be John Cage's 4' 33"!
For those who aren't familiar with this "composition" for the piano, the pianist just sits at a silent piano on the concert platform in front of an audience, doing nothing whatsoever for 4' 33". And then bows to tumultuous applause and doubtless gets a rave review in the papers next day. Apparently, Cage's idea was something along the lines of giving the audience an opportunity to listen to the background concert hall sounds that they don't notice when real music is being played. So? I've only got to go to the local session and listen hard when the music stops and the players pick up their pints...
I'm now working on a new reel which I shall name 1' 4". I don't know whether Jeremy's system will accept blank ABC
# Posted on February 9th 2003 by lazyhound
Re: instrument for the unfit
Too funny, Trev. I love it.
# Posted on February 9th 2003 by katiebythegate
Re: instrument for the unfit
Ok, Z...here's one...a Chilean rainstick. Very relaxing, soothing, and no repetitive stress. I didn't think of the repetitive injury from twanging when suggesting the jaw harp. I just want to show up at a session with one for the shock value.
# Posted on February 9th 2003 by katiebythegate
Re: instrument for the unfit
It's been done -- I think it was The Shadow, wasn't it, mentioned in Ciaran Carson's Last Night's Fun? Or was that a harmonica? I can't remember. I guess you'd mainly have to worry about TMJ with the jaw harp! But the rainstick -- now there's a fine idea! So long as you're careful about wrist position when turning the thing over, of course.
Certainly the pipes must have the most aerobic potential. Fiddle's probably the lowest from that standpoint!
# Posted on February 9th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: instrument for the unfit
Try the nose flute. One hand, no fingering, its as easy as singing and you don't have to remember the words plus nobody's going to borrow it at a session.
# Posted on February 9th 2003 by AOG
Re: instrument for the unfit
what about the anglo concertina? is it painful?
# Posted on February 9th 2003 by hhold
Re: instrument for the unfit
Your role model here, I would suggest,should be the late Donncha O'Brien. I think it was muscular dystrophy which he was afflicted with , but although being confined to a wheelchair , this did not stop him becoming a Senior All-Ireland champion on tin-whistle. His solo recording ranks right up there with Mary Bergin , in my opinion.
I had the pleasure to meet him and his brothers and play in sessions with them a few times in Edinburgh and Brittany in the 80s. It was a privilege and honour to have met him.
# Posted on February 9th 2003 by Kenny
Re: instrument for the unfit
hhold, the English concertina is certainly less demanding than the anglo as Dow suggested earlier. This is because the push and pull on the bellows give the same note and hence the much of the work goes into finger movements around loads of buttons rather than quick bellows changes.
To get a good rhythm with the anglo you need to use a fair bit of rapid bellows action which affects various muscles (none of which I can tell you about though http://www.concertina.net has various articles and discussions on physical aspects of playing.
Another thing about the anglo is that it's tricky when you first start off as you're tensing all muscles desparately trying to get the right notes and bellows direction. Once you've got to the stage where your playing has become more fluid it seems much easier (this could be a result of lack of tension or more naturally enhanced muscles).
Probably the best thing to do is see if you can get hold of an anglo on a trial basis and see how it suits you. Do leave it a while though until you've got past the first hurdle as this will be the worst phase of learning for tense wrists. Finger problems will come later when you're trying to learn tricky note jumps for tunes which are complex to play on the anglo - though you can easily omit tricky tunes from your repertoire - there's thousands to choose from.
# Posted on February 9th 2003 by Concertina Player
Re: instrument for the unfit
Hand and wrist problems, and no breath? What about hammered dulcimer?
# Posted on February 9th 2003 by cuchulain54
Re: instrument for the unfit
The nose flute could very well be the least stressing instrument but I have very serious concerns about it. As a matter of fact - out right horror. We already know what leaks out of most wind instruments. I don't want to know about the nose flute during ragweed season!
# Posted on February 10th 2003 by Mark Cordova
Re: instrument for the unfit
The anglo concertina painful? "Only for the listener!" proclaims my life-partner. I'm relegated to playing outside. Try that in the dead of Winter!
Grav
# Posted on February 10th 2003 by Gra5ity
Re: instrument for the unfit
Not a traditional Irish instrument, but the autoharp is quite untaxing to playl the chords are built in, and you can get as simple or as wild with it as you like. You can get some nice diatonic ones these days, which have changed the old "scratchbox" sound associated with the older chromatic styles. It's also not difficult to convert an older chromatic autoharp to a diatonic one. You can either put it on a table in front of you (eliminates having to hold it), or hold it upright against your chest/shoulder, Appalachian style.
So long as the thing is in tune, it sounds good, and doesn't distort the wrists when you play. You can maintain a fairly relaxed arm/hand posture.
# Posted on February 10th 2003 by Tove
Re: instrument for the unfit
Pan pipes. In general terms just about as traditional (and ancient) as is possible to get. No fingering, and just blowing - not even sucking like with the harmonica. Only thing is, anyone got any comments on how practical pan pipes are for ITM?
# Posted on February 11th 2003 by lazyhound
Re: instrument for the unfit
Did you just put "practical" and "Irish traditional music" in the same sentence, Trev? Heh.
I do not want to imagine the reaction of one's session mates if one showed up with an autoharp...
# Posted on February 11th 2003 by Zina Lee
Pan Pipes
Not fast enough, i'm afraid. OK in Andean music because there's a lot of repeated notes. But probably nice for slow airs. Or for putting on airs.
# Posted on February 12th 2003 by glauber
Re: instrument for the unfit
Pan pipes & auto harps? I think not somehow. It has to be tin whistle, as mentioned before.
Enda Story.
# Posted on February 12th 2003 by Alf Tupper
Re: instrument for the unfit
But what if you only have one hand? I think it has to be Tabor pipes!
# Posted on February 12th 2003 by glauber
Re: instrument for the unfit
Harmonica, then.
# Posted on February 12th 2003 by Alf Tupper
Re: instrument for the unfit
Aughhh, no, please, not harmonica! ;)
# Posted on February 12th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: instrument for the unfit
At least the "moothie", as it's known in the bothy tradition in Scotland, has a history of being recorded within The Music.
Wot's tabor pipes anyway? she's a singer, isn't she?
# Posted on February 12th 2003 by Alf Tupper
Re: instrument for the unfit
Nah, you're getting mixed up with that singer June.... June Pipes I think her name is.
Conán
# Posted on February 12th 2003 by Conán McDonnell
Re: instrument for the unfit
Tabor pipes is like a whistle with 3 holes only; you're supposed to play that with one hand and bang a drum with the other, at the same time. Lovely sound, i'm sure.
# Posted on February 12th 2003 by glauber
Re: instrument for the unfit
Check out a group called La Musgaña from Galicia. They do a lovely line in Tabor pipe and drum (honestly).
# Posted on February 12th 2003 by Conán McDonnell
Re: instrument for the unfit
I know the the thing. I think Milladoiro do the same. GTM is that?
# Posted on February 12th 2003 by Alf Tupper
Re: instrument for the unfit
a pint of guinness??? or maybe two - good for arm exercise! a jaws harp is always a winner too. or one of those whistle things with the pole up the middle out of 'the clangers'. failing that, slapping a big fat pair of white arse cheeks... ask a stupid question and what kind of a reply do u expect... lol
# Posted on February 13th 2003 by Murrough
Re: instrument for the unfit
Galician trad Music, Domhnaill? Yet another TLA (three letter acronym). We're doing well here. Yeah, Milladoiro do the same sorta stuff, God bless them.
Murrough, you don't take after Ruadhraí at all, do you? I remember many's the late night discussing the merits of a shaved arse cheek versus the full-on-hairy-bear-bum-drum a la Eamon Maguire percussion method within the acoustic constraints of the Hercules Bar, and not a smirk would it produce. Dead serious, your brother! ;¬) Tell him "Conán on the box" (no relation to "Jenny on the block") said hello
Glauber and Domhnaill, don't be getting excited. Yiz are barking up the wrong tree.
# Posted on February 13th 2003 by Conán McDonnell
Re: instrument for the unfit
There's always the air fiddle. Seen (but not heard) to great effect at a session in Miltown last year. Air Bodhran would be even better!
# Posted on February 13th 2003 by milesnagopaleen
Re: instrument for the unfit
That air fiddle story reminds me of a rehearsal in one of my orchestras 2 or 3 years ago when a lady violinist (aged about 40 I'd guess) turned up and asked if she could join. She said she had played the violin a bit in the past but felt she might be a little out practice. Since the second violins were a bit down on numbers the section principal dispensed with the usual mini-audition and the lady was placed in the first desk alongside him so that she could be quietly assessed.
I could see her from where I was in the cello section and was immediately struck by the fact that her bow was motionless on the strings, likewise the left hand, for almost the first half of the rehearsal. Her posture and hold were good though. We wondered if we were witnessing a rare example of Zen violin playing.
At the coffee break the orchestra leader and the section principal had a quiet word with her and it transpired she had indeed played the violin in the past. For 6 months when she was 12. It was kindly explained to her that she would benefit from a series of refresher lessons and that the normal entry standard for the orchestra was Associated Board grade 8.
It will be nice to see her back again when she has reached the standard.
# Posted on February 13th 2003 by lazyhound
Re: instrument for the unfit
Miles, how were the air fiddle's bowed triplets? Crunchy?
# Posted on February 13th 2003 by lazyhound
Re: instrument for the unfit
We recently held an air band competition at our school. Sure, there were the air guitarists, air drummers, and air keyboardists, but I was the star of the show as I was the air recording manager, not to mention the air roadie...
# Posted on February 15th 2003 by no longer exists
Re: instrument for the unfit
How jolly interesting. No doubt you play real music even better.
# Posted on February 15th 2003 by Alf Tupper
Re: instrument for the unfit
Cage's 4min33s is a special case, uless you're going to compose more pieces along those lines - but you could do that on any instrument.
The most consistently ergonomic instruments must be wind chimes and Aeolian harp (an instrument whose strings are set in motion by the wind) - their playing requires no human involvemnt whatsoever, aside from placing them in a suitable position. The only problem with them is that they rely on some degree of air movement. Their use in sessions would probably have to be restricted to those that take place outdoors on a breezy day.
A musical box or pianola would be another option, although I have yet to come across either that plays session tunes. Along similar lines would be a steam organ or barrel organ - preferably motor-driven, to eliminate the effort of turning a crank. For playing the tunes you want to play, in exactly the way you want to play them, you cant beat the good old jukebox.
# Posted on February 17th 2003 by ragaman
Re: instrument for the unfit
Give the oboe or better still the piccolo trumpet a go whilst doing a 15 mile run with a heavy pack on your back, anything else will seem like a piece of cake after that.
B
# Posted on March 20th 2003 by bacchus