Need RV Size Musical Instrument

I understand there are a few dulcimers and maybe even players at TGO!  Some instruments have not seen the light of day in quite a while...do they lose their music if they are not played    ???

Steve said:

I understand there are a few dulcimers and maybe even players at TGO!  Some instruments have not seen the light of day in quite a while...do they lose their music if they are not played    ???

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There's an ad in The Happenings for Dulcimer players and wannabe's. I may check it out when we get back.

If you are going to store the Dulcimer for a long time, just like the pipes, you need to plug all the holes so the music doesn't leak out. ;D ;D

Luv2rv:

Luv2RV said:

Whatis an easy instrument to learn for someone with average ability, not much musical background but a desire to play?

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You can purchase a kids guitar for less than $50. I found one at CostCo a number of years ago and was able to answer the question, "Could I ever play one of these", prior to buying a real guitar. An acoustic would be a nice instrument not only for the RVer, but also, for those around the campfire that could also enjoy and sing along. Just as with keyboards, you can find easy to learn from books as well.

I "mess around" with the guitar but my interest is more in a "non RV" kinda instrument -- the trumpet. I began playing while in high school, so it wasn't a decision I made with RVing in mind. Actually, I stopped playing just after my Navy days 1/2 century ago and am now exploring taking it up again. It IS a tough instrument to practice on in an RV. ;D However, Yamaha for one makes a practice mute that is real clever that muffles the sound so only you can hear it by way of earphones. I have several mutes that I use plus pick the time of day to lessen the problem of annoying my neighbors while I decide if I will ever be able to play again.

Another thought for you is private instruction once you decide on an instrument. While visiting my sister in Austin earlier this spring, I just went to the local phone book, plus Google, and found very good private lessons.  While there, I took 4, $20 lessons within a 10 miles of my parking place. I am now working on what I was taught there, and will soon seek another group of lessons here in NCal. You can mess around on your own (which is great fun as well), or, if your want to move along faster, I would find a good pro to work with from time to time. Bad habits that we teach ourselves are hard to break if we have done a good job. this would also move you in the right direction as far as learning a bit about reading music and some basic music theory.

Good luck on your search for the right instrument. It is nice that you plan to move in a music direction. At what ever level you begin or continue, not many things will ever give more enjoyment and satisfaction. Unfortunately, my horn is not for playing around a campfire. :-[ Here's a link that explains my renewed interest in the horn, FWIW:

www.rvspacemanager.com/trumpetStuff.htm

Bob,

I think more people would tolerate the trumpet rather than the bagpipes. ;D ;D ;D

Jim Dick said:

Bob,

I think more people would tolerate the trumpet rather than the bagpipes. ;D ;D ;D

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Jim, it would probably be a toss up!! But, hey, if we happen to get to a rallye campsite earlier and find other folk or critters have taken up our space, we could just play a duet or two. That would probably even run the cayotes off

Bob Buchanan said:

Jim Dick said:

Bob,

I think more people would tolerate the trumpet rather than the bagpipes. ;D ;D ;D

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Jim, it would probably be a toss up!! But, hey, if we happen to get to a rallye campsite earlier and find other folk or critters have taken up our space, we could just play a duet or two. That would probably even run the cayotes off

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Let me know when you need help and I'll be there!!! ;D ;D ;D

Betty Brewer said:

But Dave,
I recall with fondness the memory of your entertainment? of a large group of women at a Quartzsite Red Hat Society Tea.? You were awesome and so was your music.

Betty

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Thanks for the kind words Betty. Hopefully I have improved some since then. I have been to several week long workshops and lots of practice.

Dave

[I have been to several week long workshops and lots of practice.]

OK Dave, How can we book you for our next rally?  keep your travels public so that we might all know where to find such fine entertainment.  With the new learnings are you going to charge  more for admission to your concerts in the future? I recall we got  our money's worth  last time you played for forum Floozies.

Betty

Jim, yup just like a guitar.? Steve a dobro or resophonic guitar is essentially a guitar body with an 11 inch sound hole, with a spun aluminum cone inside.? Looks like a speaker cone.? There is something called a spider bridge over the top, it the strings stretch across.? Over all this is a cover late, usually chrome, with a pattern cut out.? We sometimes refer to this as a hubcap.? Within this there are 2 variations, 1 is a roundneck, which is the same sort of neck a regular guitar has, and is played in the same fashion.? The other, is a squareneck, this has a very beefy neck, squared off, and this is played horizontally., you use a steel slide for 'fretting', and it is tuned to open G tuning.?

(too technical I know...? )

If you have aver seen Alison Kraus and Union Station play on TV, you may notice the guy on your left side of the stage.? That is Jerry Douglas, he plays the dobro.? Heck of a nice guy too!? Had the chance to meet him a few times.?

Dobro is typically a bluegrass or country music instrument, but the roundneck is featured in a lot of blues music.?

Then again, you may just think of it as a steel guitar, or Hawaiin guitar.? There are more subtleties, but we don't need to hit those.?

Betty Brewer said:

[I have been to several week long workshops and lots of practice.]

OK Dave, How can we book you for our next rally?? keep your travels public so that we might all know where to find such fine entertainment.? With the new learnings are you going to charge? more for admission to your concerts in the future? I recall we got? our money's worth? last time you played for forum Floozies.

Betty

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For you Betty the price is always free. Besides if I charged people may be more inclined to throw things.
We are going to another dulcimer festival this weekend.

My wife had always longed to learn to play the piano and, about a year ago, bought a Roland (baby grand) piano and started music lessons. She's so involved with those lessons, that I could see that our motorhome outings could be compromised, so I inquired about a professional keyboard and learned that Roland makes a couple of them. The sound that's produced would fool a well trained ear....tho the cost could scare you. I bought one for her and sprung it on her on our last trip.

I don't know how you guys figure it, but long ago I adopted the motto "happy wife, happy life" and all I can say is the happy music coming through our motorhome is well worth my investment. The Roland is a top-of-the-line instrument and not a toy. She's never going to be a concert pianist, but by-God she's a happy camper.

Hi Bob,

You are one very smart individual!!! I agree with your theory about happy wives. Glad it has worked out and, perhaps, someday we will hear a great concert from your better half.

Maybe a mandolin or fiddle. In the really small and inexpensive department is the harmonica.

Nice easy portable for steel guitar type instruments is a lap steel.  Use one of the little lunch box amps, create sound level of an acoustic.

An inexpensive option would be a ukulele you can make yourself from recyclable materials:

http://www.tubup.org/

I see an interesting old thread has come back to life.

I perform at a variety of outdoor festivals and through that have come to know many other musicians who have an interest in outdoor, acoustic performance.  As a rule we have to carry our instruments all day so as a community we have over time figured out some things that do and don't work.

The smallest, lightest, and most durable instruments suitable for performance are hand percussion (shakers, tambourine, finger cymbals, etc) and the "Irish" whistles.  There are a number of better quality sets of whistles out there and a few boutique makers who produce sets with a single fipple and interchangeable bodies to cover a variety of keys.  It takes at least three whistles to cover enough different keys to be useful for performance.

Next on the list are mandolin, violin, and flute, which aren't as durable but are still small and light.  We find that the mandolin is the smallest instrument that can, by itself, provide useful accompaniment to a singer.

While the guitar is a larger instrument there are backpacking guitars that work out OK, and a few of my friends use them for public performance.  My road guitar is a cheap Ibanez cutaway that has a built in pickup and tuner, which means I don't have to buy new tuners all the time (they inevitably get lost once in a while, and more often if you're a street performer).  I have a tuner app for my android phone but it isn't practical to pull it out in the middle of a show.

The accordion is the most portable of the keyboard instruments.  Newer accordions are typically smaller and lighter than those from the "golden age of the accordion" (1950s).  Mine weighs about 15 pounds.  The stylistic range that can be achieved by a competent player on a good instrument is considerable.  They're not just for polkas and waltzes.

I have a stage piano and while it is portable and can withstand the rigors of the road it's big and weighs 40 pounds, and I don't usually bring it along unless I have a gig that absolutely requires it.  It requires a stand, amp, speakers, stool, cables, and so on, although I guess there are consumer models that are self-contained and have little speakers built in.

I have trouble recommending some of the common folk music store instruments that lack expressive and stylistic range because it still takes work to learn to play them but they can't be made suitable for performance.  The psaltry, mountain dulcimer, and autoharp are all in this category IMO.

Here's a vote for Voyage-Air guitar.  Full-size acoustic guitar that folds in half, and fits into a backpack case.  I used to take a full-size guitar in the 5th wheel (packed standing-up in the shower), but the Voyage-Air is just so darn handy.

It comes with a back-pack case and the guitar with case weighs around 10-pounds!  Very handy for wandering around campgrounds to join a jam session that pops up from time to time.

Check them out at    www.voyageairguitar.com

Luv2RV said:

Retirement gives an opportunity to accomplish things that were impossible during hectic working days.  Playing a musical instrument would be one accomplishment that might be worth working toward.  The problem with misic and RV's can be storage.  A piano are not easy to fit into the average rv. Whatis an easy instrument to learn for someone with average ability, not much musical background but a desire to play?

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I have a Mountain Ocarina and purchased Learning to Play Mountain Ocarinas from the same company and it is easy and for the first time I am actually beginning to be able to relate the dots on the page to the notes on my instrument!  It is fun for me and the accomplished players I have heard can get some soulful music out of one.

I also own an autoharp and I LOVE them!  Easy to chord, and lots of capacity for noting that I might someday grow into.  Another delightful instrument and the autoharp crowd of people are absolutely the nicest people.  Cyberpluckers is the list for autoharp discussions and I think some of them also RV.  There are some GREAT autoharp players out there who produce amazing expression in their playing.  I've several CD's of it on my computer. 

Both instruments are small and easy to find space for in an RV.  Also, neither requires electricity so it doesn't matter if I am powered up or not in the RV we are redoing ourselves.

KAS  8)

Certainly agrtee on the dulcimer.  I am sure there are many accomplished players out there, but back in FL we had 3 come to our jams, and each would get a turn and play at 1/2 regular speed.  Yawn.  Now I am not a very good dobro player, and would skip my turn, but dang, waiting through the dulicmer was painful.

Steve said:

Jim,

[[ My problem is I really don't read music!]]

There are music books for various instruments for people who do not read music.  These books show the melody in so called  Tabs.

"Tabs" (or Tablature) defined- Tabs are a simplified way to notate instrumental solos, instrumental parts, melodies and songs, without having to formally read music"

In the case of a harmonica, for example, the tab will indicate hole 5, blow or draw  in a shorthand form which becomes second nature to read after very little practice.

This allows someone like me with virtually no ability to read music to play my favorite melodies on my harmonica.

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Music for the dulcimer is much more likely to be in tablature format than in "standard" musical notation. You can also find several books of dulcimer music with CDs so that you can hear what you are seeing.

If you are at all handy, there are dulcimer kits available at rather modest prices. I built one for my daughter. Although I am far from an expert woodworker, the sound quality was comparable to quality, ready made dulcimers.

My one problem with it is that (like any similar instrument) it needs frequent tuning. I don't have a real good ear, so I need to use an electronic tuner.

Joel