Playing another Instrument

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Stoney

Posts: 132
Joined: Nov. 6 2009

Playing another Instrument

Does anybody here play anything other than Flamenco Guitar or Caja or whatever?

What about a fantasy instrument? Any ambitions to learn other instruments?

I can play a variety of guitars like electric, steel string acoustic, bass and also mess around with the harmonica and am pretty proficient on the Tex Mex Three row Diatonic Button accordion.

My next big endevour is to learn the Puerto Riccan Cuatro which is a cool little violin shaped guitar used mostly in Afro Cuban music, Salsa, Puerto Riccan Folk, etc.

Gloria Estefan and Ricky Martin have employed them quite effectively and they do have some andalusian roots as well.

Here's a Pic.

There are a ton of cool vids on youtube if you want to hear this instrument which has a too cool tone.

Stoney

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 8 2010 7:41:13

NeZ

Posts: 96
Joined: Feb. 14 2007

RE: Playing another Instrument (in reply to Stoney)

I started out playing steel string acoustic and still play that, although, not much lately since I've been focused on Flamenco pretty much exclusively for a while now.

I own and would love to learn how to play the Pedal Steel guitar. I've got a Sho-Bud LDG that I purchased a few years ago but I haven't gotten around to playing it much.

I definitely plan on tinkering with it and hopefully learning how to play fairly proficiently over the next several years.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 8 2010 8:44:04

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: Playing another Instrument (in reply to Stoney)

I've been known to play the Buffoon now and again!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 8 2010 10:05:37

Rain

Posts: 475
Joined: Jul. 7 2005

RE: Playing another Instrument (in reply to Stoney)

I would love to learn to play the Oud or Baglama.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 8 2010 10:56:14

Ailsa

Posts: 2277
Joined: Apr. 17 2007
From: South East England

RE: Playing another Instrument (in reply to Pimientito)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Pimientito

I've been known to play the Buffoon now and again!

And you do it so well Pim! In the past I have played flute, clarinet and saxaphone and loads of African and Brazilian drums. I've loved them all at the time but never quite felt I'd found "the one"!.

I've been taking bass guitar lessons since last summer, which is well funky! But nothing quite compares to flamenco guitar.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 8 2010 11:07:30

Estevan

Posts: 1936
Joined: Dec. 20 2006
From: Torontolucía

RE: Playing another Instrument (in reply to Stoney)

I played bonang barung for a while (2-3 years?). It was very nice but I wasn't doing much guitar back then.

(not me in the picture)

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Attachment (1)

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 8 2010 12:07:20

Doitsujin

Posts: 5078
Joined: Apr. 10 2005

RE: Playing another Instrument (in reply to Stoney)

quote:

Ricky Martin

Didnt he turned out gay lately? Man.. that was a shock.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 8 2010 12:40:07

at_leo_87

Posts: 3055
Joined: Aug. 30 2008
From: Boston, MA, U.S.A

RE: Playing another Instrument (in reply to Stoney)

I play cajon and a bit of djembe. I'm not good at either but I get by. Id like to learn the doumbek. The oud would be cool too.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 8 2010 15:21:45

cathulu

Posts: 950
Joined: Dec. 15 2006
From: Vancouver, Canukistan

RE: Playing another Instrument (in reply to Stoney)

I can play with myself

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 8 2010 17:14:21

HemeolaMan

Posts: 1514
Joined: Jul. 13 2007
From: Chicago

RE: Playing another Instrument (in reply to Stoney)

duduk, shakuhachi, didjeridu, banjo, kalyuka, fujara.... list goes on!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 8 2010 17:49:35

kovachian

Posts: 506
Joined: Jan. 30 2008
From: Americanistan

RE: Playing another Instrument (in reply to Stoney)

I can get down with the butt trombone. I love the sound of my cello but it's so damn unwieldy at times, I really like more portable instruments. I still have a violin for which I'll may never find time for badly-needed lessons. Then there's that damned accordion. I think it's actually against the law to like accordions, but I find them so mesmerizing. I can't help myself.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 8 2010 18:09:56

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Playing another Instrument (in reply to Estevan)

quote:

bonang barung

Hey Estevan,

I thought at first that the picture was of the back kitchen in a Chinese restaurant!

(Do they fill those little pots with tea to get the right tuning?

)

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 9 2010 1:28:32

Stoney

Posts: 132
Joined: Nov. 6 2009

RE: Playing another Instrument (in reply to Stoney)

quote:

I think it's actually against the law to like accordions, but I find them so mesmerizing. I can't help myself.

Hey Kovacian, what kind of accordion do you play?

I have a site that at one point was really popular (when I had time to maintain it) which has a ton of good info on the diatonic accordion.

Tex mex diatonic accordion

Q. What's the definition of a gentleman?
A. A guy who can play the accordion - but doesn't.

As for the Ricky Martin comment - I'm not a big fan by any means but I have to admit that his Unplugged CD / DVD is quite brilliant. As for recent revelations - yeah, BIG SUPRISE THERE - (not)

Stoney

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 9 2010 5:06:25

Estevan

Posts: 1936
Joined: Dec. 20 2006
From: Torontolucía

RE: Playing another Instrument (in reply to Ron.M)

quote:

I thought at first that the picture was of the back kitchen in a Chinese restaurant!

(Do they fill those little pots with tea to get the right tuning? )

Och Ron, I'd forgotten that you graduated from the Benny Hill School of Ethnomusicology!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 9 2010 8:47:20

kovachian

Posts: 506
Joined: Jan. 30 2008
From: Americanistan

RE: Playing another Instrument (in reply to Stoney)

quote:

Hey Kovacian, what kind of accordion do you play?

I have a one row Hohner diatonic, inherited from my grandpa. It sure is easy to play, which is a nice change from my violin, but it's capabilities are too limited for what I want to do. I'm currently perusing eBay and other retailers for a 41/120 piano accordion.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 9 2010 9:02:47

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Playing another Instrument (in reply to Estevan)

Sorry Estevan,

I was just joking with you.

I was actually going to add...

"Sheesh...with all the trouble trying to take a guitar as hand luggage on a plane...
can you imagine taking THAT kit on board?

"

Anyway, I'm sure I'd love to hear some bonang barung with noseflute "fusion" (with perhaps a little fretless bass?)

Or would that be considered Fakebonang(tm) to the purists?

(Only joking Estevan

)

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 9 2010 9:15:26

Estevan

Posts: 1936
Joined: Dec. 20 2006
From: Torontolucía

RE: Playing another Instrument (in reply to Ron.M)

quote:

Sorry Estevan,
I was just joking with you.

Now you're joking, right?

quote:

I was actually going to add...

"Sheesh...with all the trouble trying to take a guitar as hand luggage on a plane...
can you imagine taking THAT kit on board? "

Yeah you'd never be able to get more than one of those pots in your carry-on. It's quite a job moving all that gear. The instruments were housed at the Indonesian Consulate, but we occasionally had gigs elsewhere, which meant loading the whole lot into a big van. Although gamelan instruments are definitely not designed for travelling, it happens that they do dismantle nicely just because of the way they're constructed - bronze bars and pots sitting on (or hanging from) wooden frames.

quote:

Do they fill those little pots with tea to get the right tuning?

You'd have to turn them upside down to do that, and there may be some avant-garde pieces that do it (a water-gong is a very nice instrument) but we only played "old school" Javanese music.

The tuning (which of course is done when the instruments are made, since they are cast in bronze then hammered and filed) is interesting because each complete set of instruments (gamelan or 'orchestra') is in tune with itself, but not in tune with other gamelans. There is no standardized tuning, and so each gamelan represents a particular unique interpretation of the scales, with slightly different intervals. In this way each gamelan has a characteristic colour or sonic personality. Then there is the whole phenomenon of inharmonic overtones which is a source of fascination to acousticians and audio engineers.

Then there is a nice cultural aspect. Whereas some people look upon a musical instrument as a mere tool (and don't believe that guitars change with age and playing) in Javanese tradition musical instruments are considered to be living beings imbued with spirit, and are accordingly respected. It's customary to make offerings to the instruments, and we had a little old Javanese lady in the band who would place a bowl of flowers by the gong before every rehearsal. Maybe not 'scientific' in some places, but it's part of Javanese science (ngèlmu), and beautiful.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 9 2010 19:33:00