minstrel: Instruments

[turnms01 at holmes.ipfw.indiana.edu]

On Mon, 15 Sep 1997, Alexandria Long wrote:

> 
> 
> On Mon, 15 Sep 1997, Scott Henderson wrote:
> 
> > 
> > 	Greetings,
> > 	I have a question about instruments, please forgive if this sounds
> > 	a bit tenderfoot but heregoes........
> > 	I would like to know players preferencess about there instruments.
> > 	Solo, accompianing, fun, whatever you want to throw out there..
> > 	I am a singer that plays guitar and am looking for a more "period"
> > 	tool to use. Citern is what I am thinking about but wanted all
> > 	of the input I can find.
> > 	I am curious of what you Lasses and Ladies use...........
> > 
> > 	the Scot.........
> > 
> If you're wanting to stick to strings, I'm happy with almost anything but
> a mundane guitar---unless, of course, you're playing lute songs. Period 
> lute music is very common and is played by many guitar players. Makes for
> very pleasant entertainment, so don't rush out and pawn it. As for
> accompanying voices and other instruments, a more period instrument is
> preferable, unless you can play in a period-sounding style (this includes
> improvisation). That's really hard for a lot of people to do, though, I've
> only heard one person that can (my dad), and he's been playing
> proffesionally for nearly 25 years. 
> Besides, branching out to other instruments is fun...been doing it for
> years!
> 
> ---Ceara ni Neill,House Barra


		GREETINGS FROM FAREMANNE DE VERE!

	I had never played a stringed instrument before [and I'm fairly
sure the synthesizer was not period], and so I had the same search as you.

	I bought a harp.  You can get lap harps, even the 23 string babies
for often less than you would pay for a mundane guitar and most certainly
less than a lute.  
	So you can't strum it.  Big deal.  
	I find you could play "Mary had a Little Lamb" and people will
cry, but if you try that on a guitar, you get hissed at.  I figure it's a
no-lose scenario.  
	Sometimes they're a little limiting, but they're great around a
campfire, especially if you sing.  And mine is a nineteen-string deal;
there's a whole lot out there to do.  
	It teaches me to simplify my music, to remember that you don't
always need whole chords--in fact, sometimes minimal sounds better.

	
	And no one's complained yet.

	-Faremanne de Vere
	"To Be and not To Seem"


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from this list, send email to majordomo at pbm.com containing
the words "unsubscribe minstrel". To contact a human about problems, send
mail to owner-minstrel at pbm.com