minstrel: Acappella barony

[Rex Deaver]

At 03:12 PM 9/6/98 -0800, Joshua Badgley wrote:
>I am wondering if there are any suggestions out there as to what sorts of
>instruments would be good to learn in a barony without any (current)
>instrumentation beyond voices. 

Bodhran is good, as is any percussion...bells, bones, spoons, drums, sticks.  

Tinwhistles/recorders are good accompaniment and relatively easy to learn.
 Stringed instruments can't be beat tho. 

Mountain dulcimers are simple to learn and sound really good ( but aren't
period ).  

Guitars/mandolins are more effort and modern playing styles also aren't
Period if you have purist concerns, but there are sources for Period
tunings/etc. for them.  

Hammered dulcimers are very easy, very nice sounding, and totally Period.  

Psalterys, bowed or plucked, are perfectly Period, and very easy to learn
*and* to build.

I have some sources for building instruments that I will have to look up
and try to remember to forward to you.

Mathurin

--
"Alas! all music jars when the soul's out of tune."
	 -- Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616)


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