weird instruments & the ukulele

dominicfoundthemooon · Apr 20, 2009

now i know i might get in some hot water for asking this.. or even saying that the nose flute, melodica, the kazoo are "weird" instruments... when i say "weird" i mean it in the best way... but is there some historical connection?

i notice that people who play ukulele on youtube and around town... have a sort of love of "out of the way" instruments... and i must admit that i am right in the crowd.. i bought my ukulele in AUG.. and my Melodica in October.. and my Kazoo about a month ago... yet to have a nose flute..

so yeah.. there are TONS of ukers on here that have been playing for many years.. can anyone give me the history.. or maybe just thoughts?

d

beeejums · Apr 20, 2009

Perhaps we like the perceived novelty of such instruments. I know that I kind of like the difference in people's reactions before I play and after I play... especially when they see me get the kazoo out. My in-laws all laughed at me when I bought a kazoo but later they all freely admitted to me that it was actually entertaining.

I need to get a melodica... but I can't pay much money for something like that.

dominicfoundthemooon · Apr 20, 2009

beeejums said:
Perhaps we like the perceived novelty of such instruments. I know that I kind of like the difference in people's reactions before I play and after I play... especially when they see me get the kazoo out. My in-laws all laughed at me when I bought a kazoo but later they all freely admitted to me that it was actually entertaining.

I need to get a melodica... but I can't pay much money for something like that.

i got a student model for 30 bucks from

Captain Google · Apr 20, 2009

I had the idea of pairing a sanshin with my ukulele because the islands of origin have some things in common. The way I see it, Okinawa is to Japan what Hawaii is to the US. These instruments seem perfect for each other, being relatively obscure and from similar situations.

dominicfoundthemooon · Apr 20, 2009

Captain Google said:
I had the idea of pairing a sanshin with my ukulele because the islands of origin have some things in common. The way I see it, Okinawa is to Japan what Hawaii is to the US. These instruments seem perfect for each other, being relatively obscure and from similar situations.

nikolo727 · Apr 20, 2009

personally I love to be unique in every way possible. I play "weird" instruments like the ukulele and the tin whistle. But let me rephrase that. The instruments I play are "weird" to the people I live around. And also i love the sound that random instruments make. Things that you didnt think could make much sound. such as a ukulele made out of an olive oil tin. seen it on youtube. lovely instrument.

salukulady · Apr 20, 2009

They don't take a lot of talent to sound good.

JKoval · Apr 20, 2009

I really want a Melodica... teach me some basic piano at the same time!

-Jeff

Ahnko Honu · Apr 20, 2009

Does a harmonica count? I have a dozen and love playing around with them, and looking to combine with ukulele. Also have a kazoo. I inherited a Shakuhachi flute from my dad but I gave it to my son which I'm sure Dad would have approved. There's tons of bamboo growing in forests around here so been wanting to make a Hawaiian 'Ohe hano ihu nose flute .

tukef · Apr 20, 2009

I too have a love for the "slightly different" instrument. Either because they are relatively easy to pick up and belt a tune out of or they are quite cheap in music shops. For examply I have a kazoo which cost a couple of quid and provides endless entertainment for my group of friends as they ask me to cover the most bizarre songs on it. I have penny whistle picked up in Ireland which has to be one of my favourites, a Hohner alto melodica and a bodhran (also picked up cheap in Ireland), and of course my ukulele and guitar. All of these can be taken out easily at a gathering and provide great music.

Sorry babbled on a bit there... the point is they aren't expensive, not too hard to play and GREAT FUN!!:shaka:

mailman · Apr 21, 2009

I had been thinking about it for a while, but now more than one UUer has beaten me to it....the kalimba. It's an African instrument, sometimes called a thumb piano. Works well for picking (plunking?) out melodies....

benmealer · Apr 21, 2009

i was on ebay all last night looking at autoharps. need one. i got a jaw harp a couple weeks ago...

FourChordWonder · Apr 21, 2009

mailman said:
I had been thinking about it for a while, but now more than one UUer has beaten me to it....the kalimba. It's an African instrument, sometimes called a thumb piano. Works well for picking (plunking?) out melodies....

We had one of those in my elementary school music class. I still kind of want one but not enough to actually seek one out.

For me it's not about playing a 'weird' instrument, it's about playing something that isn't a guitar. I have nothing against them, I still want one, it's just the world has more than enough guitar players.

PoisonDart · Apr 21, 2009

I love my kalimbas, the sound like dreaming.

beeejums · Apr 21, 2009

FourChordWonder said:
For me it's not about playing a 'weird' instrument, it's about playing something that isn't a guitar. I have nothing against them, I still want one, it's just the world has more than enough guitar players.

Seconded... And although musicians tend to pride themselves on their individuality, why do we all have to play the same instrument?

And if we can't play guitar, are we not "good enough" to play rock music? I didn't realize it had so much in common with that judgmental bitch I never asked out in high school :biglaugh:

And I'm not ashamed to admit that a (small) part of my motivation to pick up ukulele came from my longtime frustrations with learning to play guitar (mostly that I never found a guitar with wide enough string spacing to accommodate my sausage fingers).

cpatch · Apr 21, 2009

mailman said:
I had been thinking about it for a while, but now more than one UUer has beaten me to it....the kalimba. It's an African instrument, sometimes called a thumb piano. Works well for picking (plunking?) out melodies....

I've wanted to learn the kalimba ever since seeing this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XD02oMHC5E

dominicfoundthemooon · Apr 21, 2009

when starting this topic.. i found this site.. you should check it out.. its kind of fun looking..

http://www.oddmusic.com/gallery/

Bikelophone

theremin

bowafridgephone

d

HaileISela · Apr 21, 2009

If I'd write down all the instruments I play, it would be interesting how many of those you consider to be "not weird":

Ukulele (well, okay^^)
Hümmelchen (German smallpipe)
Shepherdpipe (German bagpipe)
Härjedalspipa (Swedish folkflute)
North African bagpipe
Berimbau (Gunga and Media)
Pandeiro
Agogo
German jewsharp
Dan Moi (Vietnamese mouthharp)
Filipin mouthharp made of bamboo
tin whistles
Saxophone (Alto and Baritone)
Djembe
Overtone flute (Swedish)
Gambian percussive thingy
Didgeridoo made out of a vacuum cleaner pipe
Dizi
Kazoo

Well, I think that's almost all of them^^ Though I can play on even more instruments, but I never really owned them.

Yopparai · Apr 21, 2009

I was briefly tempted by UAS. Its not what you think. I had an advert in my email where I could get an urhu from China for $25 USD. As luck would have it, I couldn't find out what the shipping would be without creating an account and the urge passed.

My wierd instruments are pretty much what I can make in the garage. Lots of bamboo and pvc flutes and whistles, pvc trombone, winebox banjos, ukurine, the bugletube, Yoppjos...

mailman · Apr 21, 2009

cpatch said:
I've wanted to learn the kalimba ever since seeing this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XD02oMHC5E

I stumbled on the same website a week or so ago! They even have a model with an internal electric pickup which allows for playing through an amp, complete with effects. I'm SO tempted to buy one of their instructional DVDs and see if I think I could actually play one of these critters.....

I once saw a home-made kalimba, the body of which was an actual turtle's shell....very cool.

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