Friday, March 30, 2012

Musical instruments

Being from North Carolina, with roots in Georgia (and I don’t know where else), I have been associated with many musical instruments. Being a preachers son from a fundamental back ground we had music in our churches. Most had bands as I have mentioned.

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I have seen all kinds of guitars, the one I loved to hear, I called the Hawaiian Guitar. I have known mountaineers with homemade fiddles and banjos. Once I saw a Uke or mandolin, made from a cigar box. I have seen and played the spoons. One band had a wash tub bass fiddle. Also I was amazed at the sounds coming from a ‘rub board’.

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In Jamaica I saw steel drums made from 55 gal oil drums.  They were hammered into different shapes for the different sounds. Fiddles were very interesting to me. Also the harmonica, As a kid, I was amazed at the men who played the guitar and had a holder for the harmonica (mouth harp) and played them both at once. Mountaineers can make some neat flutes.

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(Above is an antique Jew’s harp)

The one I always called the Juice Harp is really a Jew’s Harp. (my hearing has always been bad, LOL). The first time I tried to play one of those I thought I had knocked my front teeth out. I learned better real quick.

(This is the modern Jew’s or Juice Harp)

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But do you know of the dulcimer?  I am sure I had seen one, but I kept hearing folks say, “You should hear the hammered dulcimer!”

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Well in my mind I could see a metal dulcimer that had been hammered into shape by a musical artist; that was a fallacy on my part. I learned it was a hammered instrument because of how it was played (not made), It is played with little wooden mallets, like the xylophone. We once camped in the Shenandoah's  beside a man who made them by hand. He would sit in the evenings and play one. Music goes well with camping.

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I only play the trumpet and radio!

Thanks for coming this way.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Let me tell you about my doctor:

I remember one time I told my doctor I had a ringing in my ears. His advice: "Don't answer it."

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My doctor sure has his share of nut cases. One said to him, "Doctor, I think I'm a bell." The doctor gave him some pills and said, "Here, take these - If they don't work, give me a ring."

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Remember when Amoco was the only white gas (unleaded) around?

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You might have seen this 1934 Studebaker Dictator at that station.(Those suicide doors were logical for debarking, but not underway!)

13 comments:

Chatty Crone said...

So you are a minister's son - was that a cool thing when you grew up or not. We had one in my class and he was always kind of wild. Bobby Booth. I love music - I play the old organ. Like your jokes - especially the one about the bell. sandie

Sherry said...

I played tender sax in school, I miss it....... have yall passed thru lawety yet?......lol,,, safe travels, Sherry

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

I do love the sounds of the hammered dulcimer. I play a mountain lap dulcimer that is strummed and I love that but it is altogether different than a hammered dulcimer. I also play the radio. Hope your Friday is a great one!

Anonymous said...

Juice Harp. Ha. I make mistakes like that, & often my friends enjoy not correcting them...for years!

shirl72 said...

Well everybody is telling what
they play. Guess I will post mine
I play the Piano, Organ, Keyboard, French Horn, Auto-harp and can play 5ft. two eyes of Blue..on the Ukulele. I also sing in a band.

Jack didn't like the French Horn
because I wanted him to practice with me. LOL

Shirl

Anonymous said...

Have to admit, that I can not play any instrument. Trying to learn one at school was one of the most difficult things.
Please have you all a good weekend.

betty said...

Enjoyed this one Jack! In sorting through inlaws' things they had lots of different types of musical instruments; MIL had a lot with her working with kids at school. She had a zither, lots of tambourines, drums, couple of guitars, piano. FIL played the harmonica and banjo so had a few of those, LOL. The funniest things were the accordions. We had two to sell and we offered them low prices thinking no one would want them. People were practically fighting over them.

Me, I'm so tone deaf, can't carry a tune or a even clap hands in rhythm, so no playing of any instruments here :)

betty

Paula said...

I play the radio fairly well.

Ken Riches said...

Not a musical bone in this body...

TARYTERRE said...

I can play HOT CROSSED BUNS on a RECORDER. LOL Someone who used to be near and dear to me plays The DULCIMER. He travels across the country to shows where it is featured. GREAT photos and stories you told Jack about music and the instruments.

Fred Alton said...

Loved the post and tried to respond earlier but blogger would not let me into any post at all. Today it seems to be working. As a kid I loved the Jew's harp but always called it a "Juice" harp until I was grown. It thought it was called that because it made the player drool out the corner's of his/her mouth. Ha. I don't play much of anything but play a little of everything. Learning the Banjo now. Fun.

Louis la Vache said...

hee hee...
One of Studebaker's dumber names was its "Dictator" model. They dropped it after Hitler's real intentions were finally recognized in 1938. Logically it made sense: Studebaker's models were "Champion," "Commander," "Dictator," and "President."

Dan said...

I remember reading that Robert Moog, inventor of the Moog Synthesizer in the 1960s, had to be on the defensive when people first said his analog synthesizers were not "real instruments", as these short-sighted people believed that for an instrument to be considered "real" it had to be made of wood and metal by a craftsman (like pianos, violins, etc.). His answer was that each of his synthesizers WAS painstakingly hand made and was every bit a "real instrument". Today, we realize that Bob Moog's instruments, though made from electronic circuits rather than wood and strings, started a revolution in new sounds that changed the music industry. Even with the amazing sounds that digital synthesizers produce today, analog synthesizers still hold a niche among many musicians, and are used in popular recordings.