Music on board

[Poignard]

The tossers who play their instruments in harbour are probably the first to complain if the kids next door crank up a bit of rap at home. There is a certain sort of drunk who thinks anyone with a boat really must want to listen to a tuneless berk murdering sea shanties.
If you ever consider doing an ocean passage with strangers, check the boat for instruments and wannabe musicians...

+1

 

[Poignard]

I had my fill of bagpipe music (if music is the appropriate word for the hideous caterwauling) when allocated a berth in Vannes, which was some distance downstream from the activities in the town centre and a long walk to the sanitaires. "Ah well," I said to my wife "at least it will be quiet down here."

Shortly afterwards, we found to our horror we were directly opposite the location where a Breton pipe band competition was being held. The competing bands all had to play the same tune.

 

[LittleSister]

Think yourself lucky you don't play double bass!

(In my next life I'm going to play the piccolo.)

 

[Graham_Wright]

How about a Fife, makes a change from a recorder. Or use your voice, helped along by sheet music on a Tablet and saved music via a Bluetooth boom box.

I have a fife. Bit limiting when you've been used to two keyboards and pedals!

 

[Bru]

Speaking as a tosser who has been known to play his instrument(s) in a harbour from time to time, I've on occasion gathered quite a sizeable audience from the surrounding boats. Sadly the fun is all too often spoilt by the one miserable scrote who complains about the noise

 

[Richard10002]

I was hoping someone would cite their experience with a keyboard. I bought a very basic one when they first appeared. It was £500 and required the sale of all my Dinkey toys to fund.

Then I swapped it for an organ I think by Lowry. It had mechanical wah-wah.

Now I have a Technics which is about as complicated as they became before computer assistance arrived.

There are many, many keys. It was previously owned by my uncle who was a brilliant pianist and organist and couldn't read a note of music. He had a cleaner who proudly announced "I have tidied up all those little switches for you Mr. Dutton".

It used to take him and me around an hour to find a combination he liked.

I’ve had a Yamaha P121 digital piano on my narrowboat since October. I rarely sense, and never see, any damp on board, so perhaps my conditions are better than you are expecting.... but the piano is doing fine, which is more than I can say for my playing of it

 

[mjcoon]

Speaking as a tosser who has been known to play his instrument(s) in a harbour from time to time, I've on occasion gathered quite a sizeable audience from the surrounding boats. Sadly the fun is all too often spoilt by the one miserable scrote who complains about the noise

The rest of the "audience" just enjoy throwing things?

Mike.

 

[Poignard]

If my boat was a bit larger I would like to carry something like this:



But, thanks to modern technology, I can enjoy listening to it on board.

Here's a little popular tune played on it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8vz1D_L_OE

 

[Bru]

The rest of the "audience" just enjoy throwing things?

Mike.

It wouldn't be the first time!

 

[Baggywrinkle]

A tablet or mobile phone, a Spotify account, and a BT connection to the boat stereo. Most importantly, a bit of consideration for the other poor sods in the anchorage who might not have quite the same taste in music - keep the volume down :encouragement:

 

[Tomahawk]

A tablet or mobile phone, a Spotify account, and a BT connection to the boat stereo. Most importantly, a bit of consideration for the other poor sods in the anchorage who might not have quite the same taste in music - keep the volume down :encouragement:

Those rely on internet connection via mobile.
It comes as a surprise to some that parts of the coast are devoid of 3g yet alone 4g.

 

[Praxinoscope]

The concertina seems to have been used successfully at sea, it’s smaller than the accordion and was a traditional mariners instrument.

 

[Bru]

The concertina seems to have been used successfully at sea, it’s smaller than the accordion and was a traditional mariners instrument.

Indeed and I really really want one but have you seen the price of a half decent concertina???

 

[Praxinoscope]

Indeed and I really really want one but have you seen the price of a half decent concertina???

Same here, but yes the prices seem to have gone through the roof.

 

[capnsensible]

 

[Poignard]

Which reminds me that the Ukele Orchestra of Great Britain is holding a concert in Germany in July; all tickets sold, by the way. I wonder if they will be playing their wonderful rendition of The Dambusters March

 

[JumbleDuck]

The concertina seems to have been used successfully at sea, it’s smaller than the accordion and was a traditional mariners instrument.

Good ones have brass reeds, which probably resist corrosion better. A friend of mine had an original Wheatstone, which was lovely but blinking expensive even thirty years ago.

 

[capnsensible]

Dont forget yer Hurdey Gurdey.

 

[Bru]

Good ones have brass reeds, ....

Caveat emptor

Even top quality vintage concertinas often have steel reeds, brass reeds (which give a better sound and, as you say, don't corrode) started to go out of fashion getting on for a century ago

Brass reed instruments tend to command a premium price too, both because of the reeds and because they tend to be older, rarer and sought after models

 

[lewsail]

I kept an old acoustic fender on board a small boat that suffered terribly from humidity over winter in the UK, the top of the body warped away from the sides so badly it became unusable. Luckily my 12 string epiphone was ok, but it was only a few months old, probably would have suffered the same fate eventually.

Carbon fibre guitars look very interesting!