What are your doubles?

[CHasR]

ok
in the interest of brevity,
I will set a parameter of only gigs Ive been paid for;
and only instruments that have been played on the same gig as others.
here we go.

Highland Pipes standard pitch
Highland Pipes A440
Highland Pipes Bb
Highland Pipes in B nat
Mouthblown Fireside pipes A & Bb
Uilleann pipes concert D set
Scapoli 25 Zampogna
Scapoli 32 Zampogna
5 Palmi Zampogna
6 Palmi Zampogna
16 pouce Musette Bechonnét
Biniou Kozh
Kaba Gaida

Ciaramella (sol)
Bombarde
Tin whistle D
Low D whistle
Oboe
English horn
Bb Clarinet
Alto Sax
Tenor Sax

o yeh almost forgot:
tamburello, tambourene, castanets, triangle, ankle bells.

Im still waiting for my aspercreme endorsement...

[pete]

CHasR, I nominate your above post as having the most instruments listed that I've never heard of. Although, I think I'd have to disqualify it because you just list a bunch of different pipes.



I've gotta say that the literal translation of one of those instruments is "16 thumbs" which is either an extremely good description or one of the oddest I've ever heard of.

[Merlin]

I finally got to add English horn to my list of owned instruments. Picked up a great deal on a Linton.

Linton had English horns made by Malerne during the sixties and seventies. These are often great sounding and playing instruments. Malerne made stencils for a lot of companies - including Laubin! Of course Laubin's finishing is what made his EH's legendary, but the instrument he started with was pretty darn good.

This one needs a bit of TLC. I think I'm going to replace the remaining bladder pads with synthetics, and then get a left hand F key added.

[jbtsax]

Congratulations on your new addition to your "arsenal". My hat is off to anyone who doubles on double reeds---especially the English Horn.

This reminds me of a story I heard from Jeff Peterson at the sax workshop. His music store got a call from a customer wanting to rent an English horn. After being told by the clerk several times that they did not carry English horns, the customer kept insisting that they must have one somewhere she could rent. The clerk finally relented and said they could get her a French horn and an interpreter for about the same price.

[Merlin]

English horn is a pleasure to play. The problem is that you have to pay your dues on oboe first!

[CHasR]

CHasR, I nominate your above post as having the most instruments listed that I've never heard of. Although, I think I'd have to disqualify it because you just list a bunch of different pipes.



I've gotta say that the literal translation of one of those instruments is "16 thumbs" which is either an extremely good description or one of the oddest I've ever heard of.

thanks Pete, just found this thread again,
DQ? ok, but we'll have to dq every SATbB sax listing too
one might think oh, its just another bagpipe, but not so.

Pouce, French for thumb, is how the instruments were originally measured. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5Xk3G3LCsw
(Think "cubit"). Zampogne are still measured in "Palmi", length of an outstretched palm. No need for that newfangled 'inch' stuff.

[Carl H.]

I think SOTSDO mentioned this on another thread: I don't think of myself as a "doubler", per se, because, in a lot of people's minds, that implies you're a jack of all trades and a master of none.

I wouldn't consider any instrument a double unless people who don't know me think my "double" is my main instrument. When I'm playing it, it is. If I can't play it well enough to be considered a main instrument, it isn't a double either.

[pete]

I wouldn't consider any instrument a double unless people who don't know me think my "double" is my main instrument. When I'm playing it, it is. If I can't play it well enough to be considered a main instrument, it isn't a double either.

If that isn't the best musical quote I've heard all year, I don't know what is!

[pete]

thanks Pete, just found this thread again,
DQ? ok, but we'll have to dq every SATbB sax listing too
one might think oh, its just another bagpipe, but not so.

Pouce, French for thumb, is how the instruments were originally measured. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5Xk3G3LCsw
(Think "cubit"). Zampogne are still measured in "Palmi", length of an outstretched palm. No need for that newfangled 'inch' stuff.

Thanks for the knowledge. I'll mention it to my wife, who has played pipes. Highland, I think.

Of course I am joking around a bit regarding a DQ, because you're right to some extent: you play a Bb soprano sax a bit differently than a Bb bass and vice-versa and each has their own tonal quality and the player can either express that or not, depending on how he plays.

I remember how fascinating it was when I first played Bb contrabass clarinet, because I had never heard one before. I also remember the horn, a Leblanc "paper clip" model, bouncing around as I tried to hit all the keys for Leroy Andersen's "A Christmas Festival" (if you've never heard it, there's a spot at 5:21 -- which a poster says, "The Nukes Start Landing!" -- that concludes around 6:21 where the basses, etc. go ballistic in tutti).

[Groovekiller]

English horn is a pleasure to play. The problem is that you have to pay your dues on oboe first!

Boy, you got that right. I'd lay out the bread immediately for a good English horn if I didn't realistically have to play 2nd oboe.

[CHasR]

I also remember the horn, a Leblanc "paper clip" model, bouncing around as I tried to hit all the keys for Leroy Andersen's "A Christmas Festival" (if you've never heard it, there's a spot at 5:21 -- which a poster says, "The Nukes Start Landing!" -- that concludes around 6:21 where the basses, etc. go ballistic in tutti).

what a great chestnut warhorse that one is! I went through a heavy LeRoy Anderson/ Eric Coates/ in fact all things pops phase once upon a time, but just now its Arabo/Turkish pop-dub & Mick Taylor era Stones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Zzx7ksP0vY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftk32FKD4Io

I will however, hop on the Cor Anglais bandwagon. luvvin me some E.H.

I dont feel its necessary to be a virtuoso on everything one doubles on: so long as the part /cue is covered with great tone, balance, & phrasing, then were good to go. Having Swan of Tuonela, La Gazza Ladra, the Monti Czardas, Giant Steps, Rakish Paddy, Lament for the Harp Tree & a 20 min Saltarello Calabrese on the lineup for one gig would be a rare occasion to rise to.

[Pierre]

My turn then I guess

I only play a few but at least from 3 different families so I hope getting the other family members won't be so difficult when it'll be asked for.

* Soprano Recorder
* Flute
* Eb Clarinet
* Bb Clarinet
* Alto Sax

My first instrument was piano and although I'm still pretty good at it and I always enjoy playing it, I don't really take it into account in my doubles since a gig is either piano-only or ww's only.

From what I read, I was fortunate enough to learn the clarinet first so the transition to sax was rather smooth, though I had to force myself not to have a clarinet embouchure on this beast. That's also by picking up the sax that I realised that "deeply breathing" was not enough for a ww player even though that's what my clarinet teacher had always told me ("Do I have to breathe in some special way ? - No, just breath deeply, son").
I also recently started the flute, which is somehow my own stick of death, though it has now greatly improved. I have yet to gig on the flute but I don't feel like I'm ready to do my coming-out as a flutist just yet.

So as money (hopefully) keeps coming in I'll be able to look for some other members of these families. I planned a trip to the music shop in a month or so. I'll be looking for some stuff like a tenor sax or a bass clarinet. I don't know which already. I'd love to go for a bass clarinet but I was thinking that while I'm at it why not go directly for a low-c bass which is out of my price range for the moment. So Tenor Sax it will certainly be unless by then I either receive a large amount of cash or I won't resist wanting a bass clarinet. I'd also go straight up for a baritone but that would send my bank account straight up to the depths of poverty.

Lately my interest in the bassoon has also greatly increased as all the bassoon players I see always look like they're having such a blast doing their pom popom bassoon thingy. But I don't think I'm ready to start cutting folding and tying cane or whatever right now. But I guess it's somewhere in my head so it will pop up anytime soon.

So that's my story. As far as my gigs are invovled, I play weekly Bb & Eb Clarinet in a concert band (Eb Clarinet is such a blast when you avoid the silly Eb key in the middle of everything) and play alto sax and Bb Clarinet in jazz setups. I've also played soprano recorder a couple of times and it has always been fun, mainly I guess because those passages were short.
Still waiting for some pit work but not much of that here in Europe =(

[bobsax]

My turn then I guess



My first instrument was piano and although I'm still pretty good at it and I always enjoy playing it, I don't really take it into account in my doubles since a gig is either piano-only or ww's only.


So that's my story. As far as my gigs are invovled, I play weekly Bb & Eb Clarinet in a concert band (Eb Clarinet is such a blast when you avoid the silly Eb key in the middle of everything) and play alto sax and Bb Clarinet in jazz setups. I've also played soprano recorder a couple of times and it has always been fun, mainly I guess because those passages were short.
Still waiting for some pit work but not much of that here in Europe =(

Hey Pierre
Keep your piano chops up. They've come in handy for me many times.
In wedding bands I often did the cocktail piano before the party and a lot of bands will have an auxiliary keyboard for various members to use.
I recommend having a strong bass playing left hand and don't use the sus pedal.

My emphasis on doubles lately has been the bass.
Upright Bass Fiddle, Tuba and Contrabass Clarinet.

If you're interested in a contra mine is for sale on ebay (shameless promotion
http://www.ebay.com/itm/330831673011...84.m1555.l2649

[bobsax]

what the heck is going on here!!
two posts vanished
are ebay links not allowed?
in that case the whole post shouldn't disappear

[pete]

... in that case the whole post shouldn't disappear

Well, obviously they can

#1. You could ask an admin nicely where your post went. 'Tis the season and stuff. And someone else had the same problem.
#2. Your post didn't disappear. It went into the moderation queue.
#3. Because I'm not able to be around here as much as I used to, I've been using a new plugin to validate new users and control registrations. Anyhow, said plugin obviously saw that you were quoting a new user (who does get moderated by the plugin) and added an eBay link. What the plugin is supposed to do is, "New user posts eBay link, therefore I'll move the post to the moderation queue." It just got a little overly enthusiastic or has a bug.

So, put up with it for a bit. E-mail or PM me if it happens too often, otherwise I'll just check the moderation queue at random during the day.

[Carl H.]

Hey Pierre

I recommend having a strong bass playing left hand

Careful there. I know a few bass players (myself included) who hate heavy handed piano players. There are times when I will walk in to a place thinking I might sit in with my friends and turn around and leave when I see a certain piano player is in attendance. Nobody needs 2 bass players fighting for the same sonic space.

[Pierre]

I agree piano has come in handy many times for me. And I hope it will again in the future.
As for the left hand thing, I'd say it depends. As Carl says, if there is a bass player in your setup, you might want to leave him some space and, except for some exceptions, play with "two right hands", after all, it's his job to play bass !
But I agree that, without a bass player, you want to have a heavy left hand.

As for the sus pedal, I'm unfortunately one of those who use it a bit too much, and I know I'll have to work on it...

[msalamon]

I play a LOT of flute--it is by far my favorite double--the clarinet is just too darn clunky and awkward