Exotic Instruments

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Matthewlawson3
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Exotic Instruments

Post by Matthewlawson3 »

Being a clarinet player, learning the tin whistle was a stretch into unknown territory with an "exotic" instrument. This has made me wonder about other instruments that are exotic such as the ocarina, recorder, pan flute, Middle Eastern instruments, Chinese instruments, Japanese instruments, etc. What are some other cool instruments to be learn?

Not that I needed it, but I just ordered the Arabian Penny Whistle from Erik the Flutemaker! Must not buy anything else haha!
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Re: Exotic Instruments

Post by bwat »

You could focus on playing the clarinet properly cool like this fella: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSqnZMsg3kc

Or if you really want some cool instruments, then there is the
Carnyx: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVAWwWi0DbE
Cornu de Pompeii: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IlZgj2FAHA
Baroque contrabassoon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLYRfHjZIy8
Medieval recorder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K_cQxUYqBk
Flügelhorn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH-293zKHzc
Shekere: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPlfoXo ... io=1&t=279 (solo starts at 4:40)
Last edited by bwat on Sun Oct 20, 2019 3:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Exotic Instruments

Post by flyingparchment »

my old fiddle teacher played the hurdy-gurdy. that seems to be having a bit of a resurgence nowadays so perhaps it's not exotic, but it is fairly unlike most other instruments! perhaps well known is the Swedish nyckelharpa, which has a similar system of keyed strings.
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Re: Exotic Instruments

Post by fatmac »

Exotic(?), maybe the bass or chord harmonica, or the chromatic, the ney, the NAF (Native American Flute), ukulele, etc.
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Re: Exotic Instruments

Post by kkrell »

International Traditional Music Society, Inc.
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Re: Exotic Instruments

Post by kenny »

Just beat me too it, Kevin - I met Dan a couple of times at the Willie Week some years back :
https://youtu.be/xVv4Z_mYi38

Don't come more "exotic" than that.
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Re: Exotic Instruments

Post by Matthewlawson3 »

Thanks, everyone! I still play clarinet occasionally, however, I find the Penny Whistle more freeing! I don't know if that makes sense. I played for years in band and was always obligated to have this piece learned and that and with the Penny Whistle I just play for me now, whatever and whenever I want to play.
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Re: Exotic Instruments

Post by bwat »

Matthewlawson3 wrote:Thanks, everyone! I still play clarinet occasionally, however, I find the Penny Whistle more freeing! I don't know if that makes sense. I played for years in band and was always obligated to have this piece learned and that and with the Penny Whistle I just play for me now, whatever and whenever I want to play.
Each to their own, and all respect to the whistle and it’s players, but I’ll take my clarinet over my whistle any day of the week.
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Re: Exotic Instruments

Post by colomon »

bwat wrote:Baroque contrabassoon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLYRfHjZIy8
Our band's oboe player was just mentioned this instrument to me in rehearsal on Thursday! Can't believe I never heard of it before and then this timely video comes along right after I hear of it.

Speaking of exotic instruments, it came up in the context of a new trio for bassoon, bass oboe, and heckelphone he was telling me about. Alas he has neither bass oboe nor heckelphone, so I don't think we'll be playing it anytime soon.
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Re: Exotic Instruments

Post by Sedi »

A Yamaha Venova maybe? Or a Xaphoon? A Chalumeau?
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Re: Exotic Instruments

Post by chas »

One that I want to take up in retirement is the rackett:

https://www.facebook.com/unholyrackett/ ... 719528199/

It's a predecessor of the bassoon. Although it's not large, it has multiple bores, so that the sounding length is something approaching 2 m. I've read that it can have a range of about four octaves, too, much like a bassoon.
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Re: Exotic Instruments

Post by Matthewlawson3 »

Where can I find Arabian music to play with Erik the Flutemaker''s Arabian Penny Whistle?
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Re: Exotic Instruments

Post by pancelticpiper »

Matthewlawson3 wrote: I just ordered the Arabian Penny Whistle from Erik
Erik doesn't strike me as a particularly Arabic name :-?

One of the most exotic-sounding instruments, and very difficult to play, is the Armenian duduk. It's become fairly popular with film and TV composers.

The first time I heard the duduk I thought it was an electronically created blend of clarinet, violin, and voice.

Then I found out that that's just what a duduk sounds like, when played by the master Djivan Gasparian.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl87flY0oB0

(Дживан Гаспарян is Djivan Gasparian in Cyrillic.)

Not quite as exotic, but close, is the caval

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0jQgTcfpF4&t=26s

In truth none of these are as exotic as a full set of uilleann pipes, especially like this mid-19th century style instrument

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p07PCVD8UoA
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Re: Exotic Instruments

Post by Nanohedron »

Matthewlawson3 wrote:Where can I find Arabian music to play with Erik the Flutemaker''s Arabian Penny Whistle?
If I hear the atmospheric musical demos correctly (Erik doesn't provide audio of just the simple scale, which is somewhat irritating), what you have there is the mode of Phrygian Dominant. It is not "Arabian" per se, although it is indeed found among the extensive array of Arabian modes, and is named Hijaz, I believe. It is also a Hebrew mode called Ahava Rabbah, and is found in the familiar melody to Hava Nagila. It's the scale you hear when Western soundtracks want to sound Arabian-ish and not hire an expert instead. Admittedly, it works, depending on how it's used.

Check out Arabian music theory and you'll see that this whistle would have extremely limited application within the scope of Arabian music. I love Arabian music, but it is too challenging for me to try playing it at this stage of the game. Arabian maqammat (modes) frequently make use of quarter-tones, so what sounds like out-of-tune playing to Western ears is actually on purpose, and requires a level of precision far beyond my pay grade. Hijaz is one maqam that does not make use of quarter-tones - there aren't many in that category - so that lets you off the hook, but you're also stuck with it, at least in terms of Arabian music in general.

You might be able to find something to play if you search for vids of Hijaz or Ahava Rabbah modes. Knowing the name of the mode is the main thing in helping your search. You might possibly be able to do some Klezmer with it, too.
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Re: Exotic Instruments

Post by whistlecollector »

Permanent Xmas list consists of an archicembalo.

Or a synth that can do this!
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