WhOAD or WAD

[busterbill]

I prefer WAD, since I view my aquisitions as a choice. I guess I need to take responsibility for my actions. HaHa

[fatmac]

I prefer WAS - I also seem to suffer from FAS & PAS - & been previously afflicted by UAS & HAS too....

(W=Whistle U=Ukulele H=Harmonica F=Flute P=Piccolo == Aquisition Syndromes.)

[AuLoS303]

I have IAS. Instrument Acquisition Syndrome. I want to own and play as many kinds of instruments as I can. I'm a bit of an undisciplined organologist!
But as for whistles, I have 2 ( D and C) but I want one in each key. Maybe a Generation Bb next...Oh and I'd like an alto in either F G or A...

[Dan A.]

My affliction manifests itself in a somewhat different form. I have dang near a dozen whistles, but they're all high D.

[AuLoS303]

Actually I want a Clarke original next, D or C, not sure...

[pancelticpiper]

I have IAS. Instrument Acquisition Syndrome. I want to own and play as many kinds of instruments as I can.

I have that too, and the severity has risen and fallen over the years.

With me the root cause is that when I see somebody playing an instrument I don't want to passively listen, I want to do it.

And I'm in the same boat as an old friend who said of himself:

"I have the dangerous ability to quickly and effortlessly achieve a certain level of mediocrity on any instrument".

Dangerous because it lures one into wasting time flirting with too many different instruments, becoming Master Of None.

As he got into middle age he laid everything aside except for Lute, and got quite good.

With myself, I started on Highland pipes in 1974 and by 1978 had taken up uilleann pipes, soon followed by Irish flute and whistle.

Then in the 1980s I started acquiring and "achieving a certain level of mediocrity" on an impractical number of different sorts of instruments.

Around ten years ago, as I hit my 50s, I started purging myself of everything that wasn't getting regularly played, bringing me back to where I started: Highland pipes, uilleann pipes, and whistle. (The flute took care of itself: I had to give it up years ago due to hand cramping.)

I also have a perhaps odd attitude in that I don't like having multiples of instruments. I have my whistle roll, which has space for ONE whistle of each key, from Low C to High Eb. That's the roll I take to gigs, or lay out for practicing at home. Any whistle NOT in the roll doesn't get played, and gets sold.

The one exception to the one instrument rule is Highland pipes. Due to that instrument having so many things that can unexpectedly go wrong at a gig (no matter how well you prepare) I bring two equally-working sets to every gig. So I always own two sets of Highland pipes, and keep them both going well.

[AuLoS303]

"I have the dangerous ability to quickly and effortlessly achieve a certain level of mediocrity on any instrument".

That describes me quite well. I started with keyboard instruments, probably what I should stick to. But I got a piano, still can't play it because I can't get hand independence. So I wanted a single line instrument, and got a recorder in 2016. I'm reasonably good on that now. Then I got given a clarinet (my partner bought it for me) and I'm ok on that, but the second register scares me. And embouchure is a pain. Then I got into whistles, easy and cheap, though they're diatonic. I got a low whistle, but sold it because I just couldn't get away with it. I got a native American flute with the money from the sale. Hardly play it now because its quite limiting. Then I got into harmonica, not for me. I bought an ocarina, found it painful on my ears, and someone offered a swap with a silver flute (cheap but capable). I muddled with that for a couple of years but found it too much of a struggle so I donated it to a charity shop.
Then I got a kalimba which sounds amazing, but is very hard (its a keeper though)
So I alternate between piano, recorder, whistle, clarinet and kalimba, also guitar and ukulele gets a look in.
I still want another, simple flute, something like a bansuri or other world flute.
And I also want to try violin.
I just can't control this disease!

[pancelticpiper]

Since you're already playing whistle, an Irish-style flute would be great for you.

You wouldn't have to deal with a different fingering system, as you do with the Boehm flute.

The least expensive "gateway drug" Irish flute would probably be Tony Dixon there in England. With that you could find out how you get along with the Irish flute.

The clarinet is a beast to play! I got one, never really got anywhere with it, beyond making animal-like noises.

There's a recent hybrid instrument called the "Highland hornpipe" which is a clarinet or soprano sax mouthpiece on a simple tube with finger-holes, giving you one octave, more or less like whistle fingering.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSvZaa6ZGHE
I made my own with a clarinet barrel and mouthpiece mounted on the body of a Susato F whistle (which has the same bore ID as a Bb clarinet). Kinda cool, a clarinetty sound with simple whistle fingering.

Then there's the Maui Xaphoon which is awesome, a small bamboo (or plastic) keyless clarinet/sax thing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEgCqPE0hiY

[AuLoS303]

I get on quite well with clarinet, as long as I stay in the bottom register. I improvise a lot, love early clarinet jazz. But what I should have got was a chalumeau! Its like a recorder with a clarinet mouthpiece. It represents the early evolution of the clarinet and only plays the lowest two octaves.

[AuLoS303]

Since you're already playing whistle, an Irish-style flute would be great for you.

You wouldn't have to deal with a different fingering system, as you do with the Boehm flute.

The least expensive "gateway drug" Irish flute would probably be Tony Dixon there in England. With that you could find out how you get along with the Irish flute.

Ah like this!

https://www.justflutes.com/shop/product ... ygQAvD_BwE

[Sedi]

I got a chalumeau. In the most primitive form, it doesn't even play two octaves. Only one and a third, I think. But there are some that have an extra key for reaching the 2nd octave. I never play mine -- I don't think I have any talent for reed instruments. I also gave away my Yamaha Venova, which was even harder to play.
So I decided a while ago that I will stick with whistle and keyless flute, since I also suffered from the aforementioned "mediocre on many instruments and master of none". I always wonder about people like Séamus Egan, who are master on every instrument they play. How do they do that? Practice each instrument for 3 hrs a day? Their days must have more hours than mine. I guess talent must play a role, of which I have none. It's all hard work for me but it gets easier and is a lot of fun.
I met people whom I could show 2 chords on the guitar and they started playing. I needed forever to learn my first tune on the guitar. I no longer play guitar however, much to the disappointment of my wife who prefers the guitar over my whistle and flute playing.

[AuLoS303]

. I always wonder about people like Séamus Egan, who are master on every instrument they play. How do they do that? Practice each instrument for 3 hrs a day? Their days must have more hours than mine. I guess talent must play a role, of which I have none. It's all hard work for me but it gets easier and is a lot of fun..

Check out Pedro Eustache, I think he plays every wind instrument known, including some he's invented himself

[pancelticpiper]

I always wonder about people like Séamus Egan, who are master on every instrument they play. How do they do that? Practice each instrument for 3 hrs a day? Their days must have more hours than mine. I guess talent must play a role...

This exact discussion has been taking place on a bagpipe forum.

There are supremely talented people who master instruments more quickly than most, and also don't require the daily maintenance practice that most of us do.

It's an entire continuum. In Highland pipe bands I've encountered people who, unless they practice a tune regularly, forget how to play it.

At one rehearsal another old-timer showed up. He and I had played in a band together in the 1970s. We got out our chanters and started playing tune after tune, many of which neither of us had played in 30 years.

Neither of us are great players but we have good retention. Think how much better Seamus Egan's retention is!

[pancelticpiper]

Check out Pedro Eustache

He must play by ear!

[busterbill]

Check out the slightly hilarious --Steve Martin Plays world record 46 instruments in 4 minutes-- YouTube video. He's not going for tone, but speed. It's not THAT Steve Martin, but another musically inclined character that has been playing banjo, whistle and concertina in Chicago sessions for the past decade or so give or take. He's an elementary school band and orchestra player who teaches them all as well.

And as for multi instrumentalists there is always John Williams of accordion and concertina fame who also plays whistle, flute, banjo, guitar, bouzouki, mandola, bodhran and and piano as well. Though there are likely instruments I forgot to mention.

At one point at a regular session during the years when we had a Gov. of Illinois Pat Quinn, we had a banjo player Pat Quinn, not THAT Pat Quinn, the not THAT Steve Martin, the not the Star Wars guy John Williams, and a singer, not THAT Bob Dylan (He may have spelled his Dillon I can't remember). But it made for a good number of silly introductions to the listening crowd.