Session etiquette for multi-instrumentalists

[Nanohedron]

The phrase "in the way" is not appropriate when applied to a pint.

It does apply if it is not your pint.

David

"Not my pint" can be a somewhat *ahem* fluid concept. Just throwing the idea out there.

[AlBrown]

How much room is the key--what is tolerable when space is available can become intolerable when space is at a premium. And at some point, there is an upper limit on how many instruments you play before it begins to be disruptive, a limit that sometimes I feel like I am getting close to. I generally play whistle, accordion, guitar or harmonica at sessions. If my friend the guitarist shows up, the guitar stays in the car. Lately, I have also been leaving the harmonicas packed up, although there are songs my friend sings that he likes accompanied on those harmonicas. I play accordion as much as i can, because I am really working on learning it, but I play whistle more than anything.
Having an extra instrument and the opportunity of people swapping off is nice--I was on business to San Diego once, and got to join in because the fiddler leading the session had also brought a guitar, which he was nice enough to share!

[MusicalADD]

Good topic.
It never occurred to me to worry about the perception of showboating (was that the word someone used?), because so many people play multiple instruments it just doesn't seem at all odd.

My concerns, in order, are:

1. I choose which instrument to play so there won't be "too many of these" or "too few of those."

2. I avoid some instrument switches because they require significant movement, and I don't want to annoy or disrupt the people around me. Switching to whistle is no problem, but switching between banjo and zook seems disruptive -- too much movement -- so I try to avoid that kind of switch.

So, typically: I arrive with banjo and zook; I see that there's already a good zook player present; I leave my zook in its case and play banjo instead as chances are slim there will be any other banjo players.

If this keeps up I might just stop bringing the zook. Except, I know that the day I don't bring my zook will be the day that the regular zook player doesn't show....

[Infernaltootler]

Not even wondered about multi instrumentalists til this thread. My only observation would be that it is extremely annoying when you cannot start the session til the bloke has tuned his fiddle, his banjo, mandolin and arranged his melodeon and concertina to his liking. Takes about 15 precious sessions mins up. Annoying. And still hardly in tune.

[tin tin]

I have occasionally observed multi-instrumentalists switch instruments during a set, which can happen if one knows the first tune better on one instrument and the second better on another, or because one prefers to play a particular tune on one instrument over another.
Nothing wrong with people switching instruments during a session, but mid-set can be distracting.

[straycat82]

The biggest distraction I've seen that usually results from too many instruments is when it comes to accompaniment instruments. For example you have a whistle player who also plays (term used loosely) guitar and/or bodhran. The inclination seems to be to get overexcited about being a part of every musical moment of the session and, therefore, any time a tune is played that the musician doesn't know on the whistle, the guitar or bodhran comes out to trip along (you know, because you don't have to "know" the tune to accompany it). This often results in very poor and over-used accompaniment and can be a huge detraction from the music.
As I look back on my earliest days in sessions I recognize I was often guilty of this with the bodhran. I must've been with a patient crowd because I'm embarrased by it now but nobody ever mentioned anything (either that or they all secretly hate me now!).

Nowadays I've learned to leave the drum at home and benefit from listening when I don't know the tune. For many musicians I think listening is often the most overlooked/underappreciated part of attending a session.

[Jumper]

I was on business to San Diego once, and got to join in because the fiddler leading the session had also brought a guitar, which he was nice enough to share!

And I keep on bringing that old Martin, wondering if you'll be there again this week to play it. Mostly stays in the bag.

Myself, I mainly stick to the fiddle and tinwhistle these days. And I've developed the habit of staying with one or the other at least through a set, and often through several. I'll play for an hour on one before I set it down, in many cases. Sometimes I'll go an entire evening without touching a second instrument.

I find it distracting, and occasionally annoying, when someone is constantly switching instruments, especially in the middle of a set.

So when will you be out this way again, Al?