self-made music on the road
 

hello everybody,

maybe there is already a thread about musical instruments to take on a trip, but i did (whatever) not find it. sorry for that.

this thread is about taking any kind of instrument on the trip, playing it whereever needed, and maybe even getting a little money out of it.

there are only few instruments one can carry AND play on a worldwide motorcycle trip; the kazoo, the blues harp and an occasional flute.

another great instrument i found for myself a few years ago is the "pocket sax", also known as "xaphoon". it is played (and looks) much like a recorder, has a tenor sax reed and sounds like a mix between sax and clarinet. easy to play, easy to carry, but still a lot of sound!

this is not commercial advertising, i just bought one of these for my next trips and want to share my immediate happiness with this instrument. it's really made for the "far kind" of travel. :-)

This Italian fellow, Giorgio Bettinelli, did an RTW on the scooter in the picture (currently he is doing all countries in the world).

He brought no tools, no spares, and no knowledge about engines what so ever (he believed it to be bad Karma or something). He didn't bring a lot of things which most of us are so overly convinced are bear necessitites.

What he did bring was a full size guitar (on the way back of the scooter).
http://www.vespa.com.tw/image/News/Giorgio.jpg

This just comes to show that one doesn't need to abide by all the overlanding conventions out there.

Still though, when it comes to the really small and light ones, I can't think of any other.

I carry a Melodica (piano keyboard, mouth blown about 14-16 inches ong). Since I lost the dexterity in my left hand, I can't play well, but it still provides self-entertainment. We also have a version with 3 octaves 22" long and a 2' tube for air pressure. Since Kwang hee can't use her right hand after the stroke, I blow, she plays the left side and I play the right. I also play a harmonica, but can't cup it with the left hand much. I rode a bicycle through Europe for 8 months. Began in England, up to Scotland, then back to England and crossed to Europe. In Oxford met a young German woman and rode with her down (circuitous route) to Italy. We stopped in Prague where she said she needed to earn some more traveling money. The next morning, she put on a peasant dress, took three bowling pins out of her pannier and stood on a street corner juggling the pins. After a bit she had a fair amount of change in the hat in front of her and then asked me to play my instrument. I played some lively tunes, she juggled and we collected enough to carry for another week. I was young then and while I wouldn't do the begging bit again, living without music would be difficult. take what pleases you and leave something else behind. playing music eases the stress.

Aluminium's the thing
 

Been pootering around south india on a Pulsar (150cc - yes that's one hundred and fifty whole ccs of throbbing Indian power!!(!)) with my rucksack strapped on the back for the past 4 months - - -

- - - and my 'musical' indulgence is an aluminium drum called a Darbuka. They originate from Turkey, I think...(but mine came from a carboot sale for 5 pounds...maybe 25 quid from the net).

It's ridiculously lightweight, got an impressive array of tones...and being hollow, it lives in my rucksack and doubles-up as a hard, protective container to put delicate stuff inside...!

Just need to learn how to play the bloody thing now!!!

;-)

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How now, brown cow? Left? Right? Or stand still....? Ahhh..."strreyyyyt" (of course, silly me!!)

(Tee hee! ;-)
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I brought a banjo with me when I circled Australia and New Zealand. I figured I'd learn how to play it, which I didn't. Piled onto the back of a 250cc.

I'll see if I'll learn how to play it when I cross India in April.

--Dave