Want to learn a 2nd instrument...input appreciated.

[Boomslang]

Lovin' my mando, but wish to share the love and a significant amount of discretionary time w/ something (in addition), with strings, possibly in the mando family. I'm a lefty- Are the octave and other longer scale (?) members of the family big hand/finger stretches? No guitars thankyou, and I can't read music, so fiddles won't work at this juncture.
Been playing my Weber 2 years... playing quite well, but looking for a late practice session change of pace, or did I say additional challange?
Boomslang-

[Astro]

I'd get one of these. They sound good and not too hard once you get the balls rolling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlqFPUy5TwU

[Boomslang]

Checked- Doesn't come in lefty, and I'm told it is a pure itch to tune.
Thanks, Astro, really neat... Now let them mushrooms be!

[SincereCorgi]

It depends a lot on what kind of music you want to play. If you want to endear yourselves to many people, I'd take up the double bass.

[Jim]

+1 for bass

[OldSausage]

Well, I've heard some enjoy the banjo. They come in versions suitable lefties and for many different chromosome counts.

[allenhopkins]

If you want to stay "mando family," of course you can try mandola, or short-scale octave mandolin, without too much tsores changing from the chord shapes and picking styles you already know.

Tenor banjo, especially the shorter-scale 17-fret "Irish" tenors, also will use your current expertise. No problem obtaining a "lefty," since they can be strung either left- or right-handed, and you can choose either GDAE octave mandolin or "Irish" tuning, or CGDA tuning like a mandola.

Ukulele, if tuned as designed, will use a different set of chord shapes, but it approximates mandolin scale length and is tres cool for vocal accompaniment.

Not so sure about bass: tuned in 4ths rather than 5ths, and large spaces between frets so that you're doing quite a bit of stretching. And a wholly different technique, with no chords, little melody, total lack of pitch overlap. However, as pointed out above, bass players tend to get gigs. Or so I've heard.

[Jeff Hildreth]

Button accordeon. ( diatonic accordion)

[jdyoungca]

The octave mandolin is an easy jump from mandolin - it is tuned the same an octave down from mandolin, so the fingerings are pretty much the same, just a bit more stretch with wider frets. I play both in our local Celtic jams. I find the octave mandolin adds some much needed bottom end to our jams which tend to be dominated by fiddles. Mine is an A-style Alabama that could be easily strung for left or right handers.

The only potential problem is if you're looking for a challenge moving from mandolin to octave mandolin isn't much of one - I found I was able to move between instruments very quickly with a little practice.

Jeff

[Beanzy]

I know you say no guitars but it's really a bajo made into a little guitar, anyway I love swapping between the mandolin and my tenor guitar.
I can cope with four courses tuned in 5ths & it's got a lovely different singing sound.
I've also been cheating a bit and whipping out the TG if someone calls a tune in a key that I may not be sure I''ll transpose on the fly too easily, as being a 5th down (CGDA) means I can use the same patterns and hit a 5th lower.
Also small & light helps too with a second instrument.

[mandocrucian]

Thoughts from "wet blanket-land"

• Unless someone's a prodigy, two years isn't very long on any instrument.
  
• Going from a mandolin to a tenor guitar, OM, or mandola isn't really learning a 2nd instrument; it's learning a variation of the first one.
  
• What does "reading music" have to do with playing fiddle? Though a fiddle has the same tuning, because of the bow, it truely is a different instrument. How many notes are connected with one bowstroke, where the slurs are placed etc. (not to mention full microtal pitch control) place it way, way up the evolutionary ladder of instruments.
  
• Any lead instrument player should at some point get a rudimentary working knowledge/understanding and chops on the rhythm section instruments: bass and drums/percussion. While an electric bass may not be particularly physically difficult to play (though it should be stated that every instrument is difficult to play at the advanced levels), it's more about your brain learning to think/hear in a totally different functionality. Likewise, learning basic drumkit grooves/patterns (and you don't need to own a drum kit to do this either) can be invaluable and will bleed over into any pitched instrument you may play.
  
• Want to sharpen your "ear" and "hear" stuff in your head better? Work on your vocals and singing. (This can include sol-feg and mouth music - vocally "diddling" your fiddle tunes). It's also the cheapest - nothing to buy. And don't kid yourself that the vocal chords aren't "an instrument".
  
• Otherwise the most inexpensive "instrument" you can get is a pennywhistle. Not particularly physically difficult (unless you've got COPD) at the beginning level. Like with "fiddle", you'll get a real insight into articulation and phrasing, except that it's done with the breath and the tongue instead of the bow.

[JEStanek]

I agree with what Niles wrote. However, I have fun with a ukulele. That video is from the Movie Animusic. It's not an actual instrument like the info below the video implies.

Jamie

[John Flynn]

I can only say what my experience has been, not what you should do. I played guitar for 20 years, took up mandolin and have been playing that for another 20. Along the way, I have picked up the following instruments and gotten at least proficient enough to successfully play in front sizable audiences with them at least once. They are ordered based on my personal satisfaction with them:

1. Harmonica - this was a surprise. I tried this on a whim, but I have had an absolute blast with it over the years.

2. Octave mandolin - as Niles said, it's not a completely different instrument for a mandolin player, but I found it surprisingly challenging going to the longer scale and it also requires a different musical mindset in an ensemble.

3. Tenor banjo - 17 fret, tuned GDAE. Again, not a totally different instrument, but it has its own unique challenges and it also plays a somewhat different musical role in an ensemble.

4. Electric bass guitar - If you like to play with musical groups in general, my personal experience is that at the amateur level, just a passable bass player can be in more demand that even a great guitar or mandolin player.

5. Lap dulcimer - My one venture into building an instrument, which really made me admire luthiers. At my level of play, it is a pretty limited instrument, but I find I can very easily make some really cool sounds on some tunes and have a lot of fun with it.

6. Bodhran - This one of those instruments that is easy to play badly and very tough to play well. I didn't get very far with it, but what's cool is even learning the basics can expand your sense of rhythm for playing instruments like mandolin.

The instrument that is has been intriguing me for a while is the harmonium. I don't know if I will every take the plunge on that one, though.

[Capt. E]

Everyone is assuming you want to learn another string instrument. How about a button accordion? Depending on the style of music you want to play, you could go with a 3-row like a Hohner Corona or even a close tuned 2-row for Irish music. A "anglo" concertina might also be worth considering (30 keys at least). Personally, I play a one-row Louisiana made cajun box along with pennywhistle and harmonica. The last two fit in my mandolin case.

[Capt. E]

oops.. second post in error

[catmandu2]

Everyone is assuming you want to learn another string instrument.

Possibly because OP says:

something (in addition), with strings, possibly in the mando family.

B-slang, I assume you're thinking primarily "fretted" strings. There are other strings of course: lots of folks consider hammered dulcimers--since they're very easy to enjoy without much technical investment: striking the string with the hammer produces a lovely, evocative and musical sound--easy to enjoy for its essence alone. Kids can plink on them and listen to the essence of sound (caveat--playing one well takes practice). Also harp--an excellent instrument for teaching kids




Another easy one (to play simple tunes) is hurdy gurdy (wheel fiddle)--quite unlike any others; keep it simple with diatonic, or chromatics

As John says, lap dulcimer is also a nice choice--diatonic layout makes it easy and fun. Also consider saz--for something more akin to mandolin yet "ditaonic"

Lots of choices--depending on "your" sound, or how adventurous you want to be with exploration. Again, what are your aspirations: harps and hammered dulcimers are lovely for playing solo; if you want to work in ensembles--and get calls--contrabass; just want to fool around?...pedal steel, hurdy gurdy, oud, and all the harp/zither choices...; want to assuage your inner Keith? "git you an amp" (D. Lindley); want to explore with sound? synthesizer

The instrument that is has been intriguing me for a while is the harmonium.

John--ever mess with a hurdy-gurdy? If you see one at a festival or fair I encourage you to fiddle with it--may assuage your harmonium interest (or, at least shruti box)

BTW, recalling a discussion I had with John touching on Indian music: lots of folks want to experiment with traditional Indian instruments--they easily evoke the "exotic ear" for us. Proceed with caution however: cheap sitars, and other instruments with sympathetics don't sound great--these instruments must possess adequate acoustic resonance and projection in order to "satisfy." Having said that, nothing like a sarangi...even go "fretted" with a dilruba

And if you encounter a nyckelharpa, let me know

[John Flynn]

Yeah, I've had some interest in the hurdy-gurdy, especially the sound that guy gets on Loreena McKennitt's CDs. But I have also heard some really awful sounding hurdy-gurdy music, not just bad playing, but also sometimes what appears to be good playing with bad-sounding instruments. It seems a good instrument can be pretty expensive and takes a lot of maintenance. At least that's my impression.

The harmonium, on the other hand, seems more accessible. A decent instrument can be very affordable if you buy smart. Also, I'm sure that to be a great harmonium player could take as much time and talent as being great on any other instrument, but being OK on one seems pretty do-able. I really like the Kirtan chant CDs from Krishna Das and I think his harmonium playing sounds great. But in his book he admits what he does on the instrument is very simple. He started as a pop/rock/folk guitarist and just got a harmonium and started playing it when he got into chant. He's never really been trained on it or tried to play it at anymore than a rudimentary level.

[catmandu2]

Gurdy is a really excellent instrument with which to sound very bad. If poorly playing a standard fiddle sounds like taking a bow to a cat, unfortunate playing on a gurdy sounds like, well, taking a wheel to cat. It's simply applying more sophisticated technological methods to cat torture: bowed-cat gut vs whealed cat gut

Add to this, that--gurdy is possibly the most difficult instrument to set-up and maintain..the only thing perhaps more involved is double-reed craft! And, 'spensive

The aspect of doing-more-with-less is interesting in music/playing. All depends on what one is "doing" with music, right? If you sing, you may not need much or anything for instrumentation to satisfy yourself. If you're rhythmic, you can make music with any object. Etc. For me, this is increasingly interesting with age/experience: I enjoy a single note, or sound (we generally try to learn a lot of notes to be good players, but going the other way and trying to do more with fewer notes is , intriguing, compelling, ecstatic).

But I would say that, in order to optimize any life in music generally...sing

As you say, there are at least fiscal concerns at play here, accessibility, and instrument onstruction/design/maintenance, etc.


Uh oh, forgot to say why one should want to play the hurdy gurdy: me, I love drones and think Scottish/Irish pipe tunes sound lovely on the instrument...but the imagination runs

[JeffD]

and I can't read music, so fiddles won't work at this juncture. :

If you are getting at what I think you are getting at you are under a misconception. Being able to read music povides the same advantages to mandolinners as fiddlers, and the same disadvantages. No difference. I know many many fiddlers who don't, can't, won't, read music, as well as mandolin players.

The only real difference between not reading (formal musical notation) on mandolin versus not reading music on the fiddle is that tabulature is well established for mandolin, and not so much for the fiddle. So there are more tabulature tune books available for mandolin.

But if by not reading you mean not reading at all, there is no difference.

[Jack Roberts]

I've still got a theremin for sale.

[pjlama]

If you're not singing I'd start. Your voice is the instrument you're born with and never without.

[allenhopkins]

I've still got a theremin for sale.

You and everybody else; they're common as hen's teeth...

[multidon]

Ah yes, so MANY good ideas here. But beware! It is a slippery slope, and at first you think it's fun to learn a second instrument, and then it's third, fourth, and before you know it ...infinity!

In my case it was classical violin to fiddle (no new instrument needed there!) to mandolin, GDAE tenor guitar, GDAE irish tenor banjo, lap dulcimer, hammered dulcimer, Celtic harp, tin whistle...I obviously have fallen into a deep dark place.

Why, you can do fiddle, mandolin, bouzouki, octave mandolin, and irish tenor banjo without ever leaving the comfort of the GDAE zone! Everybody will think, wow, you must be really talented! You can play five totally different instruments! Try to resist the temptation to say "It's not really that hard! They're all tuned the same way!". Just smile and try to look humble when they fall all over themselves praising your remarkable abilities.

[Tim2723]

Another choice, and a just plain fun instrument, is the bowed psaltery. Easy to learn but challenging enough for a lifetime (like all good folk instruments), not expensive, and there's a vital and growing community of players. Just don't pay too much attention to YouTube videos of it. It's such an easy thing to play that folks are tempted to post videos after about 10 minutes worth of practice. The result is just what you'd imagine.

[Mike Snyder]

+1 for the tenor banjo. Too many mandolins at a jam, play the banjo. Too many banjos.............................OK, that's an easy one.
Tuned GDAE, it's a great fit in the old-time and ITM jams I go to. I've fallen deeply in love with the nutty-bolty thing and my mandolin sleeps fitfully. Good ones can be had much more reasonably than good mandolins.