| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Icelander |
Posted - 06 Apr 2018 : 11:01:47
In fleshing out some NPCs, I wondered what musical instruments the various characters might know and perhaps travel with, to while away the nights around a campfire.
None of the characters are bards, but some of them might be fond of music and even amateur musicians, as in the absence TV and radio, someone who can strum a little banjo, play a soft little air on a flute or blow a hornpipe becomes much more attractive as entertainment.
For example, Selunites incorporate dancing into many of their rituals. What kind of musical instruments are used to play the music that they dance to?
What are some instruments that a travelling priestess of the Selunite faith might be fond of and even know how to play?
What is Moonsea music like?
What kind of music might a potential social climber from Thentia have been taught growing up, along with other artistic attainments and polished manners? The sort of character who in a 19th or 20th century Western setting would have been taught the piano, maybe starting with some lessons on a recorder, and perhaps the violin?
What about scouts, rangers, travellers and soldiers on The Ride and in the Thar? Basically, what is 'range' or 'cowboy' music like for outdoorsy types north of the Moonsea?
How about Thesk and the Ashanath? What are common instruments there?
Or among the Tuigan and Taangan?
What kind of music do the guards and merchants of a caravan travelling the Golden Way play to while away the hours?
Do orcs play music? What kind? |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 10 Apr 2018 : 12:43:24
quote:
Originally posted by Icelander
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
As to what instruments a Selunite might favor... I picture more harps and violin music than anything... but it could be interesting if one incorporated instruments that worked with moonlight. For instance, what if one had a glassteel harp and they would play it with a mirror reflecting moonlight through it. Or perhaps a musician who used glassteel tocken along with say a wooden rod whose tip is covered in faerie fire
While I can imagine all of these, I'm looking for what travelling priests and adventurers might use for ceremonies or impromptu moon dances.
Longhors (flutes) and songhorns (recorders) are usually more portable than stringed instruments, and can contribute a haunting quality.
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
I picture orcs making a drum/tocken like instrument out of skulls.
The tocken is a set of carved oval, open-ended wooden bells of graduated sizes, hung in a row from a section of cane or branch (which may in turn be affixed to a straight or arched pole). It is played like a xylophone, by striking the bells with a wooden rod. Tocken are sometimes fashioned of brass in the South, but such specimens are sneered at in the North (roughly, north of the latitude of Amn all across the Realms in this case, from the Inner Sea to the Sword Coast) as being "cowbells"; not having the subtle tone of carved wood.
Well, that would probably not make much of a sound, as wooden or brass bells are much louder and more musical than bone. I suppose orc shamans might make magical skull instruments, which might cause fear in addition to making a more noticeable sound than real world bone.
On the above related to the Selunite and the portability factor. I agree for a full-size glassteel harp that would not be practical unless it were a travelling group that had a wagon (note, the harp would be lightweight). A lighter handharp wouldn't give AS visual a display, but it would still be pretty and the glass could be intermixed with metal (and possibly this metal could be "played" as well by being struck somewhat forcefully by a pinky wearing a metal thimble like cap... not sure if that would work).
However, the glassteel tocken might be exceptionally portable. If each of the "bells" is made such that one fits inside the other creating a graduating of size, then you could easily stack all the bells together. Thus, they could be carried in a portion of a backpack, and the stick they're hung from could double as a walking stick/quarterstaff (maybe its extra thick, with holes drilled through periodically for hanging the tocken bells, and the holes are reinforced with metal).
On the orc skull "tocken" set, it wouldn't surprise me if they put down metal or wood on the skull to change the tone and even strengthen the instrument. If the skull is not human sized, but rather larger, I can even see them turning the head on its side, coating the teeth in a thin sheath of metal, and playing the teeth like a xylophone. For that though, it would have to be something of like size huge or a very large large... like a dragon (which most orcs wouldn't have access to)... but also a dinosaur like creature, or even something like a frost giant head or a pair of still connected ettin heads. However, even something like a dire wolf head could serve as a small instrument worn like a small drum set in a marching band strapped to the chest. It would be best for looks if the creature had a lot of canine like pointed teeth (probably better for the sound too). For that matter, if it were a larger skull where you were playing the teeth , the various portions of the whole head could be coated in different metals for look factor, but that might also change things tonally. Like a Jamaican band playing a garbage can lid, they might play the teeth, all around the eye socket, the nose, the ears, etc.... and get totally different tones based on where they hit.
BTW, I have no idea if this would actually work, but what if the glassteel tocken bells had a little insertion point. Could you put a tuning fork in there as well that extends within and without of the bell, and thus have a "glass" bell that you can play, but also small tuning forks as well of varying size, materials, and sound. I'm picturing things like an steel, brass, copper, and possibly even exotic metals like silver, gold, electrum, platinum, mithril, adamantium, etc.... For that matter, could a skilled spellcaster set a tuning fork to spinning around a series of glassteel bells to create a "constant" rotating background tune, while he himself plays the individual tocken with a wooden stick. |
| sfdragon |
Posted - 10 Apr 2018 : 10:05:00
I think the 2e complete book of elves might have had a section on elven instruments... Ill look later. its past 3am, and if I stay much later....or earlier |
| Icelander |
Posted - 09 Apr 2018 : 14:14:31
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
dragon #123 "music of the forgotten realms" article
Thanks, that's great.
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
As to what instruments a Selunite might favor... I picture more harps and violin music than anything... but it could be interesting if one incorporated instruments that worked with moonlight. For instance, what if one had a glassteel harp and they would play it with a mirror reflecting moonlight through it. Or perhaps a musician who used glassteel tocken along with say a wooden rod whose tip is covered in faerie fire
While I can imagine all of these, I'm looking for what travelling priests and adventurers might use for ceremonies or impromptu moon dances.
Longhors (flutes) and songhorns (recorders) are usually more portable than stringed instruments, and can contribute a haunting quality.
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
I imagine folk on the range don't carry around large instruments, so they might have a flute (longhorn), recorder (songhorn), or thelarr/thistlecane handy
Indeed.
The birdpipes (syrinx, fistula, nai, pan flute or panpipes in our world) seem like a portable instrument that can easily be used for entertainment around the campfire. I'm thinking that the birdpipes may be especially associated with folk music from the Wizard Reach and Aglarond, as well as rural shepherd's music from upcountry Chessenta, as well as music from traditions near to various fey-influenced forests in the Heartlands and North.
What about travellers on the Golden Way? They'd be exposed to the musical traditions of a lot of societies, including several Taangan ones, as well as possibly Ashanathan, Rashemi, Raumviran or Nars, as well as the music of northern Shou Lung provinces. At caravansaries, they might encounter musicians from Khazari, Murghom and Semphar, as well as fellow merchants (and perhaps travelling bards) from Thay, Durpar and the Shining Lands.
What are small, portable instruments someone who has travelled the Golden Way for years might choose to carry around to entertain himself and others by playing a variety of exotic airs without really adding encumbrance?
In a more modern setting, I'd say something like a harmonica/mouth organ, as the best 'bang for the buck' in terms of size to versatility ratio, but I'm not sure that Realmsian instrument technology is at a level where such an instrument might be had for a reasonable price.
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
I picture orcs making a drum/tocken like instrument out of skulls.
The tocken is a set of carved oval, open-ended wooden bells of graduated sizes, hung in a row from a section of cane or branch (which may in turn be affixed to a straight or arched pole). It is played like a xylophone, by striking the bells with a wooden rod. Tocken are sometimes fashioned of brass in the South, but such specimens are sneered at in the North (roughly, north of the latitude of Amn all across the Realms in this case, from the Inner Sea to the Sword Coast) as being #147;cowbells,#148; not having the subtle tone of carved wood.
Well, that would probably not make much of a sound, as wooden or brass bells are much louder and more musical than bone. I suppose orc shamans might make magical skull instruments, which might cause fear in addition to making a more noticeable sound than real world bone. |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 09 Apr 2018 : 12:52:09
dragon #123 "music of the forgotten realms" article
As to what instruments a Selunite might favor... I picture more harps and violin music than anything... but it could be interesting if one incorporated instruments that worked with moonlight. For instance, what if one had a glassteel harp and they would play it with a mirror reflecting moonlight through it. Or perhaps a musician who used glassteel tocken along with say a wooden rod whose tip is covered in faerie fire
I imagine folk on the range don't carry around large instruments, so they might have a flute (longhorn), recorder (songhorn), or thelarr/thistlecane handy
I picture orcs making a drum/tocken like instrument out of skulls.
The tocken is a set of carved oval, open-ended wooden bells of graduated sizes, hung in a row from a section of cane or branch (which may in turn be affixed to a straight or arched pole). It is played like a xylophone, by striking the bells with a wooden rod. Tocken are sometimes fashioned of brass in the South, but such specimens are sneered at in the North (roughly, north of the latitude of Amn all across the Realms in this case, from the Inner Sea to the Sword Coast) as being #147;cowbells,#148; not having the subtle tone of carved wood. |
| Elren_Wolfsbane |
Posted - 08 Apr 2018 : 07:33:41
I'm going to be fleshing out some music from the realms pretty soon. I've been looking through accessories, novels for bits of songs, and I've had some luck.
Hopefully I can post them on the net |
| TBeholder |
Posted - 07 Apr 2018 : 04:32:24
quote:
Originally posted by Icelander
Do orcs play music? What kind?
Shamans probably have drums. Other than that, both celebrations and preparations for a war could use a good chant. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 06 Apr 2018 : 13:42:57
The 2E book Aurora's Whole Realms Catalog includes a section on musical instruments. |
|
|
