But I don't want a kazoo pulled from a septic tank with rotten fish dumped all over it.
Better model better performance?
- Thread starter murathan
- Start date
murathan
Was a Bassoonist
Lester is famous for his contributions of British Islands folk music with his 20.000 piece sheet music file and over 500 videos. He is happy with these models although he seems not 
breezybellows
Well-known member
It's odd (and wrong) to be concerned about which instrument someone else is playing. As long as you're not paying for it, it's none of your business.
Are you arguing that he'd be out of his league and look ridiculous and funny to you if he tried playing other instruments? Or what is the point you are trying to make?Lester is famous for his contributions of British Islands folk music with his 20.000 piece sheet music file and over 500 videos. He is happy with these models although he seems not
breezybellows
Well-known member
The romanticization of overcoming a subpar instrument with sheer skill is misguided. If an instrument can enhance one's performance or enjoyment, it makes perfect sense to choose that instrument. Why would anyone willingly choose something that limits their potential?
This entire discussion reeks of judgment and elitism, suggesting that some people don't "deserve" better instruments. It's a condescending and baseless attitude. Everyone has the right to play the best instrument they can, regardless of what self-proclaimed "experts" think.
murathan
Was a Bassoonist
murathan
Was a Bassoonist
I believe the theory that overcoming the shortcomings of a poor instrument comes from the numerous fine musicians who have stories of just such an early music practice situation. However, I'm doubtful at best that it's worth deliberately playing [only] a poor instrument just for the practice, unless it's a secondary or campfire instrument.
That said, I believe it is worth keeping in mind that learning to coax good music out of a poor instrument is a good skill to have even if you're blessed with the kind of fortune that has you buying a fine, new Italian instrument out of pocket change to start your accordion journey.
Edit: Added a word to ensure what I meant is what people read.
That said, I believe it is worth keeping in mind that learning to coax good music out of a poor instrument is a good skill to have even if you're blessed with the kind of fortune that has you buying a fine, new Italian instrument out of pocket change to start your accordion journey.
Edit: Added a word to ensure what I meant is what people read.
Last edited:
We’ve discussed before about the laws of diminishing returns when it comes to accordion shopping. Ultimately for many of us, our accordion purchase is a luxury and we get to make the personal choice on where in that value curve we are comfortable and see acceptable value. I don’t see any merit in trying to promote a belief that someone shouldn’t pursue a certain luxury good because they may not currently have the talent to use it to its full potential. I also think it is worth reinforcing the notion that more modest instruments in good repair can certainly be up to the task and rewarding to play.
The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men gang aft agley...
Our choices regarding the value curve are not always heeded. I got my main instrument because I needed a temporary cheap stand-in while my chosen instrument was getting a restoration and tuning job. The stand-in was a somewhat weird looking sell-off for a price where I did not think I could go much wrong. It was a bonus that it had a free bass manual so I could play around with that and see whether that could be an interesting option to pursue eventually.
It turned out that the instrument was just not hunting for money but appreciation.
At any rate, I see nothing wrong with discussing the merits of an instrument's properties for learning and advancing independent of monetary considerations. If you want to call out how silly I look playing an instrument way out of my league, be my guest. I do get things out of it in my clumsy way that surprise people at times.
breezybellows
Well-known member
I usually classify advice into two types
1) Pointing at a specific problem and offering a solution. The solution might be something that one might not agree with. The advice, at the very least, comes with an intention to help improve the art form.
2) Hand wavy comment that can't give any specific feedback or remediation. IMO this isn't driven by good intentions. These comments usually make them feel important.
Also, if one is able to express their art beautifully despite the limitations in their instrument, people will notice. The artist doesn't have to mention it in every breath.
Last edited:
breezybellows
Well-known member
... and it is well known that I have champagne tastes with a beer budget!
Generally usually a good musician will sound good on pretty much anything- and a great musician great. That does not, of course, keep me from having a whole basement replete with assorted "snipes"* as I pursue "just the one" that fulfills me. I manage to sound pretty much deporably just like me for good or (mostly) for ill on all of them.
John Coltrane, "You can play a shoestring if you're sincere."
Pretty much on the money as I see it.
"Sincerity" aside, I have yet to attempt show tunes on a shoelace...
*"Snipes"** ranging from a 4/4 tuba through piccolos and a Preciosa (a mini Club accordion) with a whole lot in between surely including a raft, one each, of accordions. I periodically try to thin them out and attempt to label things so the wife will not waste money on a medium to contact me after my demise just so she can upbraid me in the beyond... The upside of being no longer able to drive (eyes) is that between no car payments and no car insurance and no car fuel or repairs and the kinder out of college and paid for (mostly by them), and greatly lessened assorted speculative shopping expeditions I have been able to focus on the bare neccesities and the real meaning of existence- such as acquiring second hand accordions.
**That's "snipes" as in "snipe hunt" trophies- not the actual birds or the long range shooting/last second purchases on auction sites.
John Coltrane, "You can play a shoestring if you're sincere."
Pretty much on the money as I see it.
"Sincerity" aside, I have yet to attempt show tunes on a shoelace...
*"Snipes"** ranging from a 4/4 tuba through piccolos and a Preciosa (a mini Club accordion) with a whole lot in between surely including a raft, one each, of accordions. I periodically try to thin them out and attempt to label things so the wife will not waste money on a medium to contact me after my demise just so she can upbraid me in the beyond... The upside of being no longer able to drive (eyes) is that between no car payments and no car insurance and no car fuel or repairs and the kinder out of college and paid for (mostly by them), and greatly lessened assorted speculative shopping expeditions I have been able to focus on the bare neccesities and the real meaning of existence- such as acquiring second hand accordions.
**That's "snipes" as in "snipe hunt" trophies- not the actual birds or the long range shooting/last second purchases on auction sites.
Last edited:
Corollary #1 - the student must get pleasure from playing said instrument.
breezybellows
Well-known member
The keyword here is 'despite' and not 'because.' A great musician will sound good even if they lose a couple of fingers. It would be foolish for someone to intentionally chop off a couple of fingers just to engage in virtue signaling.
There is an art to getting out of, and staying out of mental and emotional ruts, especially those developed in early youth.
Reinhardt managed that rather well along with his genius in adapting to his acquired physical difficulties.
Not your usual, run-of-the-mill character.
"Despite" for certain. Back in the heyday of bop several misguided souls took up heroin in the belief that it would help them play like Charlie Parker.
Didn't work out so well.
Last edited:
There is the apocryphal story of Paganini who got so annoyed at his prowess being attributed to his "Il Cannone" Guerneri, given to him by the devil, with a G string made from the guts of his former mistress yadda yadda yadda, that one day after a concert to general acclaim he broke the instrument he had been playing on into pieces. He had got it for that occasion from a moneylender. Make no mistake: it would not have been utter trash and would probably have been quite worth a bit these days had it survived, but it wasn't his famed monster. And purportedly people didn't notice. But it definitely wasn't all the same particularly to him, or he would not have gotten a stunt violin for this feat.
Similar threads
