Any Music Historians Out There?

AZ_Dawn · Jan 10, 2009

I've got a pirate with musical talent and she needs an instrument. The requirements:

It must have existed before the 17th Century, but still used 1680-1720.
It should be easily carried while being played.
It must have been easy to obtain in the Carribean.
It must have been available to the lower classes. (You didn't have to be rich to afford one.)
It must be socially acceptable for any racial group or gender to play it.
The modern reader must be able to recognize it. (I can deal with 10-stringed guitars and such, but I don't want to waste a good info dump on a tromba marina.)
No tamborines, triangles, or any other instrument that looks like a fool off the street could play it right on the first try.
String instruments are preferred.

I first thought about giving her a violin, but was told it wasn't considered a woman's instrument back then. I looked up guitars as an alternative, but couldn't tell if the guitars of that time were usable by everyone.

Any help would be appreaciated. Thanks!

rugcat · Jan 10, 2009

Not an expert, bhe most obvious instrument would have been a lute. There were many variations, played both by upper and lower classes. One of them, available in the Carribean, was the vihuela. A little obscure, perhaps, but easily describable.

pdr · Jan 10, 2009

Yes...

lute or flute or recorder.

Inarticulate Babbler · Jan 10, 2009

Bagpipes were created by the Romans, later they were modified by the Scots. A pan flute has been around...well

a long time. Rebecs, 15th and 16th century; Vielle, 13th to 15th centuries; Violins date back to 1560 (positively) when Charles IX ordered 24 constructed; Lyre and Harps date way back, too.

AZ_Dawn · Jan 12, 2009

Thanks, guys! Now I have a fairly good idea what to look at.

I checked some of these out. Lutes are looking kind of iffy for what I want; they're apparently pretty fragile. It also has more than one style to chose from. This one's probably a no go due to its complexity, but what about this or this? Vihuelas are definitely out; too closely associated with mariachi music. >.<

pdr · Jan 14, 2009

What about...

a rebeck?

a three-stringed, pear-shaped musical instrument played with a bow: a precursor of the violin...

Simpler I think than those lutes.

Corpus Thomisticum · Jan 18, 2009

It might be helpful to keep in mind that any instrument kept at sea for long periods of time must be resistant to salty, humid air. Any wooden instruments like a guitar or string instrument is likely to warp, while at least some metal instruments may be prone to rusting, all of which will affect their sound and tuning.

Inarticulate Babbler · Jan 18, 2009

Frequently, fiddles or violins were used on ships. Any instrument needs upkeep, but in those times, there were certain more popular instruments.

AZ_Dawn · Jan 19, 2009

Thanks, guys!

I'm seriously concidering the rebec. If the internet ain't lying to me, they were declining in popularity around my period, but there were laws passed concerning them in 1742, so they were still around. They were also lower-class instruments, which fits well with the character's backstory.

Corpus Thomisticum said:
It might be helpful to keep in mind that any instrument kept at sea for long periods of time must be resistant to salty, humid air.

Guess I better look up the care and feeding of a rebec, then.

KatrinaFee · Feb 4, 2009

Don't worry too much about resistance--they shipped thousands of pianos and harpsichords to India in the 19th century. Apparently they were a nightmare to retune (due also to the humid climate), but string players expect to tune their instruments all the time any way.
Also, while a long period at sea would be disastrous for a Stradivarius, a folk instrument would be more suited to hard knocks.

Any Music Historians Out There?

AZ_Dawn

AW Addict

rugcat

Lost in the Fog

pdr

Inarticulate Babbler

Pissin' Everyone off, 1 at a time

AZ_Dawn

AW Addict

pdr

Corpus Thomisticum

Life Stares Back at Me

Inarticulate Babbler

Pissin' Everyone off, 1 at a time

AZ_Dawn

AW Addict

KatrinaFee