Misc Instruments

I get a kick out of 'novelty' instruments, but do recognize their plight. First, I guess you'd say there's a degree of novelty as far as how to thus classify instruments. So instruments with differing degrees of novelty are going to have quite different sets of rules..

The Tuba is a standard instrument in either the Orchestra or Concert Band but a bit of a novelty as far as being a solo instrument, particularly in jazz. Thus jazz Tuba solos tend to stand out a bit. I knew a guy in college who as a jazz Tubist, and could play some shit. His solos always got big applause though, largely due to the novelty of solo jazz Tuba. He used to get pissed off about it, wishing people could appreciate what he was playing more than the big-ass axe he was playing it on. Such was his dilemma.

What a rough life..

Then you have your true novelties, such as your jazz whistlers and the like. We had a jazz whistler in the area for awhile who used to sit in on various folks' gigs. Supposedly had some heavy connections in Washington DC or someplace and moved on.

I'm sure like many pursuits, jazz whistling can be done with some degree of artistry and expression. And I can see someone pursuing it wanting to be taken seriously. But you still would really need to have a sense of humor to succeed as a jazz whistler, just to withstand the jokes:

Okay I see you can play jazz. But what about the standard whistler literature: Andy Griffith, Bridge over the River Kwai?

So as a whistler, what kind of range do you have? Can you get into the Canine frequencies?

Who are your influences?

Do you come from a whistling family?

Okay, you get the idea. Of course, the ultimate degree of novelty(with the Tuba being low and the whistler significantly higher)is the air-guitarist. Strangely enough I've never met, for instance, any air-clarinetists or air-saxophonists. Well okay, the air-saxophonists would be wise to start on air-clarinet first but that's beside the point.

Someplace. Anyway, I once had someone play Jimi Hendrix-style air guitar at a gig, while I played Jimi Hendrix-style guitar standing behind my amp. It was fun. Not an ounce of seriousness.

There is a bar I used to frequent around that time, and unfortunately missed a couple of live ones on one occasion. They were telling the bartender about their band and some songs they'd written. "Oh yeah- so what do you play?" the bartender asked them. "Oh I play air-guitar and Kenny here plays air-bass."

And they were serious! Not an ounce of humor. I think I'd have lost it at that point, which surely would've pissed them off. Well hopefully in keeping with their art, they'd just throw air punches.

Not with my luck.