Musical Instruments?
 

Three things:

Firstly, do you think any of the members of the fellowship, or any of the characters they met on their journey, would have had the ability or potential ability to play a musical intrument? If yes, which one(s)?

Secondly, which musical intrument would each member of the fellowship be? For example, would Aragorn be a flute prehaps, or a violin?

Thirdly, which intrument would each race seem to be?

There, obscure I know, but It'll be kinda funny to see what people say! [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img] [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img]

Does the Horn of Gondor count? Can music be played on it, or just alarms?

All the hobbits are singers, especially Pippin. (Does Sam sing, or just recite?)

Don't know about the rest of your question, Starbreeze, although it sounds like a fun one. [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img]

--Belin Ibaimendi

I don't know about individually, but as for the races, I believe Dwarves would be drums, Elves either harps or flutes, and Hobbits, maybe pipes. Ents use their voices, and Orcs...I don't think the Orcs are really all that musical after all.

Orcs sing harshly, or croak, and they flap their feet against stone floors to keep time. They also clash their swords against their shields! An orc song appears in chapter 4 of the hobbit (Over Hill and Under Hill).

Well, all of the dwarves from the Hobbit used instruments. Thorin played a harp and Bombur played a drum (that's all I remember.)

Some of my thoughts:

Hobbits-violin, recorder, hornpipe
Elves-oboe, flute, harp, clarinet
Men-trumpet, cello
Dwarves-bass clarinet, basoon

Here's my thoughts.

1. Tancave! Legolas- any string instrument. Aragorn/Boromir/Denethor/Faramir- horn. Tom Bombadil- his voice. Goldberry- her voice. Pippin/Merry/Sam/Frodo- pipes and/or their voices. Arwen- her voice and harp. Gandalf- ANYTHING!!!! Gimli- drums.

2. Aragorn- Cello.
Legolas- Harp.
Gimli- ?
Gandalf- ?
Frodo- His voice.
Pip- Pipe.
Merry- Pipe.
Sam- ?
Boromir- Horn.

3. Men- Horns.
Elves- Harps and their voices.
Dwarves- Drums...
Yrch- I don't think they would.(drums)
Maiar- Uh... voices?
Valar- Their voices!
Ents- Horns and drums.
Hobbits- Wind instruments.

How bout that?

Umm, Agent Elrond plays the alto sax... hehehe

Frodo: his voice, recorder/flute
Merry: his voice, recorder/flute
Pippin: his voice, recorder/flute
Sam: his voice, recorder/flute, drums
Aragorn: guitar, trumpet, harp,claranet, oboe,
Boromir:horn, trumpet, guitar
Legolas: harp, flute, his voice
Gimli: drums, harp
Gandalf: anything he wants to! especially drums
Treebeard: horn
Sauron: trumpet

Frodo: recorder/flute
Merry: pipe
Pippin: pipe
Sam: guitar
Aragorn: claranet
Boromir:horn,
Legolas: flute,
Gimli: drums,
Gandalf: anything he wants to! especially drums
Treebeard: horn
Sauron: trumpet

Elves: flutes, harps
Dwarves: harps, drums
Men: horns, trumpets, guitars
Hobbits: flutes, small guitars
Ents: horns
Orcs: drums

Hmmmm, this is interesting.

[img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Well, I'm an Elf, and I sing, play piano(which is just a large harp with felt hammers), guitar, drums (Elves undoubtably have great rhythm- they're always dancing, and to dance, ya gotta have drums), and I used to play violin (a very elvish instrument).
I'm sure that Dwarves, being handy with metal, would prefer brass instruments.
Hobbits probably prefer woodwinds, folkie-type instruments like Mandolin, banjo,lute, etc.
Mortal men- all of the above- humans like to "borrow" from all the others. I'm sure they would do trade with the other races, and obtain them all.

That would be hilarious to see Elrond playing a saxophone.

Well, we know hobbits had fiddles. I'm sure they had drums, like a bodhran or dumbek, (saw a cute "cut" scene from the movie with Elijah playing a dumbek at the party.) Also flute or penny whistle, harp and some kind of string instrument maybe.

I wondered if the people of M-E could have had a 6-string guitar, which got me curious about how far a guitar goes back. I actually found a picture of a Phoenician carving with a man carrying...you guessed it...a guitar.

People seemed to attach some kind of status to various types of instruments in the long-ago, so I could see elves playing harps or some kind of lap harp like a dulcimer. And of course, woodwind instruments. Have to wonder if you would see an elf with something as low class as a fiddle or banjo.

Dwarves would have invented brass instruments of course, and big, BIG drums!

Ents just thumped on themselves. Which I guess means that Ents invented the Hand-Jive.

There were dwarf-made instruments at Bilbo's birthday party - the musical crackers contained trumpets, horns, pipes and flutes, at least. Apparently young hobbits had enough musical background to be able to play them for an impromptu orchestra.

Well, Agent Elrond is my alter ego, and i do play saxophone, so if ya want a good laugh just c'mon over to my house! hehehe

The guitar as we know it is from Spain, but there were stringed instruments.

ok, this isn't really what i'd picture these ppl/races PLAYING, it's just what they remind me of (for example, my best friend's sister is SUCH a flute, but she plays the violin)

Aragorn - cello
Gandalf - bassoon
Frodo - oboe
Sam - clarinet
Arwen - flute
Gimli / all dwarves - french horn
blah, i'll think of more later [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

If I had to assign a string instrument (because it's the smallest family [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]) to each race, here's what I'd pick:
Hobbits: Violin/fiddle, whatever you wanna call it
Elves: Cello
Men: Viola
Dwarves: Bass

For all the instruments:

Hobbits: Fife, flute, violin
Elves: Cello, mandolin, french horn
Dwarves: Bass, bass drum... anything bass-related
Men: Viola, oboe, trumpets

Some very good ideas here.

I find it interesting that most of you have put hobbits as voice/singing, I hadn't thought of that, I had thought violin and pipes mainly.

Aragorn- Claranet(spl)
Boromir- Trombone
Gandalf- Pipe Organ
Legolas- Viola(which happens to be my instrument)
Gimli- Double Bass
Frodo- Harp
Pippin- Lower half of the piano keys
Merry- Higher of half of the piano keys on the same piano (I also play the piano)
Sam- Homemade recorder?

I can see Aragorn playing a flute with Arwen singing, a good combination.

Aragorn:cello, piano
Arwen:flute
Boromir:horn
Faramir:trumpet

Orcs would have fun making a rcket with cymbals.

How about hobbits with bagpipes? [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

111 posts! What a number!

[ July 07, 2002: Message edited by: Luthien_ Tinuviel ]

LOL Hobbits with bagpipes. I can actually see Gandalf playing a sort of guitar.

I like that - hobbits with bagpipes!

gimli would totally be a bass!!!! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] Gimli Glóinsson and Ithaeliel you guys read my mind couldn't you just see them bangin' away......bow putow wong wong <---*bass noises*!!

Lol. I can imagine Orcs with drums...but apart from that I don't think they have much musical talent...

Hey how about an M-E band who would be what?


I think that Orcs would play what we shall call bodily instruments. hee-hee [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img]

I can't picture Leglolas playing the fiddle. I see him more as a flute player, or perhaps accompanying himself on something like a lute when singing.
Hobbits I CAN see playing the fiddle. I can also imagine them playing recorders and tin whistles too.

Hobbits playing the fiddle made me picture Hobbits doing a jig. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] I can't really picture Boromir playing an instrument, he's so serious. Faramir might play a lyre(a hand-held harp. They were in Bible times and sung to).

Imagine Merry and Pippin playing the piano. Pippin has the low keys and Merry has the high keys! LOL!!

Actually I'm not sure about hobbirs and pianos - I don't quite share your vision there.

Would they be tall enough to reach the keys?

I can see Boromir with a trumpet (I'd prefer him with a sax, since that's my chosen instrument, but not everyone's perfect). I might have said Aragorn with a trombone, but I won't insult him. Baritone then. Legsie can have a piccolo. I see Gandalf as more of the sort trying to be the director then playing with the band. I see the hobits trying out with some clarinets. Gimli can play... hmm... percussion. I'm a very "band" person, so I've decided not to include orchestras (I have a bone to pick with them since they, for the most part, don't have saxs) or voice as part of instruments to choose from (since I barely consider the voice an "instrument") which is why my choices are slimmer then others.

Gandalf would have musical fireworks

I like that - Musical Fireworks - I wonder if thats possible...

Gandalf would make it possible. The sqeals going up and the blasts would be diferent pitches.

Here's an Anglo-Saxon Riddle Song I found. I did not change the first bit, it's exactly as I found it. So, now we know that Middle-Earth does in fact have this instrument. I will post the answer at the bottom, in case some of you want to try to figure it out.

Middle-earth is made lovely in unmatched
Ways rich and rare. Across the hall
I saw a creature singing - nothing wilder
In haunts of men. Her shape is strange
Her beak hung down her hands and feet
Slung up like a shouldered bird - she waits
Song hungry in the hall of the earls her hour
Of craft. She cannt feast or fly about.
Drink man's delight (she dreams of skill,
A task, her art), but begins to dance
On a road of hands - brash mute plays dumb,
Gathering glory while a beautiful haunting
Song sails through strange foot
A gift of sound. How her long dangling
Legs chanter is a wonderful riddle.
Jewelled, naked, proud of rings -
She sings like a mighty sister,
Guardian of air, bearing bass brothers
Droned on her neck. Let the song - lifter,
Truth shaper, name this creature.



And the answer is....
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Bagpipes!

Well Elrond takes his harp with him to the West..... and since he is carrying it with him I guess it would be an important possession......

I think elves would have played Lutes aswell and wooden flutes....... I think Dwarves with their affinity for metal and being miners would have had a particular fondness for brass - the colliery bands were extremely strong musically....

Gandalf would have been a conductor - hopefully avoiding Lully's fate and galadriel would have been a colaratura soprano .....

Same sings.... In Western Lands and GilGalad was an Elven king....

LOL Legolas a viola player..... all those jokes..... and the "hermaphrodite" of the orchestra ...

Sauron would have been an organist..... some of my best friends are but ......... ;) a touch of megalomania in them all?

Now I've got a VERY sticky mental image of Eomer playing bagpipes... But he sure looks cute in that kilt! ;)

And Daeron is an Uilleann piper. I can't imagine anything else anymore, except that he might play a pennywhistle on occasion.

Eomer with bagpipes and in a kilt? :eek: Looks good to me!;)

Aragorn would definately play the clarinet. The best instrument of all. ;)