<p>So, our house is quite modest in size.
WHEN can I expect that the two musicians in our family will agree we have enough instruments? Seems like every closet, nook and even some hallways are bursting with electric basses, amps, tubas, keyboards, etc etc.</p>
<p>I must admit that the newest addition is quite adorable, for a tuba.
It's a used F tuba (Meinl Wesson?) and is tiny compared to son's CC tuba.
Sounds great and when I sit and watch him play (something he seems to enjoy yet), he resembles his 9 year old self playing baritone horn many moons ago.
He was too small to manage a tuba then.<br>
Priceless.</p>
<p>I'm considering instituting the 'one in, one out' policy to ensure there will be space for people as well as musical instruments around here.</p>
<p>A 6-string acoustic guitar, 1 mandolin, yamaha keyboard, 1 flute, 1 harmonica, 1 fiddle, 1 violin, 1 electric viola, 1 back up emergency use viola, 5 or 6 viola bows and 2 violin bows, plus his concert viola. Add half a dozen folding music stands, one professional stand (still has "Property of Hartt School" emblazoned on the front), 2 or 3 empty instrument cases, and a bassoon stand. At least I think it's a bassoon stand. I'm still wondering why on that one... you'd think I'd notice a bassoon.</p>
<p>The day he tries to bring in a double bass, piano or harp is the day I change the locks.</p>
<p>Yep. Harp. Upright Piano. Electronic piano. Computer attached piano. Hammered Dulcimer. Tuba. Trumpet. Several recorders. One cupboard of percussion stuff, bells, xylophone. Flute. Oboe. Viola, violins of all sizes down to 1/8. Cellos in 1/8 and 1/4 size. Electric guitar. My parents have done a lot of trade-ins, but this is what we have left.</p>
<p>Um, yes. We built an addition on the back of our medium-sized Cape Cod almost twenty years ago to hold the instruments, books, sheet music, recordings, etc. and it is now bursting at the seams. </p>
<p>I cannot actually tell you how many instruments we own. The database of those worth more than the insurance deductible shows that we have at least 153 (not an exaggeration), but I know there are a dozen or so plastic recorders of various sizes and makes, a bunch of inexpensive hand percussion instruments of which a few are actually useful, and a garage sale flute or three that are not in that total, plus there are the various ethnic folk flutes that are more ornamental than playable, the oddball stringed instruments from China that a relative has been giving us as Christmas presents for several years (he must have bought out a music store on a business trip over there) and a number of stray accordions that we found left in the car when we absentmindedly left ours sitting in plain view with the window open.</p>
<p>The latest acquisition is son's Martin guitar (a 2007 HD-28 sunburst with built-in electronics) that he got at Mandolin Brothers.</p>
<p>Oh, yes, we know about instruments and accessories that seemingly breed when left alone too long in the closet. I don't think "One in, One out" would work for us. We don't have the heart to get rid of old family members. Fortunately, one kid is away at college (and she takes several of the largest instruments with her when she goes) and another will be on his way in a year or so. We already have plans for their rooms.</p>
<p>Interesting to see the variety in everyone's collections!
The musicians I have met through my husband have all been very inclusive and broad in their love of instruments as well.
My husband and son are tuba and electric bass players but there are so many other instruments hanging around it's hard to discern that.</p>
<p>My husband takes pride in the 'I still have all the instruments I've ever owned' method of musical life. Son is more inclined to buy and sell to upgrade. Probably a function of his tighter budget. Ebay is his friend.</p>
<p>Husband is enjoying the newer incarnations of some instruments. He loves his 'electric upright' that is small and light but plays light a 'real' upright. I'm sure his now older back appreciates some of these innovations.</p>
<p>BassDad- we also built a 'den' and second bath on our house about 15 years ago.....at least the bathroom is not loaded with instruments (yet)!</p>
<p>We do not currently store any instruments in the bathroom (far too humid in the summer) although we have actually recorded in there once or twice. I have thought about employing a seldom-used bathroom in the basement as winter storage for some of the wooden instruments. Rigging the shower to come on for a couple of minutes every few hours would be a lot easier than lugging gallons and gallons of water to the humidifier in the music room. For some odd reason, wife did not like the idea...</p>
<p>Congrats on the new tuba! That we don't have!</p>
<p>Oh, this is fun!</p>
<p>Aside from the plastic recorders (yes, several of those too!), one wood recorder and two good harmonicas, we have a grand piano, a digital piano, two drum sets (one for travel and gigs), two djembes, several hand percussion instruments, an electric bass guitar, two acoustic guitars, one tired saxophone, one flute, one each 1/4 size and 1/2 size cello. Then, of course, there are the amplifiers, microphones, boom stands, etc, that fill out the music room clutter.</p>
<p>I never thought much about it. Did not think we had that much in the house. Then I thought: Piano, 2 keyboards, 3 trumpets, clarinet, 2 acoustic guitars, 1 electric guitar and amp and several plastic recorders, tin flutes and misc small percussion. And I don't have anyone who plays instruments much anymore living here. DD, the youngest, sings - she uses the keyboards.</p>
<p>Spinet in the living room, upright in the family room, full-size keyboard and roll-up piano in a bedroom. Also in the house: 3 violins, assorted bows, a mandolin, a bugle, a clarinet, a flute, a djembe, a basket of hand-held percussion (triangle, castanets, marracas, etc). We have 3 large pieces of furniture and several boxes that hold music. Multiple music stands, although those do tend to wander off.</p>
<p>S1 has 5 guitars (acoustic, classical, electric, and two acoustic-electric) but only one of the acoustic-electric now lives here (so he doesn't have to bring one home whenever he comes). S2 has 2 horns and a trombone, but only the trombone stays here. (And the keyboards are his.) </p>
<p>We don't feel overrun with instruments. People look at us funny when they see two pianos, but we have 3 kids, so as far as I'm concerned, we still need another. After all, they're all going to want one some day.</p>
<p>Probably doesn't count, but I also have a tree's worth of musical Christmas ornaments. :)</p>
<p>Tubas, recorders and drums, oh my! Did anyone actually mention drums? I lost track. My head was spinning. I'm almost embarrassed by our paltry catalogue but here goes:
2 violins + assorted bows
viola + bows
2 flutes
piano
full sized keyboard
dulcimer
4 guitars
a "balalaika" DS designed and built himself for science olympiad
3 voices that don't need x-tra storage room but are tempermental.</p>
<p>Gee, our list doesn't seem so long after all but here goes:</p>
<p>1 Yamaha full-sized keyboard
2 flutes
1 alto flute
1 wind synthesizer (MIDI controller)
2 trumpets
3 violins & assorted bows
1 broken clarinet (mine from years ago)
a variety of recorders
a variety of tin whistles, including a low D
a wood flute (but it cracked and does't play well, D wants one of better quality)
1 bodhrain
1 guitar</p>
<p>Except for the piano, none of the instruments are large enough to be a looming presence. We did have a full drum kit and a couple of extra drums for the last couple of years but they went back to their owner's house recently, as the little band my D had broke up. </p>
<p>This is the list of instruments my D would love to acquire if she had funds:</p>
<p>electric violin (this is likely coming before the end of the summer)
concertina
uilleann pipes
shamisen
koto?
trombone? (she has mentioned this but not in the last 6 months)</p>
<p>If my S decides he's willing to be responsible at practicing, we may end up with various percussion related equipment here this fall. But then, one violin (& the electric if she gets it), a trumpet, and the tin whistles will leave home in August.</p>
<p>My 18 year old plays violin and viola - but has a double case that he uses most of the time, however he also has a single case for each - so this takes up extra space. he also has 2 guitars, an amp, and various other electric guitar things. He also has a trombone from Junior high school collecting dust.</p>
<p>Both my 11 and 12 year olds play violin and cello - so there are 4 more instruments - Cellos really monopolize alot of space in the big cases that protect them.</p>
<p>My 6 year old plays a little 32nd size violin (he is very tiny) and announced recently that he wants to play viola like his big brother.</p>
<p>I play piano which is the central instrument in our music room (used to be a dining room -but who has time to eat with so much music making) My Bassoon and flute sit on a shelf from my former life collecting dust.</p>
<p>Oh I'm so glad to hear someone else has a LOT of riders on their homeowners insurance :) We have two oboes (Loree and Yamaha), one English Horn, 3 student trumpets (why do we still have these???), 1 Bflat trumpet, 1 C trumpet, 1 pic trumpet, piano, at least five recorders (soprano down to bass), a set of boomwhackers (which are by far the most fun of anything we own), 2 guitars, 1 uke. Plans in place for purchase of an e flat trumpet. Oh...and we have cases for all of these instruments as well (except the piano) and those take up more space than the instruments. DS's closet is filled with instrument cases. He uses only one case (Wiseman triple), and DD uses only one (oboe/EH case). We have everything from the cases the instruments came in to propac cases which we have in all sorts of sizes. Now...how about music? There are filing cabinets filled with that here. And I, the mom, also have all the programs (which my son made fun of until he needed to complete a list of all the orchestral repertoire he had played and <em>I</em> had it all). The kids really don't live here....but we can't sell this huge house because where would all this "stuff" go????</p>
<p>Wow. This thread makes me feel SO good. I look around at our trombones, bass trombone, piano, electric keyboard, ukulele, guitar, violins, viola, recorders, and realize I'm not alone. (In fact, I'm just a piker compared to some.)</p>
<p>We didn't do lots of riders. Most of our instruments are covered under a separate policy that is geared toward professional use. The exceptions are the two double basses, which nobody will insure when in the hands of someone under 21. We have less than a year to go until those qualify, although daughter will probably have to buy her own separate policy at that point.</p>
<p>And tin whistles - I forgot the tin whistles. More than a dozen in various keys and from various makers. One of wife's signature pieces is the Bach Badinerie from the French Suite #2 played at breakneck speed on tin whistle with guitar accompaniment. How could I forget the tin whistles?</p>
<p>We have enough hardware for a small wind ensemble, a rock band and enough traditional Irish instruments for a good sized pub-band, along with my prized kazoo and slide-whistle collection. Of course the "good stuff" is insured, but we have another interesting twist; most of our instruments have names and D insists that these are and may continue to be our grandchildren. Kind of tough to cuddle up to an Eb-clarinet and watch a Bambi DVD...</p>
<p>Oh gee Bassdad, I forgot the tin whistles AND the fife. Don't ask. At this point we have riders for theft and loss on all the instruments (not the recorders, fife, tin whistle or the student trumpets), but DS will need to get that professional insurance soon. I'll start another thread, not wishing to hijack this one!</p>
<p>Imperial Zeppelin & BassDad & others: Do we have enough Irish musicians to do our own CC session? Can we do a virtual session? :-)</p>
<p>I didn't respond on the other thread about our student musicians' listening habits, but we have so many Irish music CDs I swear they multiply in the night. Other than that, my D is pretty eclectic. In the car she'll listen to anything from jazz to country (for the fiddle) to classical. At home, she's got a few internet listening sites that give her more exposure to various world music styles- anything from Swedish to Latin jazz to Japanese traditional. I think she'll be building her classical repertoire over the next year as she gets more heavily into her formal classical study, but all varieties of fiddle will still take precedence, I believe.</p>