When I left my gig with Mr. Satan on the streets of Harlem in the fall of 1987 to join the pit band of "Big River," I discovered that the harmonica wasn't the only instrument that many people--and specifically musicians--thought of as a joke.
I heard the first of many trombone player jokes.
What do you call a trombone player with a day gig? Lucky.
Please share jokes about NON-harmonica instruments and the losers who play them.
Also, please suggest instruments that should be added to the following list of not-to-be-taken-seriously instruments. (Obviously ALL of them should and are taken seriously; I'm talking about status hierarchies within orchestras, other ensembles, and the general public).
The list:
trombone, krumhorn, um......what else? (I will expand this list in line with your suggestions.) The first video below is truly cruel.
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Dec 09, 2016 3:50 PM
Am I the only one who has noticed how many trombone players have gravitated to the harmonica. Perhaps it is an unconscious attempt to gain respect. :-)
You recognise of course that the instrument pictured in the lower image is not a trombone. It is a sackbut. I sure no one could make a joke of a sackbut!
Banjos don't annoy people, people annoy people. How long does it take to tune a banjo? Nobody knows. If you throw a banjo and an accordion of the Empire State building at the same time, which one hits the ground first?Who cares. Two musicians and a drummer walk into a bar....
banjo (the list of banjo jokes is virtually endless, there are entire websites devoted to the subject)
bodhran "What's the best way to play a bodhran?" "With a penknife!" Only the one joke, but man, the crowd at thesession.org NEVER tire of it. And it must be said, it's just as funny the ten thousandth time as it was the 9,999th.
Last Edited by Frank101 on Dec 09, 2016 4:40 PM
You might think the trombone is lower in the hierarchy than the harmonica, but I have this interesting anecdote. A neighbor and fellow scout parent said to me on learning I played the trombone, "I knew you played the harmonica, but I didn't know you were a MUSICIAN!"
You do know the difference in an onion and a harmonica, right? Sometimes people cry when you cut up an onion.
I always had heard that perfect pitch was when you threw an accordion in a dumpster and it smashed a banjo.
What is the difference in a drummer and a large pepperoni pizza? A large pepperoni pizza can feed a family of four.
What is the difference in a bodhran and a foot bath? A foot bath bucks up the feet!
An accordion player and trombone player were out for a New Year' Party and the scheduled band didn't show up. The venue owner asked if they could step up and play the gig, and they did. At the end of the night the owner was so pleased that he asked if they could return and play the next New Year's party. They agreed and asked if they could leave their instruments there until the gig.
Good music can be made in many ways with many instruments simple or complex, or just with voice. Each brings something different to music. I really don't care at all about some people being disrespectful of harmonica or of other instruments. It is their loss... ----------
Doug S.
Last Edited by dougharps on Dec 10, 2016 8:00 PM
Washboard, The jamband stopped dead once in an attempt to embarrass me and the board. I pulled off a washboard solo. The crowd went nuts! LOL. The board got some respect afterwords. True story!
Chopsy, A visual image that sticks out in my mind was at Balboa Park while taking my son to Youth Symphony rehearsal. Another parent was walking his young daughter to rehearsal. He was wearing a superman shirt and carrying a double bass in a hard case on his back like a backpack! The bass towered over him and his daughter and made the shirt logo seem appropriate.
Trombonists use all the positions, most harmonica players only know one or two. Occasionally you will hear a legend about a harmonica player being comfortable in 12 positions!
Here is another oddball instrument, the Serpent. If I had the extra disposable income I would consider getting one of these. There are a few makers around. The person playing this one is Douglas Yeo, bass trombonist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra;
Last Edited by STME58 on Dec 14, 2016 12:11 AM
If you need to compensate for something, or you just feel your 'bone is not big enough, this might be your instrument. It sounds in the range of a Bb tuba and has a double slide. On a normal slide you add 2 inches of tubing when you move the slide out an inch, with this beast you add 4 inches per inch. If I had an extra $8k in my instrument fund, I would definitely consider adding this to my collection.
The two bells are different sizes and have different tonal qualities. This also allow you to place a mute in one of the bells and switch from muted to un-muted with the push of a paddle.
Last Edited by STME58 on Dec 16, 2016 1:04 PM
An accordian player ran into a music buddy at a bar and told him he had his new accordian out in the car and wanted to show it to him. His buddy says, "Whadda you nuts, leavin' an instrument out in your car?" They went out to the parking lot, and sure enough the back window of the car was broken out and somebody had thrown in two more accordians.
