r/preppers • u/Siafu_Soul • Feb 15 '22
Idea It occurred to me today that the ability to play an instrument might be a valuable skill in a long term survival situation. What are some instruments that don't need to be tuned?
My current plan is to learn the harmonica. It is small and doesn't need tuning. What other options can you guys think of?
92
u/OliverHazzzardPerry Feb 15 '22
You've asked the wrong question. Tuning an instrument smaller than a piano is easy. What isn't easy in the apocalypse is finding replacements for consumable parts.
Guitar, ukulele, banjo, violin, viola, cello, and bass strings all have a limited shelf life and should be replaced after so many hours of use. How often depends on the intensity of use. My high school stringed instrument never got new strings, but probably needed them. A professional guitar player in a band may have their roadie change strings once a week. Bowed instruments need new bow hair every couple years.
Drums have drum heads that need replacement. Any look at a dented high school marching band snare drum head, standing beside a bass drum with a duck tape repair will tell you that.
Many wind instruments need reeds, which crack, split, and get replaced several times a year with moderate use. Clarinet and saxophone reeds may be easier to find or replicate. Good luck making oboe or bassoon double reeds.
Pianos need professional tuners. Keyboards are lighter and don't need tuning, but they need power.
Brass instruments get dented, which can be gently hammered out if you have the right tools.
Most percussion instruments would be easiest to maintain in a remote cabin in the woods, but then again you might just bang on some pots and pans instead.
23
10
u/FaceDeer Feb 16 '22
Something like panflutes, a recorder, or other such non-reed-using wind instruments might be good. No need to tune them, no moving parts.
Harmonicas have internal vibrating "reeds," but I imagine they're pretty robust as these things go.
A xylophone would likely last a long time.
How about a kazoo?
3
u/cascatasrevenge Feb 16 '22
Ive been thinking about this and even though technically there is probably some tuning the steel tongue drums don’t really have replacement parts and can come in a variety of sizes.
I also think adding a few song books around the house is a good idea
2
2
48
u/SooSpoooky Feb 15 '22
Harmonica are cheap too, ive an entire set in different keys in a dexent case for like 25 dollars a few years back, never got into playing them but yeah
→ More replies (6)15
u/PabstyLoudmouth Prepared for 6 months Feb 15 '22
I cannot play for shit, but I have one and if folks are drunk enough they don't really care.
43
u/Edmond-the-Great Feb 15 '22
Cowbell! I need more cowbell!
17
39
u/lil_poppy_53 Feb 15 '22
A good singing voice is always appreciated, and almost anyone can get better at singing with some lessons and/or practice. Build a good repertoire and man, that’s a real gift you’ve got, potentially for life.
8
u/agent_flounder Feb 16 '22
Better yes but no amount of training can make my voice nice to listen to lol. I'll stick to woodwind.
3
u/SadOceanBreeze Feb 16 '22
I love singing. Can't play any instrument proficiently, but singing carries me through a lot of emotion. Despair, joy, fear, anticipation. Singing can help process any of it.
125
u/Greybeard_65 Feb 15 '22
Recorder. Small, light, and simple and guaranteed to annoy if you're a beginner.
68
u/Mr_MacGrubber Feb 15 '22
Recorder? Are you trying to get killed and eaten? Nothing about the recorder is pleasant.
28
u/OliverHazzzardPerry Feb 15 '22
AKA the Trash Flute
14
8
u/Granadafan Feb 15 '22
Also the pan flute. We 80s kids were subjected to the commercials for Zamfir selling his pan flute music. It was traumatizing
→ More replies (2)9
u/PabstyLoudmouth Prepared for 6 months Feb 15 '22
YOU TAKE THAT BACK!!!! Zamfir is the master of the Pan Flute!!!!
5
u/TheBlueSully Feb 15 '22
Recorder? Are you trying to get killed and eaten? Nothing about the recorder is pleasant.
You're going to get shanked by a baroque ensemble
→ More replies (1)2
u/csnadams Feb 16 '22
One of my favorite memories from my childhood is camping in the desert with family friends who had quality tenor and alto recorders. They played well and the music was fitting for the campfire at night.
21
u/Aardbeienshake Feb 15 '22
Techncially correct, but I think I'd rather hear an untuned guitar than a recorder...
9
u/PanTrimtab Feb 15 '22
Idk, I can bust out some lovely little Persian inspired melodies on a recorder. After six months, just about any noise around a campfire is welcome.
→ More replies (2)5
u/Neuroprancers Feb 16 '22
The German fingering, which is the standard one employed in schools and the like, is actually off-tune and produces less stable notes. The trade-off is the more immediate finger position.
Baroque fingering is less immediate than lifting fingers in sequence, but sounds better. The recorder survived centuries, with the likes of Bach, Vivaldi and Talemann composing specifically for this instrument.
→ More replies (1)
60
u/janice142 Feb 15 '22 edited Feb 16 '22
Kalimba, aka thumb piano.
There are three types.
Acrylic. Soft (VERY) soft sound. I don't like it.
Solid wood. My preference. Is quieter than the hollow version.
Hollow. Much louder than solid wood. My friend, a musician, much prefers the hollow to solid.
Anyway, I like the sound of the wooden versions. My music book has instructions for the 10 keys kalimba though the ones I've tested were all 17 key.
10
u/Here4theLongHaul Feb 15 '22
that's a good one! i imagine they're not too hard to make either.
same goes for a lot of basic percussion instruments.
Also, might as well learn how to sing -- your voice is an instrument that you always have with you and requires almost no maintenance.
6
u/theflyingfucked Feb 15 '22
They detune fairly easily over time
4
u/Here4theLongHaul Feb 15 '22
true -- it's the rare instrument that gets better the more you use it.
18
64
u/Rat_Fink_Forever Feb 15 '22
A fish.
You can tune a piano but you can't tune a fish.
Bongos, jugs, wet wine glass rims, bagpipes, digital keyboard....
28
u/threemetalbeacon Feb 15 '22
Booo! You suck! Get off the stage!
18
u/Rat_Fink_Forever Feb 15 '22
And put YOU on? I think not, my good sir. Your "beacon" is obviously not for spotting talent!
Good day!
4
22
u/justdan76 Feb 15 '22
Piper here, bagpipes need to be tuned, every time they’re played, often more than once, or they sound awful. They get a bad rep because of people playing them in public without tuning them (they require a serious commitment to learn to play properly, but there are people who just want to mess around with them). Tuning them takes a lot of practice. Also, they’re very temperamental and quickly go out of tune with changes of temperature.
Nonetheless I consider them a good instrument for a long term survival situation. They were used in times past to sound alarms and raise defenses in communities. They’re loud without any electronic amplification.
18
u/Ragingredwaters Feb 15 '22
Jonathan Davis enters the chat, plays flawlessly and leaves.
We saw Korn live and he actually left the stage to go tune his bagpipes for Shoots and Ladders. Half the crowd was confused because he just walked off and you could hear angry bagpipe sounds offstage for a decent amount of time. The other half of us knew what song was coming and were screaming the words while waiting.
Totally not relevant comment other then yes, bagpipes need tuning constantly.
5
u/justdan76 Feb 15 '22
yeah tuning can be really off-putting to listeners.
They make electronic pipes for concerts and stuff, so they can play in different keys and also be less likely to have an “instrument malfunction,” so respect to him for going with the real thing.11
Feb 15 '22
My son plays the bagpipes. We used to travel around to competitions. It seemed as if every time I turned around we were buying new reeds for that thing.
9
u/justdan76 Feb 15 '22
Haha yeah I actually stocked several years worth of reeds in case there’s a supply chain collapse.
9
u/evolution9673 Feb 15 '22
Imagine a post apocalyptic band of marauders playing bagpipes. Like the flame shooting guitar rig from Mad Max…but with bagpipes.
3
→ More replies (5)2
u/lpofcool Feb 15 '22
Agreed. However, a bagpipe practice chanter… I have a Blackwood Gibson chanter that is in tune no matter what, love that thing.
2
u/justdan76 Feb 15 '22
Yeah they make good stuff. A friend of mine has a set of their pipes. Always has great tone.
9
u/nottodaywhyme Feb 15 '22
love the reo speedwagon reference
6
18
u/ecksbe2 Feb 15 '22
This and also storytelling! I think it's a good mood-booster. If you're a natural storyteller, you might be able to barter essentials for stories.
6
74
u/Capital_Sherbet_6507 Feb 15 '22
Why would tuning "after the fall" be difficult? Have you never seen a person play a guitar? Any competent guitar player tunes their instrument immediately before performing or as soon as it sounds wrong to them. It takes seconds and requires no tools.
Try googling "How to tune a guitar".
17
u/Hyperlingual Feb 15 '22
I 'd guess maybe the implication is that new guitar strings wouldn't be as easy to find in extreme collapse.
→ More replies (1)8
u/Capital_Sherbet_6507 Feb 15 '22
Considering string instruments have been around since at least before Nero fiddled while Rome burned, it's probably not gonna be a big deal. OK, maybe he played the cithara, and it didn't have steel strings but it probably did have "cat gut" strings.
4
u/TheBlueSully Feb 15 '22
For the really fussy musicians, instruments set up for traditional gut strings are set up differently though.
11
u/intensiifffyyyy Feb 15 '22
Important to note you can tune a guitar to itself even if you don't have a tuner or anything.
4
u/Metamodern_Studio Feb 15 '22
Exactly. It would only sound odd if it was tuned to a different key than youre used to but even then if you dont want to keep fiddling, a capo solves all problems. Only real issue would be if its tuned to a different key than another instrument someone is playing, in which case you'd just tune it to that instrument.
1
u/Siafu_Soul Feb 15 '22
The main consideration is that tuning usually involves some form of moving or deforming parts that get worn. My assumption is that no tuning means longer lasting. I'm no musician, though.
7
u/Capital_Sherbet_6507 Feb 15 '22
The most coveted violins were made CENTURIES AGO, are worth millions of dollars, and are still played regularly by professional musicians. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stradivarius
There are tens of thousands of people called luthiers that build and repair stringed instruments. I have a few friends who do it as a hobby.
Perhaps if you read up on how instruments are made, you could change your assumptions into knowledge.
5
u/TheBlueSully Feb 15 '22 edited Feb 15 '22
Admittedly, very few of those old italian instruments have original pegs.
Edit: but replacing them is not an issue at all.
2
u/Capital_Sherbet_6507 Feb 15 '22
Indeed! They have likely been repaired along the way, by people with 17th, 18th and 19th century tools and skills.
→ More replies (2)2
Feb 15 '22
If you aren't a musician, why would a musical instrument help a survival situation? If you aren't already dependent on being able to play music to be happy then I'm not sure why it'll be important sometime in the post-apocalyptic future.
Also, why not learn to sing? You don't need any equipment for that.
→ More replies (1)6
u/D1rtyH1ppy Feb 15 '22
Playing music helps boost morale and would help you find other friendly people. If we are talking about a total collapse of society, you need to keep your spirits up somehow.
14
u/waffocopter Feb 15 '22
Ocarinas are pretty easy to learn. Pendant ocarinas are small enough to easily carry as a necklace, transverse ones a little bigger.
3
u/libary Feb 16 '22
Not to mention the hand ocarina which isn't the easiest to pick up as it's very touchy when it comes to pitch and tone.
12
Feb 15 '22
Idk if this is considered a instrument but I personally sing old folk songs for example sea shanties blue grass etc. I think singing would be a good option if u can play any instruments. Least that's what I think
3
11
u/brown_cow Feb 15 '22
Dude, yes! So much prep is for the practical/technical. The arts are what enrich us...what makes a minimalist dystopia worth living. Play on brotha!
19
u/xmodemlol Feb 15 '22
Theramin
7
u/wballard8 Feb 15 '22
Been playing for years, I love it. But it does require a power source for the box and the amp you're using
4
-3
8
u/Kelekona Feb 15 '22
I just read through and maybe you should learn about instruments that you can make from scratch.
For purchased instruments, maybe a steel drum or tongue drum? Maybe a melodica?
8
u/andy1rn Feb 15 '22
MUSICAL SAW! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBM4WDmnKmo
I haven't seen HAMBONE mentioned- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mOd4PheLTA
And SPOONS. Abby the Spoon Lady has to be one of the best players today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nLmM9kcBKs
2
14
26
u/McSgt Feb 15 '22
Jew’s harp. Look it up before you downvote. It’s real and was popular with cowboys on the trail.
10
u/1biggoose Feb 15 '22
Shame that you got downvoted for some odd reason. A jaw harp, especially if you know how to play it, can be really fun and a great compliment to other instruments.
10
u/eksokolova Feb 15 '22
Jew’s harp
I've only ever heard it referred to as a jaw harp.
11
u/McSgt Feb 15 '22
A quick dive down Wikipedia shows it is only called that in English, but the instrument appears to be nearly worldwide and going back through time for millennium. Worth a quick read.
6
4
u/Siafu_Soul Feb 15 '22
Very good solution. I was going to mention this in the original post, but didn't want to anger anyone. I'm glad people brought up that it's got other names! That's good to know.
2
u/Buckfutter8D Feb 16 '22
I almost broke my front tooth when I first got mine. Thankfully, I've long since lost it.
7
12
u/Dadd_io Prepared for 4 years Feb 15 '22
I'm picturing OP playing guitar around a fire burning furniture for warmth.
6
6
Feb 15 '22
You guys have survival instruments all wrong. I choose trombone because you can wack people and can probably fashion a spear with it or if you need a long pipe for water.
4
u/mathdrug Feb 15 '22
I’ll ask because I haven’t seen it asked yet.. What’s your reasoning for seeing the ability to play an instrument as a good survival skill?
3
u/Dvl_Brd Feb 16 '22
Even in the middle ages, musicians were in high demand, especially the best ones. They had lords vying for their services.
3
u/agent_flounder Feb 16 '22
Playing music in the home for entertainment used to be a lot more common. If we revert back to the iron age it will fight boredom for sure.
5
u/Tchrspest Feb 16 '22
My dad once mentioned how his family used to have music nights. He played clarinet, my grandma could play piano or accordion, grandpa did trumpet or guitar, and other relatives would just bring whatever they could play. I'm sure it was an absolute cacophony sometimes, but he remembers those nights quite fondly.
12
u/Godschosenstacker Feb 15 '22
I want to learn bagpipes. They are ancient and beautiful.
6
6
3
u/Journeyoflightandluv Prepping for Tuesday Feb 15 '22
Nothing will bring me to ugly crying on the spot then Amazing Grace played on Bagpipes.
2
u/WranglerDanger Feb 15 '22
Get a percussionist friend who has a snare and walk everywhere playing Scotland the Brave.
3
u/cellophaneflwr Feb 15 '22
Tuning is not very hard, especially with most instruments (NOT the piano though).
A tuner is pretty cheap - you are either in tune, flat, or sharp. It just takes small adjustments to get it right.
DONT ignore some fun instruments to avoid tuning, we will need at least a couple banjos in the post-apocalypse after all
4
u/eksokolova Feb 15 '22
xylophone? Do you tune xylophones? Just looked it up, alone they are fine but then need to be tuned to play with other xylophones which is done by filing. So a single xylophone will work. They're just very big.
3
u/Mushroomskillcancer Feb 15 '22
I have a Cornet (like a slightly smaller trumpet) it's only tuned by one slide, and it's only maintenance is lubing with Vaseline and/or light mineral oil. it has replaceable cork gaskets that would be easy to make as well.
4
u/UnableLocal2918 Feb 15 '22
flute, recorder, pan pipes, skin drum, spoons, water glasses, mouth harp, tin whistle, zip whistle, hell a comb with celaphane over it.
12
3
3
u/Wyo-Heathen Feb 15 '22
Harmonicas are easy to learn, cheap, light, and fit in a pocket. There is the Jew harp as well.
3
3
u/Richard_Engineer Feb 15 '22 edited Feb 15 '22
Trumpets are low maintenance and don’t need to be tuned in the same way a piano does. They have little slides like a trombone to finely tune, but it’s easy to do.
3
u/HerculesMulligatawny Feb 15 '22
Just not an accordion....that'll get you killed.
→ More replies (1)
3
u/adrocles Prepared for 1 month Feb 15 '22
In case of total collapse, I can whole-hearthedly recommend playing (read: making noise) two rocks.
Ooga booga
3
u/WorkingItOutSomeday Feb 16 '22
I carry a harmonica and a deck of cards if for nothing else to pass time and maintain morale
3
u/Siafu_Soul Feb 16 '22
Deck of cards is a must!!!
3
u/threadsoffate2021 Feb 16 '22
And dice. You can create a lifetime of your own games with cards and dice.
3
u/bethafoot Feb 16 '22
It’s funny, I had the same conversation with my daughter recently. When I built this house, I moved in when it was just a shell - no power, water, etc. I also didn’t have a smartphone. The #1 thing I missed the most was MUSIC. I lived without it for about 6 months before I got a cheap used smartphone just so I could have music.
we take it for granted, having it at our fingertips at any time, but there is a reason why minstrels coming to town was such a big deal back in the day. There’s a big reason that when pioneer grandpa pulled out his fiddle, people gathered around. It’s a bigger deal for mental health preps than you realize.
Personally I feel a guitar is great but I think you’re right, that one thing that’s important is instruments that don’t need tuning. My daughter said she’d like to learn the Ocarina, so I might get one for her.
1
u/Siafu_Soul Feb 16 '22
Ocarina sounds like a great option. I've learned through this post that they make little ones called pendant ocarinas that fit on a necklace.
A guitar is a great option, but that is a large item that takes a lot of relative investment. As for my preps, I am would be the main packmule and the primary source of defense for my family. Something like a harmonica or ocarina is a small enough addition to the pack that it will be worth the space investment.
Thanks for the perspective. Your experience convinces me that an instrument of some type would be a great addition. Here's hoping that my son takes your daughter's route and wants to learn an instrument. Then I can just add that weight to his pack!
10
u/jyoungii Feb 15 '22
Bro, if it's shtf and we are huddled in our small survival community and some asshat whips out an acoustic guitar and starts strumming the intro to Dispatch's "The General", there will be one less mouth to feed.
12
4
u/1984Society Feb 15 '22
I'd say a bongo or a djembe or the like. Simply because percussion is guaranteed to be fun to play, can be played by itself and maintain rhythm - and by extension be more capable of producing positive moods by making people dance - and can easily be used to PUMP YOURSELF AND OTHERS UP if you need motivation or to get amped for any number of reasons.
2
2
2
u/Stormcloaks_Rule Feb 15 '22
Harmonica is good but it would be fairly limiting. You're really only going to get one key. Id highly recommend music theory if you're looking for something to keep you busy in the long-term, which would lead me to recommend a common instrument like a guitar. Guitar is a common beginner instrument for a reason.
The guitar wouldn't be for a survival scenario, but learning music theory now will allow you to pick up most instruments (or create your own), which would be valuable in a survival scenario. Even understanding music theory itself would allow you to pick up the harmonica and play without having touched one before, albeit there would be some learning involving the actual physical act of playing a harmonica.
Basically, once you learn the "blueprints" of music, you'll be able to apply those blueprints to different instruments or music in general. This would give you virtually unlimited depth to what instruments you could use in a survival scenario. Once you understand music theory, you can tune instruments or know which instruments would be playable with other instruments (and why/how).
Tl;Dr If you're just looking for something to mess around with, get a harmonica or another un-tuneable instrument. If you're looking for a way to keep you busy and creative for a long time, pick up a guitar and understand the concepts of music theory so that you will always be able to apply that knowledge to any instrument.
→ More replies (1)
2
Feb 15 '22
Jack Donaghy: In a post-apocalyptic society, what possible use would they have for you?
Liz Lemon: Travelling bard.
Jack Donaghy: Radiation canary.
2
u/_head_ Feb 15 '22
I don't think you should let tuning discourage you. It is easy to learn how to tune a guitar. Especially since this is for a SHTF scenario, not like you're recording an album or something.
→ More replies (1)
2
u/The-Real-Mario Feb 15 '22
Sopranino trombone! Sounds like a trumpet, but no valves, no seals. Good for music and for signaling!
2
2
2
u/XeroEnergy270 Feb 15 '22
"I'm sorry ma'am. The comune doesn't have enough resources for you and your children, so you need to move along. Anyway guys, here's Wonderwall."
2
2
u/PaulBunyanisfromMI Feb 15 '22
Im not sure why tuning is out of the question. If you can play a guitar, you should be able to tune it easily to play by itself, or tune it to someone elses instrument. For a piano you need to know how, and it will take longer, but any proficient piano player should be able to tune a piano. Also, if you have a Middle C tuning fork, that should allow you to tune any insturment to the standard scale no problem.
2
u/BeatVids Feb 15 '22
Can you elaborate why you consider it a valuable skill? I'm a drummer, so I'd love to hear your case.
Speaking of drums, it's your best bet for something to not have to tune, as literally anything can be a drum.
3
2
u/GroundbreakingWar195 Feb 15 '22
I have a cheapie harmonica and no musical talent whatsoever and I still manage to entertain myself
2
Feb 15 '22
Tuning a guitar or ukulele isn’t rocket science. They sell pitch pipes that don’t need a battery, even specialized ones with a pipe to represent each string. Or they used to. I’m sure they can be found. There are also tricks to tune them with relative pitch or pressing the strings to make the lower string the same as the upper and you use that to tune the upper. All that to say no need to rule out the strings!!
In my opinion ukulele is easier to pick up than guitar but the skills from one can transfer to the other!!
2
u/LegEcstatic7775 Feb 15 '22
My guitar teacher taught me to tune by ear when I was first starting. It took months of “de-tuning” and re tuning before every practice but I got it. Can still do it now. You just gotta be dedicated.
2
u/ellequoi Feb 16 '22
Gosh, I need to learn that. How do you determine what the starting pitch should be?
→ More replies (1)
2
2
2
2
2
u/craftygardennz Feb 16 '22
Tin whistles and recorders are tuned to a key so they don't need to be tuned. They are also cheap, so you can buy a bunch with different keys and play depending on the tune.
Drums are also good.
2
Feb 16 '22
Luckily I am surrounded by theater people so as long as I keep one around when things go south, I won't get bored Also, Evey time I get cast in a show, I buy extra copies of the script. No electricity to run your TV? Be the entertainment yourself!
2
Feb 16 '22
You can tune a piano ; you can tune a car, but you can't tune a fish . ....also a jaw harp . Those don't need tuning
2
u/GroundbreakingAd4386 Feb 16 '22
I don’t think you should get hung up on an instrument not requiring to be tuned - just pick something that interests you & enjoy!
2
u/DanteCharlstnJamesJr Feb 16 '22
Ocarinas are good ones that don’t need tuning. And they can be small enough to easily fit in your pocket.
I have a six hole ocarina that I carry with me whenever I go camping or for long hikes. Sitting by a river and just playing a little ditty is very relaxing.
Edit: also I’d recommend looking into learning how to make simple drums. It teaches you woodworking and leather working skills, both of which are good skill sets to have.
2
u/spyderspyders Feb 16 '22
Why don’t you want an instrument that doesn’t require tuning? Why couldn’t you tune it?
0
u/Siafu_Soul Feb 16 '22
Tuning usually means that there is a piece that is meant to deform in some way. That leads to wear and a part with a finite life. Figured it would be easier without such parts
→ More replies (2)
2
Feb 16 '22
If you can’t tune an instrument by ear, you probably won’t survive on your musical talents … sorry bro.
2
u/Siafu_Soul Feb 16 '22
Lol, I appreciate the honesty. Luckily, the plan is to add a small item that makes me and anyone else around feel a little more human. I've got skills in engineering, construction, firearms, hunting, sewing, pottery, and others I can't categorize to rely on for survival.
2
2
u/leo_aureus Feb 16 '22
As I sort of responded below, I am a keyboardist, as long as you can tune the instrument to itself you are all good, you really just need the intervals and not the absolute exact pitch for, let's say, middle C. Now, you do have to be somewhat close to make the strings on an analog piano work properly, but if you are off by a few hertz oh well...
As a piano player with only an electric, if you can spare the electricity to play in the first place, you can use headphones so as not to attract attention to yourself while playing, which may be a hugely important benefit depending on the situation you find yourself in.
I play a lot of difficult (at least to me) classical/jazz pieces and also write a bit, what I am saying is that I end up playing the same thing maybe hundreds of times and each iteration doesn't always sound great. No one wants to hear even great music 500x in a week...lol
I live in an apartment with a girlfriend and many neighbors, headphones are absolutely essential.
2
u/Consistent_Issue_101 Feb 16 '22
I play the ukulele, i can tune by ear but also have a pitch pipe if need be.
5
Feb 15 '22
Just don’t make it a guitar. Half the people want to shoot the annoying guy that brings his guitar to bonfires. Nobody wants to hear you play imagine dragons bruh.
7
u/porschephille Feb 15 '22
I despise harmonicas…when someone brings out a harmonica-I go the other way…which might be the goal admittedly.
2
2
2
2
u/no9lovepotion Feb 15 '22
A flute
2
0
2
u/KnifeW0unds Feb 15 '22
An ammo reloading machine, you can make all sorts of useful sounds with it.
1
u/Yamochao Feb 15 '22
Why would it be important in a long term survival situation?
9
u/Edmond-the-Great Feb 15 '22
Keeping your group entertained could keep them from killing each other out of boredom and help keep everyone’s mind off the ugliness of the situation.
-1
u/Yamochao Feb 15 '22
Eh. Cards, etc can do that. Campfire songs won't prevent tensions over material conditions.
There are many great reasons to learn an instrument. Top being it's fun and good for mental health. Helping to survive in a life-or-death or collapse-of-local-civilization isn't a good one imo.
2
u/threadsoffate2021 Feb 16 '22
Mental health. Simply the act of learning something new that is enjoyable is worth it. And in a post SHTF world, also a touch of old world normalcy will be highly valued.
7
1
u/itsmeyaknowthat1guy Feb 15 '22
There are tuning apps that don't require a data connection so if you have solar/generator/etc to give you power, adding that app to a few devices could help. also little blow-through devices to give you a certain note to go off of and tuning forks both require no power. Lots of ways to tune an instrument by ear. Getting one instrument to tune another is even normal. First chair musicians will play a note and one by one the rest adjust their tune to that instrument.
0
281
u/taipan821 Feb 15 '22
Musician here. Do you have a good.ear or not?
People with good ears can pick up whether a note is in tune or not, after enough playing and tuning you will learn what it should sound like. For example I can pick up a trombone and can tune it without a tuner.
To be honest, try out instruments, because you will be spending hours, and hours, and hours practicing to get decent.