Huge Music Instruments

Tak_the_whistler · Post by **Tak_the_whistler** » Sat Nov 12, 2005 2:16 am

I've always been fascinated by huge instruments -- Contrabass Saxophone, Contrabass Flute etc.

I'll post the first one here:

The world's biggest flute
http://www.newmusicbox.org/page.nmbx?id=42fp08

Any others?

Rod Sprague · Post by **Rod Sprague** » Sat Nov 12, 2005 9:50 am

http://www.contrabass.com/ http://www.orsi-wind-instruments.it/saxophones.htm

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:20 am

Rod Sprague wrote:http://www.orsi-wind-instruments.it/saxophones.htm

Man, I want that little sopranino!

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:31 am

These are zampognas (zampogni?) from Italy:

A type of bagpipe. The first picture is nice because it shows a traditionally dressed person and the bag inflated. The second phote shows how it is mouthblown. The gentleman blowing is the maker. You can click on either picture for the source. I think I have seen a picture where the bag is almost as big as the person, but I can't find it.

Daniel_Bingamon · Post by **Daniel_Bingamon** » Sun Nov 13, 2005 9:50 pm

I thought I would add the basswhistle to this conversation.

1-1/4" PVC Pipe painted purple with brass keys.

I made this for Cal Olson a few years ago. I sent another on an "Extreme Whistle Tour" last year. Maybe I'll send another whistle on tour sometime.

BTW - Here's another Contrabass Flute made from PVC
http://home.hetnet.nl/%7Ejelinbama/Page_5x.html

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Sun Nov 13, 2005 10:39 pm

But why does the bag on the right picture look like a world class zuchinni??

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Sun Nov 13, 2005 10:43 pm

Daniel_Bingamon wrote:I sent another on an "Extreme Whistle Tour" last year. Maybe I'll send another whistle on tour sometime.

Yes, yes--you should do that!!

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 10:18 am

fel bautista wrote:But why does the bag on the right picture look like a world class zuchinni??

Well, you know how tough the skin on a big zuchinni is. So this was a really big zuchinni!

Here is a closer picture of a green bag. The slight unevenness of the coloring
makes it look to me like it is a skin that was colored somehow and it
took the color slightly differently in different places. I am not sure though,
and unfortunately, the bag is not discussed on the two websites where
I found pictures of a zampogna by this particular maker.

SteveK · Post by **SteveK** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 10:43 am

As you can guess from the fact that the piper plays the one chanter with one hand and another, accompaniment chanter, with the other, there aren't very many notes on a zamprogna. The ones on World of Bagpipes have 5 or 6 notes on each chanter.

http://www.hotpipes.com/sitemap.html

In the very top picture Cynth posted it looks like that little bump on the left is where a leg was. The part going into the tube must be the neck.

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 11:22 am

There are some really nice pictures of a zampogna festival at this website. It looks like it would have been a really fun place to have been.
http://web.tiscali.it/circolozampogna/f ... to2002.htm

Daniel_Bingamon · Post by **Daniel_Bingamon** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 9:58 pm

I love the sound of those Zampognas, whenever I hear them I think of fine Italian dining.

Some instruments move your heart, others move the tummy.

BTW - That is a nice look Zuchini.

Rod Sprague · Post by **Rod Sprague** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 12:53 am

I love the sound of the low saxes, myself. I played the baritone sax all thought junior high school and high school and always wanted to get a bass or contrabass sax. I looked at the contrabass sax and noted it has no price, making me think it is one of those “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it” type things. Instruments seem to go up in price exponentially with the lowering of the pitch.

Rod

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 11:09 am

Here is a big drum. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a picture of it when it was finished
and set-up. How would it be played? Would many people be around it?

The largest drum ever made in the history of the World
Designed and built by Lou Dias & Frank Cahill
First played at the Royal Festival Hall, London, England, on Sunday 31st May 1987.

Vital Statistics:
Diameter 13 Feet
Depth 4 Feet
Shell 6 Ply Birch
(1 inch thick)
Lugs 35 Rods & Claws
Head Sail Cloth
Flesh Hoop 40' of 1" Rope
Counter Hoop 4" x 1" Birch

Another big drum:

1960. Big Bertha. The Sweetheart of the Longhorn Band.

"In 1922 the University of Chicago commissioned the Conn Music Company to build a big bass drum to foster the school's team spirit. When the university abandoned its football program, the giant drum was discarded under the school stadium and later contaminated by atomic bomb research conducted at the stadium during the 1940s.

In 1955, Col. D. Harold Boyd, a former Longhorn Band member, purchased the drum from the University of Chicago for $1 because he thought Texas should have the largest drum in the world. Big Bertha measures eight feet in diameter, 44 inches wide, and 10 feet tall on her four-wheeled cart. She weighs more than 500 pounds. After having the drum decontaminated and carefully restored, Byrd donated it to the Longhorn Band where it has been a booming tradition ever since."