"Play Us a Song, You're the (Insert instrument here) Man!" Middle Earth Instruments?

[VanimaEdhel]

I was wondering exactly what musical instruments they had in Middle Earth? I have read about flutes and the like, but I was wondering if they had pianos and other such more complicated instruments? In the recent movies, at the Eleventy-First Birthday Party of Bilbo Baggins, they also had fiddles and drums of sorts. And, if I was not mistaken, they also had an accordian as well.

I'm just wondering because I need to know for a fanfiction I'm writing (and more in the future as well). Any information you could give me would just make my day!

[Rumil]

The Dwarves at the Unexpected Party in the Hobbit had fiddles, flutes, a drum, clarinets, and Thorin had a harp. I wonder if they carried this lot all the way to Erebor or lost them with the ponies in the Misty Mountains? Perfect excuse for a goblin jazz band!

Trumpets were used in Gondor, drums in Moria, harps and flutes in Esgaroth and, of course the great horn of Boromir.

Thats all I can remember at the moment.

[The Saucepan Man]

I hear that Gandalf was pretty good on the Hammond Organ ... smilies/biggrin.gif

[Liriodendron]

Yes, Gandalf was quite the chord man!

[The Saucepan Man]

... And as for the Mouth of Sauron on the Boogie Woogie Piano ...

smilies/biggrin.gif

[Frodo Baggins]

Remember that when Elrond showed up in the shire he had a silver (mithril?) harp.

Bad mental picture of the Mouth of Sauron on the Boogie Woogie Piano. I'm about to laugh myself into a stupor.

Anyway, most people of ME (with the possible exception of the Dwarves) seem to prefer the harp, Elves, Humans in Gondor (I duuno what they had in Rohan), now Hobbits seem to be more flutey (check the "orchestra" of the young Tooks and Brandybucks in "A Long Expected Party in FOTR.)

[Pherdacilion the Elf]

Pianos were invented reletively recently in history, so I don't think Tolkien would have had them in a story with an ancient setting. I don't know about other instruments in LotR though...
But who needs instruments? Singing seems to be a common passtime in ME.

[Liriodendron]

Wasn't Gimli in a dwarvish Barber shop quartet? Or was that a doo wop group? Didn't Nob have a jug band going? Empty the jug, then play it? smilies/wink.gif Oh yes, those tra la la elves, I thought they were into skat singing at one time....I heard rumours of Denethor spending many late hours in the white tower of Ecthelion, freaking out with his harpsichord! smilies/redface.gif smilies/cool.gif

[VanimaEdhel]

Singing seems to be a common passtime in ME.

But in one story I'm writing, about the Huin-en-Lhuig, they are basically a bunch of musicians. Some sing, but many play instruments, so that's what I wanted to know.

And thank you, guys! That's all I needed to know! Clarinets, eh? My friend plays the Clarinet...maybe she's secretly a 5'5", blonde, beautiful Dwarf...okay, maybe not.

And yes I know that the original song is "Sing Us A Song, You're the Piano Man", but if you are playing the flute you cannot very well sing can you? smilies/wink.gif Well, you could try (as I have done on countless occasions with my flute), but it's not too easily done.

Okay: I have my information! If you want to keep this open you can, or, Mr. Barrow-Wight, if you want to close it and make way for other threads, I am okay with that too!

[Vardamar]

My second cousin plays the harp. When she plays, its just like I was in Rivendell. For lack of a better word its angelic

[Krumbad The Slobberer]

It's mentioned that the elves' voices were like the sound of bells chiming, so it's a safe guess that some sort of chimes or bells were also used.

Liriodendron and Saucepan Man-
Great - now I have a mental image of Denethor and Gandalf high up in a chamber in the White Tower, hunched over an organ keyboard and blasting out Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D-Minor", while the image of Sauron's Eye in the Palantir casts an eerie red glow over the scene... smilies/eek.gif

[VanimaEdhel]

Great - now I have a mental image of Denethor and Gandalf high up in a chamber in the White Tower, hunched over an organ keyboard and blasting out Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D-Minor", while the image of Sauron's Eye in the Palantir casts an eerie red glow over the scene...

Erm...I didn't have a mental image before, but now I do...thanks a lot... smilies/wink.gif