I've been prescribed by my doctor to work on my neural plasticity by learning an instrument. For context when I was 10 or so my mother was advised by my then piano teacher to give it up as I had no rhythm and I was tone deaf. So I have a long learning process.

So:
What easily learned instrument survives at sea, easily stored, can get knocked around a bit and still work?
Also what is not too painful for the anchor field when I do my evening practice, or can be used underway in the cockpit?

thinking pan flute, guitar .

Not interested in harmonica or ukulele.
My music taste primarily is Balkans Speed Brass ( think Fanfare Ciocarlia), it's an acquired taste that I don't inflict on others. I love brass but it doesn't work around others.

Guitar is the obvious choice, portable, not stupidly loud and an amazing array of online tutorials and the ability to play all styles of music. The choice of instrument is baffling tho, full size, 3/4, steel string, classical... Make sure to get a tuner.
I trained on the upright bass, no room on a boat for an instrument of that dimension, so I settled for an acoustic bass guitar, cheap instrument with quality strings gets over the line. If you go brass it will also cover the need for a sound signal

Mandolin. Small, can withstand some knocks (I took mine around New Ireland in PNG in a soft case), tuned in fifths (same as violin) so scale fingering is easy to learn, simple chord shapes (especially bar chords), can play as rhythm or lead, only need 4 fingers to fret a chord (if god had meant us to play the guitar, they would have given us 7 fingers), can work as a solo or group instrument.

And when you end up in a jam session with half a dozens guitarists bashing away in E, a mandolin adds musicality at the top end, above the guitars, not just more volume.

If you go down the mandolin route, buy a good one that you can't really afford. It's like buying a yacht. Something cheap may disappoint but something good will always encourage you to be better.

K.

Thanks for the above, I will buy a guitar then work from there.

Buy bagpipes. That way you can wrestle your way into the middle of a crowded anchorage and start practicing. Wouldn't be long before you have a nice tranquil anchorage all to your self.

Buy a Spanish (classical) guitar, learn Bach etc.

It will be slow at first but when you manage to decode a couple of bars it's like getting a crackly phone call from God and hearing a few words direct from the man himself.

You should be able to get something that makes a tolerable noise for a couple of hundred bucks second hand but don't buy a cheap s@&t one - you need a straight neck and lowish action.

Just get any guitar, learn how to tune it, find an old classic song that you know and that has 2 or 3 chords and learn how to play those chords and change. Sing as you play to help your changes. If the bug bites you will become thirsty for more, if it's all to hard , your whinging fingers hurt and you're all topped up, the guitar we I'll become an ornament in about a month .

I have taken my guitar on everu one of my trips. It is the same guitar I got 44 year ago as a present.
The great thing about a classical (nylon string) guitar is that they are easy on your fingers, more mellow, and you can do both classical finger picking stuff, or just chords.
For you, just learning some chords (actually five or so will start you off on most classic songs) and a capo, will allow you to sit in the cockpit and strum away. Get a book with chords and lyrics printed out and you are set. I have spent more than a few nights at Percy and Keppel quietly strumming and singing with others or providing backing finger picking stuff for the vibe.

cheers

Phil

Flute is great.

Small, portable, comes apart and stored in a case when not in use.

Once you get your embouchure and tonguing right, it makes sweet tunes

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Woohoo said..
Flute is great.

Small, portable, comes apart and stored in a case when not in use.

Once you get your embouchure and tonguing right, it makes sweet tunes

I was originally going to recommend the clarinet for the same reasons (I played the saxophone so the clarinet would make sense to me and save space).
I had a mate that would leave is guitar on his bunk and when he wanted to sleep he would put it in the head. In the morning when he used the head he would put it on his bunk. That forced him to pick up his guitar at least twice a day so while it was in his hands he would practice, even if it was only for 5-10 mins. That habit would become less likely in an instrument that gets put away in a case and stored out of the way.

Nylon string classical / Spanish 3/4 guitar. Learn how to re-string and tune the guitar. I use white nylon strings they seem to hold up best in marine environments, slip into a soft bag when not in use. Yamaha C40 has great sound and perfect for beginners or intermediate.

All aspiring musicians would be better off starting on bass, (preferably a double but you'll need a bigger boat).
Gets you to feel for the groove. Move on to an over-the-top shredding device later if you're a bit of a showpony.
Fretless forces you to listen harder.
As a bassist you'll get to hang out and learn from musicians 2 or 3 levels above you.

Other than that, a guitar. Nylon strings don't rust.

Indeed the bass has its virtues, strings are long lasting, no constant retuning, no grappling with ham fisted chords. On the flip side without amplification an enthusiast acoustic guitar will drown you out & it's a little bit harder to sing along with arpeggios. That said I'm investigating the mandolin it looks like a excellent boat instrument

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Toph said..

Woohoo said..
Flute is great.

Small, portable, comes apart and stored in a case when not in use.

Once you get your embouchure and tonguing right, it makes sweet tunes

I was originally going to recommend the clarinet for the same reasons (I played the saxophone so the clarinet would make sense to me and save space).
I had a mate that would leave is guitar on his bunk and when he wanted to sleep he would put it in the head. In the morning when he used the head he would put it on his bunk. That forced him to pick up his guitar at least twice a day so while it was in his hands he would practice, even if it was only for 5-10 mins. That habit would become less likely in an instrument that gets put away in a case and stored out of the way.

While lve not stowed my guitar in the head, I do definitely subscribe, if its( any instrument) set up good to go, it will get played

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woko said..
Indeed the bass has its virtues, strings are long lasting, no constant retuning, no grappling with ham fisted chords. On the flip side without amplification an enthusiast acoustic guitar will drown you out & it's a little bit harder to sing along with arpeggios. That said I'm investigating the mandolin it looks like a excellent boat instrument

You might think you're being drowned out but watch them look around if miss a chord change. You may need to spend a lot of money on a mandolin to get a decent one. The E strings can hit a nerve on the cheap ones. But then as Toph says you don't want anything that needs to be tucked away in a case. Cheap guitars can sound acceptably good.

How has anyone not mentioned the classic 'recorder'?
Cheap, almost disposable. Won't rust. Takes up no space. You could have a few stashed around the boat.
If you suck at it - and everyone does - just blame it on kids. And could have a similar effect to bagpipes as outlined by Toph.

While it sounds like I'm taking the pi$$, and it certainly started out that way, if you've got no background in music it could actually be a reasonable starting point that I assume might have some crossover with Brass, being a wind instrument?
Would surely still have some benefit towards neural plasticity (at least to begin with)?

And while you're not interested in Ukulele - Bass has been mentioned. You could consider a Bass Ukulele, and string/tune it as a Bass guitar, saving space?

Either way, have fun with whatever you choose. Music rocks!

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Ian K said..

woko said..
Indeed the bass has its virtues, strings are long lasting, no constant retuning, no grappling with ham fisted chords. On the flip side without amplification an enthusiast acoustic guitar will drown you out & it's a little bit harder to sing along with arpeggios. That said I'm investigating the mandolin it looks like a excellent boat instrument

You might think you're being drowned out but watch them look around if miss a chord change. You may need to spend a lot of money on a mandolin to get a decent one. The E strings can hit a nerve on the cheap ones. But then as Toph says you don't want anything that needs to be tucked away in a case. Cheap guitars can sound acceptably good.

Yeh na, acoustically speaking even playing the upright, I gotta really get stuck into it to deal with steel string guitar's. the bow does give much more sustain but not much extra volume, it does however generate more attention from fellow players, perhaps it's to do with the bows other uses ie poker, prodder, page turner & resemblance to a hand weapon

I play guitar, piano, singing (yes, it is an instrument), dabbled with drums, trumpet, played in bands, home recording etc. And I mess about on boats. Guitar (steel string or Spanish) is a good place to start. Steel strings will make your left fingertips feel like they have been dragged over a cheese grater to start with, but the nylon (Spanish) usually have a higher and wider action, meaning that you will find muscles in your left forearm that you didn't know you had. Whatever your choice, buy a nice instrument and, most importantly, get a hard case. I can't stress that last point enough, even if it means compromising on the instrument itself. A soft case (or no case) will see your instrument get dinged more ways that you can imagine, meaning that it will quickly become unplayable and/or no fun to play. Also, on a boat, you need to keep the damp away from the instrument.

Did I mention the importance of getting a hard case? Get a hard case.

I guess someone could call me a hardcase, but I have never had one for my boat guitar. It gets stored on the boat and gets a few dings, then thrown in the back of the 4wd and gets some more. This is the guitar I got about 45 years ago, a nice Yamaha classical. (I thought I was getting a Scaletric set for Christmas and was initially disappointed but then a year or so later I started lessons and never looked back.) The bridge has been epoxied on a few times after it has fallen off - still sounds sweet. But my Takamine classical with cutaway - that is ALWAYS in a case when it travels. The Fenders strat - only I touch that. Get a nice but secondhand Yamaha or something else good from Marketplace for $100 or less and it won't owe you anything if it gets a ding. Dings don't affect the sound as far as I can tell.
But I own a cat and the guitar is safe on its strings on my bed. If you own a mono a case is probably a good idea.

I've been away for a week and am pleasantly surprised this thread has grown legs and most of the suggestions have aligned with what I have done so far. I was intending to buy a Yamaha 3/4 but in the shop they had a almost invisible blemished Yamaha C40, nylon string classical new for $115. So got that.

I'm enjoying the practice so far, my goal is to sing and play 'Into the Mystic' in 4 months. If it sticks I'll buy something fancy later on for home.

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Toph said..
Buy bagpipes. That way you can wrestle your way into the middle of a crowded anchorage and start practicing. Wouldn't be long before you have a nice tranquil anchorage all to your self.

I find naked anchoring then sunbaking achieves the same outcome.

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EastCoastSail said..
I've been away for a week and am pleasantly surprised this thread has grown legs and most of the suggestions have aligned with what I have done so far. I was intending to buy a Yamaha 3/4 but in the shop they had a almost invisible blemished Yamaha C40, nylon string classical new for $115. So got that.

I'm enjoying the practice so far, my goal is to sing and play 'Into the Mystic' in 4 months. If it sticks I'll buy something fancy later on for home.

Well done ! Great little instrument & excellent tune to tackle. When that fog horn whistle blows I want to hear it ...

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Toph said..

Woohoo said..
Flute is great.

Small, portable, comes apart and stored in a case when not in use.

Once you get your embouchure and tonguing right, it makes sweet tunes

I was originally going to recommend the clarinet for the same reasons (I played the saxophone so the clarinet would make sense to me and save space).
I had a mate that would leave is guitar on his bunk and when he wanted to sleep he would put it in the head. In the morning when he used the head he would put it on his bunk. That forced him to pick up his guitar at least twice a day so while it was in his hands he would practice, even if it was only for 5-10 mins. That habit would become less likely in an instrument that gets put away in a case and stored out of the way.

Yes I was going to recommend the clarinet - many moons ago played it and still have it - as kids we just left them assembled in the lounge corners.........favourite song Golden Wedding........will re-assemble the clarinet soon as the memory comes back hopefully......in the meantime a 1920s claxon left to me by an uncle would achieve the same result of a cleared anchorage location but it won't have the pitch variation..........should be an App on line I can get to sort this.

The way the guitar is set up can be a make or break affair as a badly set up guitarxwith action too high will be difficult to play. Most guitars come with a " factory set up" thatvis a bit higher than optimal. A good shop will have someone on staff who can set the guitar up to the optimum. I always. have my old maton on the boat and have even recorded a few tunes on the boat. Here is a short bit of slide instrumental

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I uset to teach guitarcto orimary school kids and had one student who seemed totally tone deaf and un musical. I keptctea hing him because he kept turning up but i thought he would never learn. He was a nice kid and one year he came back from holidays and for some reason the oenny had dropped and he began processing at a great rate of knots. I had a method of teaching that provided reward for the students effort early on. A two chord song like Van Morrisons Gloria.. E and A in a strumming pattern of 1-2-3&4&-1-2-3&4&of lots ideas if you want to pick my brain as you get used to your guitar. Hers a tune i wrote a while back put to a video of a bass strait cruise to Hobart in 2019

?si=vDsif03IT29sGTaU

Wonderful ! Thank You .
Mason

Guitz,
Thanks,
My mooring neighbours are copping a metronome with me doing A9, Em chord changes, strumming:down, down, up cycle.

I'm pretty sure I am the only one on the boats around me in the cold SNSW coast.

The Wallas heater is one of my best boat investments.