I thought this might make for a good conversation, and it’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.
Some people are good at picking one instrument and getting really good at it. Others, like me, tend to get bored after a while and end up achieving varied levels of competence on several. My latest addiction is my octave mandolin, which I’ve been playing GDAD accompaniment with. Before that, whistle, mandolin, and tenor banjo were my main focus.
Ever since I started bringing the OM to the session, I’ve limited myself to just a whistle for melody playing. I sometimes wish I had a mandolin or banjo to pick up for a tune, but it seems wrong to me to bring 2 stringed instruments to take up space, when we’re already crowded around a small table. So, I stick to whistle.
So what are your thoughts? When does it become too many instruments and just obnoxious to others? What are your instruments of choice if you do bring more than one?
The bottom line is that you exercise good taste, I reckon. I wouldn’t worry, for example, about being seen to show off just because you can play more than one axe. I’m not an expert when it comes to stringy things, but is an octave mandolin an octave mandola?? Ron Kavana plays cracking melody in sessions on that. Round our way we’re desperate for a bit of colour, so a multi-instrumentalist would be really welcome.
I think it’s the same, but not 100% sure. I know the terminology is different from here to there. But basically it’s an octave below mandolin, often tuned GDAE, but I’ve been going for the common bouzouki tuning of GDAD. The scale is short enough for melody playing, but I’ve had a hard time with the few tunes I’ve relearned with that E string tuned to D.
I reckon you’ve got it about right, Thomaston. If it takes up too much room, it’s one instrument too many.
If you have the space then take several instruments. That’s what happens at some of the local sessions around here. At one session especially we have loads of space so those who can bring several instruments. One chap quite often brings a guitar, mandola and banjo. Others bring various boxes and bodhrans. On the other hand if things are tight as you say, take just one or two instruments.
I usually take a guitar and a couple of whistles. Tomorrow I’m going to a session that I’ve not been to before. I believe the pub is very small and gets very cosy so all I’ll be taking is a whistle or two.
You should only bring what you can safely transport on your bicycle.
New house rule of the eco pub session.
The worst case I ever saw, both in terms of taking up space and of musical considerations, was a bloke who would turn up with a sousaphone and an E flat bass. I stopped going to that one. 
Like Steve says, I wouldn’t worry about looking like a showboater, at least in the sessions I’ve been to, no one seems to be there to show off, and there are a whole bunch of multi instrumentalists (the one taking up the most space usually playing several whistles, pipes, tenor banjo and mandolin and sometimes a flute), and the space can be a bit of a hassle, but if you can stash some of the stuff underneath the table or something then it should be no problem. Musically, I’d say it’s a bit of walking a razor’s edge. If there’s already someone playing the 'zouk, maybe you shouldn’t jump in and bash along for king and country all the way through the session etc. If nothing else, just use your head, as I am sure you do already and be on the lookout for venomous glares shot in your general direction.
I really like that. That’s me fiddle and flute (and whistles) sorted then!
I threw caution to the wind last night and took both mandolin and octave mandolin. It worked fine, being that it was a smaller than normal session anyway. Towards the end, our regular flute player played the OM while I played his flute. Good times. 
Perhaps that’s the secret to it all, is swapping instruments when the mood strikes. 
At one of the pubs I session at (yes, it’s a verb now 
) I’m lucky to be able to hang my cittern up on the wall behind me; it being a Foley with the signature hookeydook on the head, I hang it by that from a leather thong and Bob’s yer uncle.
It’s actually a lot safer all around that way and it reduces the need to take up space. Instead it’s my flute on the table that gets more in the way along with the other flutes and the fiddles and bows and tippers and pints and food.
The only downside is that people make smart cracks about me and my thong. shudder
Obvious etiquette is to try to vary or balance the sound. E.g. whistle and low whistle, melody and acccompaniment. Also lending a spare guitar. Tuning every instrument you plan to use. Not taking out your oboe unless it’s an dro time (based on true story! 
).
The phrase “in the way” is not appropriate when applied to a pint.
Sorry. That was sloppy on my part, wasn’t it.
It does apply if it is not your pint.
David
“Not my pint” can be a somewhat ahem fluid concept. Just throwing the idea out there.
How much room is the key–what is tolerable when space is available can become intolerable when space is at a premium. And at some point, there is an upper limit on how many instruments you play before it begins to be disruptive, a limit that sometimes I feel like I am getting close to. I generally play whistle, accordion, guitar or harmonica at sessions. If my friend the guitarist shows up, the guitar stays in the car. Lately, I have also been leaving the harmonicas packed up, although there are songs my friend sings that he likes accompanied on those harmonicas. I play accordion as much as i can, because I am really working on learning it, but I play whistle more than anything.
Having an extra instrument and the opportunity of people swapping off is nice–I was on business to San Diego once, and got to join in because the fiddler leading the session had also brought a guitar, which he was nice enough to share!
Good topic.
It never occurred to me to worry about the perception of showboating (was that the word someone used?), because so many people play multiple instruments it just doesn’t seem at all odd.
My concerns, in order, are:
-
I choose which instrument to play so there won’t be “too many of these” or “too few of those.”
-
I avoid some instrument switches because they require significant movement, and I don’t want to annoy or disrupt the people around me. Switching to whistle is no problem, but switching between banjo and zook seems disruptive – too much movement – so I try to avoid that kind of switch.
So, typically: I arrive with banjo and zook; I see that there’s already a good zook player present; I leave my zook in its case and play banjo instead as chances are slim there will be any other banjo players.
If this keeps up I might just stop bringing the zook. Except, I know that the day I don’t bring my zook will be the day that the regular zook player doesn’t show…
Not even wondered about multi instrumentalists til this thread. My only observation would be that it is extremely annoying when you cannot start the session til the bloke has tuned his fiddle, his banjo, mandolin and arranged his melodeon and concertina to his liking. Takes about 15 precious sessions mins up. Annoying. And still hardly in tune.
I have occasionally observed multi-instrumentalists switch instruments during a set, which can happen if one knows the first tune better on one instrument and the second better on another, or because one prefers to play a particular tune on one instrument over another.
Nothing wrong with people switching instruments during a session, but mid-set can be distracting.