I really don't know what it is about words that contain more vowels than consonants but I do find myself drawn to them. In another thread, I challenged you to come up with "things you can wear" that fit that category (such as "tiara," "muumuu," "hairpiece," and, yes, "an air of authority") but this time around let's make it a bit simpler.

How many Musical Instruments can you name which are spelled with more vowels than consonants?

I'll start you off with the easiest one: Piano but I've got another six or so that I've come up with using gray matter only. In other words, as always, no outside sources please.


(And Kalleh, if you really disliked "an air of authority," there is at least one musical instrument on my list you're not going to care for!)

Oboe, viola, and the Arabic ancestor of the guiar - what's it called? Aoud, or oud, or...?

OBOE and VIOLA right off the top of my head..

I swear Asa's reply wasn't there when I hit send!

Yeah, well, if you play the viola off the top of your head, I'd just LOVE to watch!

Oh, add caliope to the list.

OCARINA

Let's not forget OPERA, while we're near the subject.

(And Popeye qualifies, too, especially if you count y as a vowel.)

Daiko
Balalaika
Ukelele
Euphonium
Melodeon
Ocarina
Seunai
Aerophone

aeolian harp
air guitar (bet that was it)
quena

My Goodness! A very nice response.

I didn't say anything about scoring but that's never stopped me before. In order:

Asa - 1 point each for Oboe & Viola and 1/2 point for Oud (half credit for not being sure of the spelling) but minus 1 point for trying to slip a misspelled CaLLiope past the judges.

KHC - 1/2 point each for coming in a close second on Oboe & Viola.

Haberdasher - 1 point for Ocarina.

Kalleh - My, My! Where do we start? One point each for Balalaika, Ukelele, and Euphonium. 1/2 point for a second place finish for Ocarina. Minus 1 point each for Daiko and Senuai for not being listed in Dictionary.com (though feel free to supply evidence from other sources to support these entries) Minus 1 point for Melodeon for having an equal number of vowels and consonants. Minus 1 point for Aerophone for not being a musical instrument (It appears to be some sort of a hearing aid??) Last but not least, 2 points for enthusiasm for submitting the longest list, even if roughly half your items were bogus.

Aput - 2 points for Aeolian Harp since it was not on my list and is judged to be extremely pleasing visually. 3 points for Air Guitar since, yes, that was the one I thought Kalleh would object to. And 2 more points for Quena as the only more-vowels-than-consonants musical instrument which begins with the letter Q.


Total Standings:

Aput - 7
Asa - 1 1/2
Kalleh 1 1/2
KHC - 1
Hab - 1


Aside from Oud, Aeolian Harp, and Quena, all the (accepted) entries were on my list. This whole thing began when I saw the movie "Brassed Off" (Australian, I think? Highly recommended) about a brass band which contained, among other instruments, a euphonium. Turns out it's a mellower, smaller version of a tuba.

Oh, and add 3/4 of a point more to everyone on the above list for not trying to scam me with something like "a tuba" which, yes, has 3 vowels to a pair of consonants but... well, you know.


I jotted down my list long ago and, of course, have since lost it BUT there is at least one more item that has not yet been mentioned. A hint: It would not be found in a symphony orchestra.

quote:

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Originally posted by C J Strolin:
"Brassed Off" (Australian, I think?

---

A movie about coal pit closures in Northern England ? Australian ? I hardly think so!

Actually it's a damned fine British movie that somehow managed to get me liking brass bands, a feat that I had previously considered impossible.

There's also a stage version in Britain which, when it tours, augments its cast with local Brass Bands when it can. I took my Dad to see it a couple of years ago.

Every silver lining has a cloud.
Read all about my travels around the world here.
Read even more of my travel writing and poems on my weblog.

I know, I know, I know... no researching. Mea culpa. Still, I had to share a few of my research hits with you

Atabaque - general term for a conical single-headed drum of Brazil; usually played in threes, each of different size.

Bawoo - Chinese wind instrument; bamboo tube with rectangular hole carved in side near closed end, with reed fastened across; finger and thumb holes.

Biniou - Breton bagpipe with single drone, pitched an octave higher than usual.

Cuatro - of the guitar family; found in South America and the West Indies

Daire - round, single-headed drum of south-eastern Europe, Asia etc.

Guiro - scraper of the Caribbean; long, fretted gourd rubbed with stick.

Nai - panpipes of Romania; concave row of 20 pipes of different lengths and diameters, glued together in order of size with lower ends resting on a slightly curved stick; lower ends stopped with cork, then filled with beeswax to determine tuning.

Quanoon - Egyptian dulcimer.

To'ere - Tahitian slit log drum; hollowed out trunk of tou wood, struck with a wooden beater; the larger the instrument, the deeper the sound

Vihuela - plucked chordophone of the viol family.


Every silver lining has a cloud.
Read all about my travels around the world here.
Read even more of my travel writing and poems on my weblog.

CJ, darling, you really need to trust me a bit more! [Grrrr!]

Granted, I made a two mistakes, and for that I am eternally in your debt. I got too excited to notice that "melodeon" has equal numbers of vowels and consonants and that Hab had already used "ocarina."

The rest are true! I searched and searched for instruments and then look what I get from your royal hindness! Here is the site where I found them; you have to click "browse," then "browse general reference" and then click each of the 4 areas: "percussion, wind, string, and electronic."

Now, I get more points!

quote:

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Originally posted by BobHale:

A movie about coal pit closures in Northern England ? Australian ? I hardly think so!

---

Yep, you're entirely correct. I had forgotton the location of the coal mines in question and, in part, had mistakenly lumped "Brassed Off" in with a number of Australian comedies I had discovered at about the same time. Anyone not familiar with this relatively small sub-genre of film should immediately rush out and rent "Muriel's Wedding," an excellent film that would never ever in a million years be made by an American film company.

One last note regarding "Brassed Off" before returning to the original thread: The box the video comes in is a damn lie! It features the shining freshly-scrubbed features of a young couple who, at best, make up 1/5 of the plot of the movie but the decision was apparently made that a youthful appearance would result in better sales of the video. The actual star, the large majority of co-stars, and the core problem around which the movie revolves are all well past their teens and, as such, hardly count in today's youth-centered culture. And brass bands? Unless a semi-barebreasted Janet Jackson is leading one, I doubt we're going to see much of them in popular culture in the near future.

Go rent the video. And "Muriel's Wedding." Trust me.

quote:

---

Originally posted by BobHale:
Atabaque
Bawoo
Biniou
Cuatro
Daire
Guiro
Nai
Quanoon
To'ere
Vihuela

---

My, my. An interesting list even if gray matter had little to do with it.

1/8 point each for each entry since they do meet the requirements set, other than the fact that you had to do research to come up with them. In addition:

Minus 1 point for "Bawoo - A Chinese wind instrument" since it sounds like the beginning of the set-up for some sort of Asian flatulence humor. I make it my policy to discourage fart jokes wherever they rear (no pun intended) their ugly little heads.

Plus 2 points for Guiro since I actually own one of these things but never knew what it was called.

Minus 1 point for Nai and any other presumptuous Romanian instruments which take just three letters to spell but a full four lines to explain.

Plus 1 point for Quanoon though this point must be taken, for obvious reasons, from Aput's total. Sorry about that, A.

Plus 1/2 point for To'ere, the only instrument listed with an apostrophe. (Since R.E. hasn't chimed in, I assume that it is used correctly.)

Lastly, an additional 2 1/2 points for being so forthright in admitting that you had researched your answers (without having to be called out on the matter) even though the "rules" directed otherwise. The sharing of knowledge, especially interesting knowledge having to do with the English language, takes precedence over petty adherence to rulesrulesrulesrules.

Total score - 6 1/2 points

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kalleh:
CJ, _darling_, you really need to trust me a bit more! [Grrrr!]
Now, I get more points!

---

No, sorry, you don't. Actually I'm even docking you a few:

Minus 2 points for researching your answers in direct violation of the rulesrulesrulesrules and then taking a somewhat huffy stance (though, granted, on you it looks good) when I very politely raised the slightest question regarding some of your entries. Had you submitted something like "Aie - 13th century wind instrument" I might have just assumed that this was one of the words that frequently come up in crossword puzzles (a pasttime I do not regularly partake in) and let it pass. But, no. Sorry.

Minus 1 more point for the website you reference listing instruments by "percussion, wind, string, and electronic." What happened to the woodwinds?

No points off for that "your royal hindness" crack even though, delicate flower that I am, it did sting.


Current Standings:

Aput - 6 3/4
B.H. - 6 1/2
Asa - 2 1/4
KHC - 1 3/4
Hab - 1 3/4
Kalleh - Minus 3/4
Arnie - Minus 2 (for being so good at the word bluffing game but not even entering this one.)

The decisions of the judges (Yes, plural; I'm using the "Imperial We" there) are final and by "final" I of course mean subject to change if you can come up with an argument I care for.


And just to throw this thing wide open, there are TWO more instruments I can think of that fit the bill and I will award FIVE (Count 'em, FIVE!) points each for the first person to name either of them. Hint: Only one could be found in a symphony orchestra but neither of the two would likely ever be played there.

(Heh, heh, heh!)

I just realised that no-one has had kazoo yet.

(And I didn't research that one !)

Every silver lining has a cloud.
Read all about my travels around the world here.
Read even more of my travel writing and poems on my weblog.

quote:

---

Originally posted by BobHale:
I just realised that no-one has had _kazoo_ yet.

---

AND B.H. TAKES A COMMANDING LEAD WITH 11 1/2 POINTS!!!

quote:

---

Minus 2 points for researching your answers in direct violation of the rulesrulesrulesrules

---

Well, at least I admitted that I looked them up. Others here just got points for easy words, like "piano" and "viola." At least I took interest in your question.

I also don't understand how Bob got so many points, admitting that he had looked them up, while I didn't. Seems to me as though someone is playing favorites!

quote:

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
[QUOTE]how Bob got so many points, admitting that he had looked them up, while I didn't. Seems to me as though someone is playing favorites!

---

Nor do I, I posted simply because I thought people might like the words.

CJ, I demand that you reduce my score to just the five points for "kazoo" immediately!

Every silver lining has a cloud.
Read all about my travels around the world here.
Read even more of my travel writing and poems on my weblog.

B.H. - You can give back the 4 1/2 I credited you with but not the 2 minus points.

KHC - Not being one to throw anything away, I hereby award you B.H.'s unwanted 4 1/2 points.

Kalleh - Another 1/4 point off for suggesting I was playing favorites. The very idea!


_Current Standings:_

Aput - 6 3/4
KHC - 6 1/4
B.H. - 3
Asa - 2 1/4
Hab - 1 3/4
Kalleh - Minus 1
Arnie - Minus 2


Bringing new meaning to the word "capricious" I hereby up the ante to a full FIFTEEN points for the first person to nail that last instrument. Arnie could run away with this thing after all!

Old hint - It can be found in a symphony orchestra but is rarely, if ever, heard during a performance. New angle to the old hint - You'd be far more likely to hear them during a rehearsal for a performance. New hint - More than one of these instruments can be found even in a small symphony orchestra.

Final hint - Kalleh may not like this answer. As you've probably figured out by now, if we were talking about things you can wear, this final answer would be much closer in nature to "an air of authority" than it would be to a "tiara." Fifteen points, people! Time to be thinking outside the box.


(H. H. H.)

Just a day or two more and I'll close this one out. Further clues:

When a musician is known for his or her expertise with this instrument as well as one or two or more other instruments, it is almost a 100% sure bet that this one was mastered first.

It's spelled with just five letters, including three vowels, and with no letter repeated.

I'm pretty sure it's the only instrument that can be shared over the internet even when no one participating has audio components to their equipment. It has, in fact, appeared on this site on far more than one occasion. (...or not, depending on whether or not you'd care to argue the point.)

I know for a fact that both Shufitz and Arnie possess this instrument though it may sometimes appear to some that the American version is louder than its British counterpart. Admittedly, this is not necessarily a good thing.


(H. H. H.)

Voice?

Richard English

DingDingDingDingDingDingDingDingDing!!!!!!

R.E. runs away with tops honors, swooping away with 15 points and thereby topping the next two Wordcrafters put together!! A masterful performance the likes of which we haven't seen since Bailey Meadows bested Manchester United one-nil in 1947!


As I've mentioned elsewhere, R.E., you're on fire today! This would seem like a perfect time to join in the word bluffing thread.

If so, CJ will never admit that Richard got it.

PS: note the simulposting.

I confess that I'm not much of an enthusiast for games or competitive sports. You will have noticed that I rarely enter the competitions, preferring to engage in the debates and discussions.

I only saw the musical instrument quiz today and my first thought for that final definition was piano - but I couldn't believe that this instrument hadn't been selected and, when I checked back, I found it had been. The further clue - that there is usually more than one in even a small orchestra eliminated piano and it then seemed fairly obvious (especially with the clue about the American loudness) that voice was the only possible answer.

Richard English

Well, I was slaving away at work and missed your second hint....otherwise, I am sure I would have gotten it. After all, just look at my score in the Bluffing game....ahhh, never mind!

quote:

---

When a musician is known for his or her expertise with this instrument as well as one or two or more other instruments, it is almost a 100% sure bet that this one was mastered first.

---

I wonder if we have any musicians aboard. I somehow doubt the veracity of this statement, but I am no expert. I have known talented violinists, flautists, pianists, etc. whose musical voices are atrocious.

quote:

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
I somehow doubt the veracity of this statement, but I am no expert. .

---

I rather suspect that CJ's point is that any musician who can speak mastered the use of his voice before even considering learning an instrument.

After all he doesn't specify singing voice ~ merely "voice".

Every silver lining has a cloud.
Read all about my travels around the world here.
Read even more of my travel writing and poems on my weblog.

Is a perfectly good musical instrument - listen to the world's first golden disc - made by the golden voice of Enrico Caruso and tell me that his voice didn't make wonderful music.

That there is no additional plumbing or other superstructure involved does not make the voice any less a musical instrument to my mind.

Richard English

True, but having learned to speak is not the same as having "mastered the instrument." We aren't all Caruso. More's the pity.