Welcome Guest 

Register

Forum Home » Roleplaying » Roleplaying » Music in Middle-Earth
Author Topic:
Maralyn_Imladiel
Council Member
Posts: 86
Send Message
Avatar
Post Music in Middle-Earth
on: October 04, 2007 07:18
What kind of musical instruments existed in Middle-Earth? I'm creating a minstrel character and this subject immediately caught my fancy.
BerethEdhellen
RPG Moderator & Mistress of the Sea
Posts: 3098
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Music in Middle-Earth
on: October 05, 2007 09:32
I think one could safely say that lutes, harps, small flutes or penny whistles ..and probably small drums as well.. would have been used.

I always in my mind when reading the books (and certainly after watching the films) could see a group like the Chieftains playing at the shire parties and pubs but that's just my thoughts, and not proven in anything I've read so I wouldn't use them as a guide. *grins*

Has anyone delved into HOMES enough to find any other instruments that JRRT wrote about? I would but my copies are buried (temporarily) under piles of stuff and I can't reach them easily.
Life is good! Live it to the fullest. Love well those near and dear. "You cannot step into the same river twice, for the waters are ever flowing on ....." Heraclitus I Aear cân ven na mar
Mindtraveller
Council Member
Posts: 1
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Music in Middle-Earth
on: October 15, 2007 09:46
I've always imagined, not guitars, but mandolin like string instruments. I recall seeing one in on of the LotR movies, bt can't remember which or where or of it was there at all....

[Edited on 16/10/2007 by Mindtraveller]
Maralyn_Imladiel
Council Member
Posts: 86
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Music in Middle-Earth
on: October 16, 2007 05:06
I'm pretty sure what you're thinking of is a lute. If you do a google search on them you can see they look a lot like mandolins.

Thanks for the help, both of you.
Hanasian
Council Member
Posts: 979
Send Message
Post
on: December 09, 2016 10:58
I'll go out on a limb here and say that the elves likely advanced musical instrumentation in Valinor as they did weaponry. Being that the creation was music based, I would think that music was central to their lives.

Instrumentation I always considered 'Middle Earthy' would be Harps, Lutes, Drums, Lyres, Nyckelharpas, pipes, and I like to think the Northmen and Rohirrim used a hurdy gurdy. This is just me though.

I get a Rohirric feel when I listen to Triskilian.
Eighth King of Arthedain - It was in battle that I come into this Kingship, and it will be in Battle when I leave it. There is no peace for the Realm of Arnor. Read the last stand of Arthedain in the Darkest of Days.
Members Online
Print Friendly, PDF & Email