Music Along The Trail

[MinnesotaRambler]

I am planning on attempting a thru hike in 2016. I am a guitar player and was not planning on bringing a string instrument with me along the trail. So I am wondering about different hostels that have music rooms or different spots along the trail that host open mic nights. I am not that great of a musician but love to play. I love the music of Appalachia and play old time, jug band music, and some bluegrass. I also play some other jug band instruments (washboards, spoons, and washtub bass). I was planning on stopping at Elmers Hostel because I saw they have a music room. Would love to experience some local music along the trail. Thanks in advance for ant suggestions.

[squeezebox]

You could bring a uke and tune it for mandolin, or get it converted to 6 string.

[Slo-go'en]

Pretty much every hostel has a guitar kicking around that someone abandoned. Elmer's in Hot Springs has a real Victorian music room with an assortment of instruments, since it is an old Victorian Mansion. Even if you don't stay there, it's worth the 25 cent tour.

[Mr. Bumpy]

French Broad River festival is at the campground in Hot Springs the first weekend of May.
http://www.frenchbroadriverfestival.com

LEAF is in Black Mountain near Asheville the second weekend in May.
http://www.theleaf.org

The town of Marshall which is near Hot Springs has this every Friday starting sometime in the spring
http://www.blueridgemusicnc.com/find...ot-in-marshall

[Puddlefish]

Openmikes.org I'd imagine someone would lend you a guitar.

[chknfngrs]

I'd look into the ukemandolin to keep the callouses.

A side thought: If they make carbon fiber cellos, they must make carbon fiber guitars.

[squeezebox]

I'd look into the ukemandolin to keep the callouses.

A side thought: If they make carbon fiber cellos, they must make carbon fiber guitars.

I have seen carbon fiber guitars, good sound, But a full sized guitar? But on the other hand you can use it for carrying water back to camp.

[rocketsocks]

Here's my little goto, with the nylon string this thing sounds so warm...think Willie Nelson.

http://m.usa.yamaha.com/products/gui...itars/gl1.html

[dudeijuststarted]

I am planning on attempting a thru hike in 2016. I am a guitar player and was not planning on bringing a string instrument with me along the trail. So I am wondering about different hostels that have music rooms or different spots along the trail that host open mic nights. I am not that great of a musician but love to play. I love the music of Appalachia and play old time, jug band music, and some bluegrass. I also play some other jug band instruments (washboards, spoons, and washtub bass). I was planning on stopping at Elmers Hostel because I saw they have a music room. Would love to experience some local music along the trail. Thanks in advance for ant suggestions.

I picked some gee-tar at Hiker Hut and The Cabin in Maine. It's Appalachia, just ask them good ol' boys and they'll find ya one. Enjoy!

[Grits]

If you are going to be anywhere near say from Hot Springs to Mt Rogers and can get a lift from April 28th to May 1st. This festival is close. http://merlefest.org/

[Dogwood]

Knew next to nothing about bluegrass but had an AWESOME time chillin for two days at the Bluesgrass Festival in Buena Vista VA on a AT thru-hike which is not far off the AT. Had a very chill mutually respectful BV PD Officer gave me a backroads ride back to the trail informing me how to backdoor bushwack to Punchbowl Shelter on the AT. Awesome hiker friendly town has been my three experiences there on different hikes!

http://www.nothinfancybluegrass.com/...dpage=festival

And, if you're into Carbon Leaf as I am taking in one of their tour dates in the east along the Appalachians would be TO ME a great experience on a hike. They are usually in VA, MD, NC, etc.

[bigcranky]

Lots of weekend bluegrass festivals in the summer, plenty of parking-lot pickin' going on at those. Somebody will have an extra guitar. The key is finding them, and getting there -- I would just talk with every local I met, on the trail and in towns. You'll be walking through the hotbed of old time and bluegrass music, plenty of jamming going on in people's homes.

I've seen guitars at many hostels, some more playable than others. Bring a couple of picks with you - while you might find a guitar, there won't be any picks.

[rocketsocks]

Lots of weekend bluegrass festivals in the summer, plenty of parking-lot pickin' going on at those. Somebody will have an extra guitar. The key is finding them, and getting there -- I would just talk with every local I met, on the trail and in towns. You'll be walking through the hotbed of old time and bluegrass music, plenty of jamming going on in people's homes.

I've seen guitars at many hostels, some more playable than others. Bring a couple of picks with you - while you might find a guitar, there won't be any picks.

+1 ta always carry a pick.

[poustinik]

I'm about 50/50 on whether or not I'm taking my Washburn Rover backpacking guitar (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/washburn-rover-travel-guitar/511819000091000?cntry=us&source=3WWRWXGP&gclid=CM3 649TH1skCFQ6RaQodKFcLJA&kwid=productads-plaid^131989856427-sku^511819000091000@ADL4MF-adType^PLA-device^c-adid^83738188347)

If I take it I'm ditching the case and just hanging it from the side of my backpack covered up with a garbage bag. It's cheap enough that if something happens to it, oh well.

[Strummystick]

I bring one of two different instrument setups when I hike ....
44.5oz 6 string Martin Backpacker ($200) wrapped in Bubble Wrap and placed in my 12"X 40" "custom made pack liner" which ZPacks.com made for me ($50) [2.1oz Accessories Pack with extra e,b,g,d strings, 2 picks, aluminum capo, jute ribbon strap, song list in zip lock bag]
22oz. 3 string McNally Soprano Strumstick[13oz] in the stock case from the website. It is tuned like a backwards mountain dulcimer with the high string away from the player (GDG), but I tune it in the lower "alto" tuning of (DAD). It's amazing how many chords you come up with for this instrument after a few weeks. [1.8oz Accessories Pack with extra d,a,d strings, 2 picks, aluminum capo, jute ribbon strap, song list in zip lock bag]
Here's a youtube where I play the strumstick setup https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae-r6YCtH8E

[sbhikes]

People say ukulele is pretty much the same chord shapes, minus a few strings and in a different key. You could probably figure it out. I hiked the PCT and one day stumbled on some guy who could play uke. After so many months of just birds and wind sounds it was amazing to hear his music. He told a story how he had been waiting for friends outside a grocery store in South Lake Tahoe, playing his uke, and people started giving him money.

[squeezebox]

+1 ta always carry a pick.

I've always had trouble playing button accordion with a pick.

[swisscross]

People say ukulele is pretty much the same chord shapes, minus a few strings and in a different key. You could probably figure it out. I hiked the PCT and one day stumbled on some guy who could play uke. After so many months of just birds and wind sounds it was amazing to hear his music. He told a story how he had been waiting for friends outside a grocery store in South Lake Tahoe, playing his uke, and people started giving him money.

oh, NO.
I play the ukulele and the chords are not similar to a guitar. Fewer strings is not the issue. They are tuned differently.
Of course you can change the tuning but then it does not sound like a ukulele.
But if you can play the guitar then picking up the uke is not that difficult.

I have an Outdoor Ukulele (brand) that I picked up to backpack with.
It has a horrid sound, the frets are too high and square, and will not hold a tune as the neck tends to flex a bit. Finding the right strings was a pain but fun experiment.

Made of glass reinforced polycarbonate it is nearly indestructible and impervious to moisture. No way I would carry a wooden instrument that I loved into the woods.

If you go the uke direction (and want wood) look at a Douphin. Inexpensive, laminate construction, will take a bit of a beating, sounds pretty darn good for the cost and will provide you with a good source of fire wood.

I would also considered giving Joe at ZPacks a call to see if he could make a cuben fiber dry bag/case if you go with wood.

[sbhikes]

I thought the uke was the same in that the strings are tuned in 4ths, you make the same chord shape as D on the guitar but it comes out as G (or something) on the uke. Make the same cord shape as a G (and because of the lack of strings you only put one finger down, not 3) and you get a D (or something). That's what our uke player says at the jam I play with.

Your uke sounds horrible. My strumstick also has high action and that makes the higher notes sound out of tune and "bendy." I tried to get a lower bridge from them, they sent me several, but still the action is a little too high. It works well enough though. I just play it like a fiddle: notes instead of chords, with a few chord-like things here and there. Strumsticks are pretty neat because you can tune them in different ways to play different kinds of tunes, and the instrument is pretty much self-accompanying, meaning you can play the melody and have automatic chord accompaniment. The only bummer is you can't play accidentals.

[Wild Blue]

The 2nd generation Outdoor Ukuleles are much improved. Lower action, better intonation, rounded necks, and geared tuners. I have both a tenor and soprano, both are fairly indestructible.




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