Tabor pipes: Mccluskeyarundell > Leon > Music
Leon's instruments
Tabor pipes:
High D tabor pipes (pictured, showing the thumb-hole (left) and the two top finger-holes (right)).
Tabor pipes from B flat to high G, modified from standard penny whistles.
A rare low D, and "Garland" low F and low G tabor pipes from Susato.
Drums:
Side drum, with switchable top and bottom snares. This versatile drum can be played as a tomtom (no snares), with either the top or bottom snare, or with both snares together. The drum clips onto a steel loop connected to a shoulder strap. Age is unknown, but its many years of use have almost worn through the steel loop.
Psaltery (pictured left)
Boar's head psaltery with Tasmanian huon pine top, made by Pat Sephton in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2003.
Bones
A pair of cow's rib bones, made by Leon circa 1985. Bones are a traditional folk instrument in many countries including Ireland and Australia. The playing method is impossible to describe, but the sound is like castanets.
Spoons
A traditional folk instrument in Australia and other countries. A pair of spoons is held slightly apart in the fingers of one hand and beaten between the player's other hand and thigh. Leon's spoons are heavy silverplate, for a more substantial sound. Leon also plays a pair of silver salad servers. Spoons can also be played like bones.
Lagerphone
A traditional Australian folk instrument made from beer bottle tops (hence the name "lager" phone) screwed or nailed to a wooden pole. The bottle tops make a tambourine-like sound when shaken, and the pole makes a loud percussive sound when struck on a wooden stage.
LinksThis page was last updated on 7 April 2006