We went with friends to see Trombone Shorty in concert in Naples. He plays New Orleans-style jazz and blues and put on a foot-tappin’ good show. It was an unexpectedly fun evening. I especially liked his trombone and the two guitarists’ solos.
That got me to thinking about music in the 17th century…How would French peasants in my historical fiction novel make music? According to my research, the most common instrument was voice…everyone sang. They also made good use of simple instruments such as a flute carved from easy to get materials….wood, bone or reeds. They also played basic drums or even bagpipes in some rural regions.
Since one of my characters carves wooden shoes, he would have easily carved a flute from maple or ash. There would be 3-6 finger holes, probably burned in to make precise holes. Similar tin whistles are still used in Irish music, so I can easily imagine lively toe-tapping music or, for pensive moments, mournful sounds coming from a French peasant’s homemade flute.
I bet Trombone Shorty and his big brass band would appreciate that music, too.
Jeanne Meeks ~ Fiction Author 