Question: music in star wars

Anybody know any musical instruments in Star Wars? I've heard of a couple, but I have no idea what they are, or look like. Would it be okay to use a piano in a fanfic, or what is a suitable substitute?

And while we're on it, are there any human languages in Star Wars other than "Basic" (English)? If I'm going to use a piano, I'd have to use Italian terms. Is this acceptable, or to be vetoed?

Someone who knows, please help.

 

I think that most other human languags are like Latin, they're dead, unless it's some backwards planet with no contact to the rest of the galaxy. And yeah, Italian would probably be fine, just as long as it sounds Star Warsy.

 

There's plenty of instruments shown in RotJ in Jabba's Palace scene. Max Rebo (the blue elephant alien) was playing a piano-like instrument.

 

And while we're on it, are there any human languages in Star Wars other than "Basic" (English)?

Yeah, there are several. There's Hapan (in COPL, Leia's surprised when Isolder speaks Basic), the Dathomiri have a language . . . I can't remember any more off the top of my head, but they're out there.


Dana

 

So what's the piano thing called?

EDIT: And thanks for the info on languages, but I sort of meant "Earth" "human" languages, if you know what I mean.

Any more info, guys?

 

I'd say it's fine to use another Earth language and call it an alien tongue. I've used some of the very tiny French I know used in Swings in Roundabouts, and I name all the ships of my Shadows of Conflict in Latin.

(It's said that the Huttese spoken by Greedo is psuedo-Japanese anyway.)

Oh, and what's this I hear about Latin being "dead"? LINGUA LATINA VIVIT! (The Latin Language Lives!) And if you don't believe me, go dig up the "Ghastly Fiction Challenge" thread. Latin rocks, and as long as I'm around, it lives on...

 

Good stuff, Ty-gon. Still want to know about the piano... Oh, what the hell, I'm using a piano. Nobody can come up with a better substitute with technology because then it just gets dingly.

Thanks, Ty...The Italian will be some obscure language.

 

Yeah, I'd use "keyboard" or something of the like. But, then again, I'm infamous for using Earth terms... Coffee, tea... One time I used "Scotch" but added a note saying it was "translated from the Basic word that we would find nonsensical; it's practically the same thing" the way Tolkien would have done. Of course, I've gone even further... in The Past Rediscovered, I quoted Shakespeare and called it The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Dantooine.

 

Ahhh this is right up my alley. I LOVE the musicians in Star Wars.

The keybed is probably the closet thing to a piano. Maybe the Nalargon too. The Nalargon is more organ like than piano like though. The touchboard would be a more interesting piano like instrument.

And are you ready for this?

Bandfill
a musical instrument.

Bass Viol
a musical instrument used in most jizz bands, the bass viol produced a deep, resonating sound.

Bass Vye
this was a musical instrument, played whenever a deep, resonant bass is needed in a song or instrumental piece. It was popular among dusk players during the height of the New Order.

Bontormian Klesplong
this complex, musical instrument was formed from a Xloff horn, a Troomic sound tube, and a Plandl horn. A cymbal and a radion modulator could be added to give it a more unique sounds.

Bosphon Geddy
a complex musical instrument developed by the Bosphs.

Bottom Viol
a musical instrument in the same family as the double viol, but with a much deeper sound. It produced musical with a combination of five strings and a collection of buttons which lined its upright neck.

Chidinkalu
a Kitonak musical instrument formed from the hollowed-out reeds of the chidinka plant.

Chin-harp
a musical instrument developed by the Weequay,the chin-harp uses a specially-activated chord hammer to create sounds.

Chordokeylo
a musical instrument which can be modified via the addition of tonal datacards to play different types of music. Talon Karrde gave one to young Valin Horn as a birthday present.

Clak Beepbox
a musical instrument developed on Clak'Dor VII by the Bith, and often found in jizz bands.

Dorenian Beshniquel
a musical instrument, often referred to as a Fizzz, the Dorenian Beshniquel was a short, single-reed wind instrument.

Double Viol
this stringed musical instrument is formed from a pair of hollow, resonating boxes that are separated by shaft. This shaft is strung with tonal cords which are plucked or strummed to produce music.

Fanfar
a musical instrument.

Flagn Horn
this musical instrument was often used by bards, as its unique sound complimented the spoken word.

Gasan String Drum
a musical instrument played by Figrin D'an.

H'kig Chime
this musical instrument was known for its sharp ring.

Jangler
a musical instrument often used in marching bands.

Jizz-box
a musical instrument.

Karmova Drum
this musical instrument was a round, domed, drum.

KeyBed
this musical instrument resembled a piano with black, green, and white keys.

Kloo Horn
a musical wind instrument, larger than a Dorenian Beshniquel, and with a double reed. It has richer, more pastel harmonics than the Beshniquel, although some have described it as having a deep hooting sound.

Ludurian nose flutes
an unusual musical instrument.

Lute-pipe
this is a musical instrument that it alternately strummed and blown.

Mandoviol
a stringed musical instrument.

Melodium
a musical instrument played by Talon Kaarde.

Mintri
this tall, reedy plant is found at the edges of the swamps of Naboo. Hollowed-out mintri reeds are used by the Gungans as musical instruments, dart blowers, and straws.

Mist-horn
this spiralled horn could be hollowed out for use as a musical instrument. The Jedi Master Tionne also used a mist-horn as the handle for her lightsaber.

Mood Synthesizer
this musical instrument is often found in jizz bands.

Mozz Box
this was a musical instrument which was developed by the jizz wailers of the New Order.

Nalargon
this large musical instrument was operated by a keyboard and foot pedals. It had a great many pipes and subharmonic resonators that produced a multitude of sounds, which were c

 

There is a site you can download the sound tracks from the Knights of the Old Republic game. So immersive that the game is, a player may not notice it all. But listen to the tracks, a minute and half or two on average, and you'll be astounded how intricate, deep and creative the scores really are.

You could listen to the depth and cues to gain an idea, set the mood for a scene by the clever application of wording. But that's challenging to incorporate.

 

Whoa, big list there, RogueSticks. Thanks a lot! Okay, I'll go with the keyboard. At least that's a name I'm marginally familiar with.

And Excellence, I watched my brother play KOTOR, so I was able to appreciate the music. THanks for the assist.

 

Oola speaks french in Return of the Jedi, so why not italian?

You might need to explain the terms in your story anyway, you could always use some made-up GFFA terms that way. Make yourself a little dictionary to keep them straight though.

Sometimes I enjoy working out all the back story and details that are not really spelled out in the piece, but only obliquely referred to.

If you know the backstory and make refrences to it, it will seem real. Lucas did this with the OT, and Tolkein did it in LOTR.

 

Oola speaks french in Return of the Jedi, so why not italian?

she does? Must be very mangled.. cause I never could understand a word she said (and I'm fluent in french)

I'll have to pay better attention next time around.


EDIT:

I looked it up in the scripts...

Na Chuba negatorie Na! Na! Natoota... (Oola right before Jabba feeds his pet rancor)

that's what she says... and no matter how you turn it it's not french. It's the language they turncated to sound like Huttese. It may sound like french when she speaks it. Maybe the negatorie was borrowed from the french "negatif". But am pretty sure the latin is closer to it. (maybe our latin specialist will know)

From what I know. All the languages are turncated one way or another from the Earth languages. So it wouldn't be so strange to take a language and just use it. It would make more sense then trying to come up with something entierly brand new that no one can make sense off. Random typing my look neat... but it don't have much sense.

my two cents worth

 

someone told me that the ewoks spoke chinese backwards. I don't know if there's any truth to that. Yoda speaks Hebrew grammar.

 

Nah, I don't really know French, but it doesn't seem any closer to Latin. The only Latinate word one could couple it to would be negatio, negationis, "denial."

 

I've heard Greedo's language is really Quechua spoken backwards.

One more thing. What type of story is it, Stormtrooper_Shrink? If it's humor, Earth things can add to the story and make it funnier.

 

Thanks for your help, guys. I'm fairly fluent in Mandarin - or I was a few years ago, and the Ewoks don't really sound like Chinese to me...

And amidalachick, although I realise that Earth terms can be added, I want this one to be pretty much pure GFFA. It is humour, and now I'm not even sure I'm going to finish it!

Anyway, thanks!

Stormie.

 

ME: Oola speaks french in Return of the Jedi, so why not italian?

Calandria:she does? Must be very mangled.. cause I never could understand a word she said (and I'm fluent in french)

I'll have to pay better attention next time around.


I dug that piece of trivia from memory of a USENET post to rassm in November, 1995. I googled it:
Oola speaking french?

The line is Na Na Natoota! Which someone heard as "Ne me tuez pas" (Don't kill me!) Maybe with a weird accent, but understandable. I took the discussion to imply that the similarity to the french may have been intentional, but you are right, she was speaking Huttese.

BUT this should help out Stormtrooper_Shrink, that slightly mangeling italian musical terms can make them fit in the GFFA, just going for a non-english sounding word seems to be enough.

 

Heh, didn't notice it was you before, Anakin. I really should take notice...

Anyway, thanks for the help. I ended up pretty much giving it away, but I'm sure this will help me in the future.