Instruments and Practicing
Here are chapters for instruments and practicing. I posted them together so we can all see how they flow from one to the other. You can see at the end of the practice lecture he references the sexy bardess in the corner who will be explaining all about performing. I forget who that was .. was it Iala? Anyway .. you get the idea. Comment away!!

Instruments
An innebriated bard notices the puzzled look on your face and shakes off his stupor. Taking a steadying breath he walks over to you with a kind smile on his face and slurs, "Righ'! Well, you'll need some instruments, won' you? The guild has requirements for practicing, you know. You'll need a well-rounded music practice routine if you're to climb through the ranks. Plan on getting one wind, one percussion, and one string instrument for starters."

He continues, "At first you will want to stick to the easiest instruments until you get some skills under your belt. For a string instrument, I'd suggest you buy a LYRE at D'or's fine instrument shop, not very far from here. (from the Bard Guild -- E, E, S, S, S, go shop). They cost about 187 kronars, so you should be able to aford it."

"As far as wind instruments go, you might consider buying a TIN WHISTLE at D'Or's, as well. It also runs for about 187 kronars, and should fit well into your budget. Of course, you can find a MIRLITON at Sinjian's in Leth Deriel, a town not too far from here. They run about a gold and a half, but you'll find it a bit easier. If you don't mind the walk, of course, the instrument peddler in Riverhaven will sell you a TXISTU." He winks and gives you a playful elbow in the ribs, whispering quietly, "By the way, both the txistu and the mirliton are one-handed wind instruments - right handy for practicing whilst holding a drink." He smiles at you with a look of supreem satisfaction.

He continues, "Righ'! You'll also need a percussion instrument. Right handy, percussion. At D'Or's you'll find a TAMBOURINE for 187 kronars." Leaning close to your ear he whispers again, "A word of advice - stay away from the back room, there. The prices at D'Or's bar are a bit steep, and the bartender tends to be so tipsy that he will pour you the wrong drink! Plenty of free ale about town if you know where to look." He winks playfully. "And again, if you're the adventurous type and fancy a bit of a walk, the instrument peddler in Riverhaven will sell you a nice set of ZILLS which you'll be able to play straight off."

Suddenly remembering something very important he says rather loudly, "Don't forget to buy a CLOTH! It's dreadfully important to keep your instruments clean. A few times a day you should APPRAISE them and CLEAN them, making sure they are fit for a bard. And in case they do take any damage from the weather, it's a good idea to buy a REPAIR KIT." He hiccups loudly, trying unsuccessfully to turn it into a cough.

Practicing
The bard takes a long sip from his tankard, unceremoniously wiping his mouth on his sleeve, and slurs, "Now abou' the practice routines." He hiccups very suddenly, catchting you off guard. "You'll want to set aside a few hours a day to run through your routines. A well rounded bard will need an understanding of all five categories: VOCAL, STRING, PERCUSSION, WIND, and MUSIC THEORY. Music Theory ranks accumulate as you practice the others, so you don't have to worry much about it, but there are a few tricks I've learned over the years that I'll share with you to keep your education well rounded." He winks and takes another big gulp, obviously preparing for a long lecture.

"First off, vocals! Your GUILD LEADER will be able to teach you an ENCHANTE when you join. Enchantes are a bard's way of wielding magic. We have the ability to create a spell matrix using sound, a most unique method in our lands. But to be successful you will need to learn to sing. My advice would be to learn either the HODIERNA'S LILT enchante, or the FAENELLA'S GRACE enchante. Both are easy to learn and sing, and are useful. The Lilt, as we like to call it, will speed the recovery of vitality after injuries, while the Grace makes it easier to learn from a teacher. Keep one of these enchantes going at all times, if you can, and you will find yourself learning VOCALS, PRIMARY MAGIC, and HARNESS ABILITY all at once! ASK the GUILD LEADER about MAGIC and he or she will give you a right long lecture and help you CHOOSE what you like."

"The other way to learn vocal skills is to SING songs, of course, in front of an audience. You can sing songs that you write or recite SONG SCROLLS that you have memorized. I believe that lovely lass across the room, there, will give you advice about that." He points to a rather buxom elf seated gracefully in an armchair in the corner, who winks and smiles back at him.

"Now for the good part. To keep your music education balanced, you will want to take turns with your instruments, rotating through the wind, percussion, and strings instruments. In each practice session, I've found it works nicely if I PLAY each instrument about eight times before moving to the next one, all while I SING an enchante. Silvyrfrost will be right pleased with you if you keep your practicing up to snuff!"

"Well, I've rambled enough. You follow my advice and you'll be performing for the Prince in no time! Safe paths, to you, and remember - keep your instruments clean!" He wanders off, muttering something about his bar tab that you don't quite hear.

- posted by Chris @ 11:06 AM