Bard without thumbs?

[Yenek]

I was thinking recently about the following character concept:

Huntsinger - Eberron, Droaam, Worg Outlander Bard

Problem is, little Howl gets 4 instrument proficiencies from Bg and Class, and obvious problems from the body plan (Worg, not Barghest, after all).

What instruments could be adapted for the quadruped body shape?

[JAL_1138]

I was thinking recently about the following character concept:

Huntsinger - Eberron, Droaam, Worg Outlander Bard

Problem is, little Howl gets 4 instrument proficiencies from Bg and Class, and obvious problems from the body plan (Worg, not Barghest, after all).

What instruments could be adapted for the quadruped body shape?

I would say bugle, panpipes, or hunting-horn, but the mouth shape wouldn't allow it--lips are the wrong shape and don't move the same way.

Stringed instruments can be played with a slide, which doesn't require an opposable thumb--there's an armless man on Youtube who plays slide-guitar with his feet. But that requires being stationary in the worg's case--can't do it while moving--and most quadrupeds don't have the same side-to-side or rotational range of motion with their limbs as bipeds; a dog's front leg has less range of motion than a human leg. Maybe something mandolin or ukelele-sized instead of guitar-sized played with a slide. But again, couldn't do it while moving from point A to point B. Doubtful if the toes of a paw could grip a slide the way human toes can, too.

Those horns with rubber bulbs that trained seals play by honking them with their noses, maybe.

Bells on the legs. Also great setup for "pull the other one, it's got bells on" snarking. Snarking is critically important for bards. Bells tied to the tail.

Small maracas tied on the legs or tail.

Harmonica in a holder is iffy because of the mouth shape but not utterly implausible. Would get in the way of the bite attack I'm assuming you're using in place of weapon, though.

Cymbals tied to the legs a'la one-man-band.

Whistle held between the teeth. Only plays one note, though. Maybe slide-whistle.

Kazoo.

[Shining Wrath]

Worg-specific instruments. Assuming a sentient race that can either craft or pay someone to craft for them, there ought to be things they can play.

Here goes:

A variant tambourine that is worn on the tail.
Horns of various sorts that have a support that goes around the neck (similar to a Cone of Shame), and then the muzzle goes into the bell rather than just the lips.
Something akin to a kazoo but the worg howls into it.
Something like an accordion.

[JAL_1138]

Worg-specific instruments. Assuming a sentient race that can either craft or pay someone to craft for them, there ought to be things they can play.

Here goes:

A variant tambourine that is worn on the tail.
Horns of various sorts that have a support that goes around the neck (similar to a Cone of Shame), and then the muzzle goes into the bell rather than just the lips.
Something akin to a kazoo but the worg howls into it.
Something like an accordion.

Muzzle going into the bell of a horn doesn't work, same reason *just* blowing air into a trumpet or ram's horn doesn't work. That kind of horn relies on pursing the lips and blowing in a way that creates rapid vibrations--kind of similar to how vocal cords work. Canine lips simply aren't built to do that.

You'd need some kind of diaphragm or a reed to create the vibrations (which is how air-horns and car-horns work instead of just making a loud hiss). Reeds would do it. But either of those options only allows one note and a few fractions of a tone, maybe a full half-step, above or below, and thus requires keys or a slide to vary the note range enough for a melody. You could possibly hold a reed-mouthpiece in your teeth and adjust pitch with a paw-operated slide, though it would be tricky to use it while moving or when attacking.

Edit: While I dunno how it would be used while moving and notes would be limited--I'd rig each button to play a full chord--accordion is a great choice for bard instrument. Because it's ludicrous and annoying to the enemy to be defeated by polka, as well as inherently silly, and bards are *supposed* to be ludicrous and annoying to the enemy, as well as inherently silly.

[Orvir]

Bells worn on neck/legs/tail
Washboard type instrument attached to flanks he can scratch with his rear paws
Drum he can hit with his tail
Treat "dance" as an instrument (percussion, the cadence of the paws on the ground/different surfaces)

[Tenmujiin]

Personally I'd say he was "singing" with howls, that idea just appeals to me. No idea how to do instruments for him though.

[GorinichSerpant]

I'd say that a combination of percussion and howling/singing would be the logical choice for a worg who wants to do music.

One choice that hasn't been mentioned is using paw stomping the ground. Maybe with some sort of boots or gloves. But that can decrease mobility.