Are pianos a thing? I mean, obviously a harper couldn't journey with one, but a rich holder or crafter could have one made and hire a harper to come to teach their children how to play it or to give performances and so on.
On one site I found this - "Pianos are also extinct since they were unable to make the right type of felt for the hammers. Also, with the distances harpers had to travel, easily portable items are the order of the day. Drum, harp and gitar are the most common: also tambourines, brass instruments (in Dragonsinger Menolly says she's learned them), pipes, flutes and violins are all mentioned. "
and then this
"G'day, and nice to have a simple, uncomplicated message to answer first.
"You obviously haven't read DRAGONSYE in which I do describe their efforts to save the one piano left. It didn't survive many more turns. And what instruments were available and carefully reconstructed.
"However, all percussion, a variety of pipes/flutes (while the skill to make them lasted), hammer dulcimer, g(u)itar because it was one of the easier ones to make, violin, but no double basses - finding proper woods for such a large instrument became difficult, some brass, more bugle than trombone, trumpet, harp, usually the smaller lap harp but occasionally a full concert harp - much prized - or the smaller floor harp...the Irish harp. No oboes or bassoons, attempts were made at harpsichord but since the dulcimer was easier to carry, and make, that took the place of a hammered instrument. The Harper Hall therefore tuned its whistle to what instruments it could create - no bagpipes, though I suppose they were possible...if there'd been a daft Scotsman who knew how. There was once an accordion and I can't remember what happened to it.
"Thanks for asking. Ciao now"
--from Anne McCaffrey in response to an email from then DragonRiders member Ari Townsend, received 14-Oct-1997"
So I'm thinking no pianos :[
Boo. Ah well, thanks for finding the info!