Can I say, as a latecomer, this is one of my favorite threads on the forum? Lots of great music, fluff and insight! I’m actually a bit musically inclined so I do have a few thoughts, forgive the wall of text that is to follow.
I completely agree anything in the woodwind family is a non-starter and that percussion is going to be central, but I’m definitely on the side of mysterious ethereal music rather than something bestial or aggressive. These beings are stargazers, and they literally (or metaphorically depending on which edition we are talking about) live with their heads in the clouds. I also think most melodies would sound very alien or offputting to mamalian ears, so the eerier the better. Also after doing some light googling it seems like reptiles tend to hear low frequency vibrations better than high frequencies, so that’s worth bearing in mind.
I would actually say there is a tendency in this thread to suggest instruments of simple design, and I feel this need not be the case. Yes the miniatures tend to show drums, which are simple in construction, but they also show intricately engineered weapons of war. Europeans used drums and pipes on the battlefield because they were easy to use while marching, it didn’t mean the pipe organ didn’t exist if you catch my drift. I feel confident in saying seraphon could construct complex musical devices if they were so inclined.
I had two ideas about possible melodic instruments to use. The first would be plucked instruments, such as a harp. Harp players specifically keep their nails long in order to better pluck the strings. It stands to reason that a race with sharp nails might gravitate towards making instruments where that was an asset.
The other one i would like to highlight is the waterphone. It is an obscure instrument, but its sound is both otherworldly and crystalline which are both words I feel applicable to the seraphon. The longer strokes especially almost remind me of a snake hissing, which also seems appropriate. You could likely emulate the sound to an extent doing cymbal washes if you didn’t want to rush out and buy a waterphone for some crazy reason.
Lastly, and speaking of hissing, I think vocals could be used but in a different context. I would use vocals like a rhythm instrument like a maraca. Pulsating hissing, probably in a large group like a choir, acting as another layer of percussion.
(i never run spell check and i'm a typo king)
