A Conversation for Ask h2g2
What is the silliest musical instrument?
Just Bob aka Robert Thompson, plugging my film blog cinemainferno-blog.blogspot.co.uk Started conversation Jan 13, 2018
Interpret the question any way you wish. The one that is most conducive to childish comedy, the most absurd construction, anything. What do you think?
What is the silliest musical instrument?
Baron Grim Posted Jan 13, 2018
A bicycle?
http://youtu.be/y9P2V0_p6vE
What is the silliest musical instrument?
Pink Paisley Posted Jan 13, 2018
A carrot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3Msi24KKHo
PP.
What is the silliest musical instrument?
Pink Paisley Posted Jan 13, 2018
Or so far as real 'instruments' go, either the Theramin - you play it without touching it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5qf9O6c20o
Or the subcontrabass saxophone. It has no real practical musical use. Sounds like a variety of farts in it's lowest register.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oonNy-pBeII
Both are novelty instruments.
PP
What is the silliest musical instrument?
bobstafford Posted Jan 13, 2018
The Crumhorn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w7KJznei7I
What is the silliest musical instrument?
Baron Grim Posted Jan 13, 2018
To go along with the carrot recorder, the potato ocarina.
http://youtu.be/gXfnrEguhxA
What is the silliest musical instrument?
Baron Grim Posted Jan 13, 2018
Of course, it's a challenge for a musical instrument to be sillier than an otamatone.
http://youtu.be/8OQtrmhpIXU
What is the silliest musical instrument?
Pink Paisley Posted Jan 14, 2018
Yes. It is.
The Bohemian Rhapsody cover is stunningly brilliant.
PP.
What is the silliest musical instrument?
You can call me TC Posted Jan 14, 2018
And there was me thinking "Kazoo" and "Swanee whistle".
I have seen those vegetable musicians, though. Great fun!
What is the silliest musical instrument?
Pink Paisley Posted Jan 14, 2018
This, the 'Harpejji', is in a separate section of silliness. It seems to multiply the difficulties involved in playing the piano with the difficulties involved in playing the guitar. It's a sort of ironing board version of the Chapman Stick.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr87Z7rZiWE
PP.
What is the silliest musical instrument?
Pink Paisley Posted Jan 14, 2018
On a roll.
This, described as a 'marble machine' is basically a hand cranked barrel organ with a built in bass guitar and midi triggered drum sounds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q
PP.
What is the silliest musical instrument?
Baron Grim Posted Jan 14, 2018
Anyone like me that grew up watching the quickly advancing capabilities of computer graphics as demonstrated by videos like the Animusic series, that marble machine isn't silly, it's pure, unadulterated awesome!
http://youtu.be/hyCIpKAIFyo
What is the silliest musical instrument?
Icy North Posted Jan 14, 2018
No instruments are silly in the hands of the Spaghetti Western Orchestra.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RST-R5A1jZ4
Highlights:
10:50: "Farewell to Cheyenne" on electric one-stringed tin-can
23:19: "Chi Mai" on beer bottles
28:00: "Gunfight Soundscape" including just about everything (asthma inhalers, cornflakes, you name it)
46:36: "Once Upon A Time In The West" theme on theremin
And don't miss the encore with rubber glove, bicycle pump and cabbage.
What is the silliest musical instrument?
Feisor - -0- Generix I made it back - sortof ... Posted Jan 15, 2018
in a thread like this it somply wouldn't be right if someone (me) didn't mention Spike Jones (not silliest instruments - just silliest ) so ...."Spike Jones"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5KYW441M4g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCTmz18z8I4
What is the silliest musical instrument?
Baron Grim Posted Jan 15, 2018
I just remembered a unique experience I had when I was about 15. My dad, a few of his friends and their sons, and I went on sort of a deer hunting trip to the New Ulm / Frelsburg area about 75 miles West of Houston. On Saturday evening we went into New Ulm to a wonderful restaurant called "The Parlor". This area is home to many German and Czech communities. Every Saturday night they had live music; an oompah band with no tuba. It was a three piece band. As I remember it, the percussionist had three instruments. I single snare drum, a triangle and a cymbal that looked like a tortoise's carapace. Another musician was playing a concertina. The third and youngest musician, likely in his late 60s, alternated between playing a jug-band washtub bass and their "oompah" instrument. He would sit on a home made wooden bench on which he spread a bit of rosin. He would then scrape the end of the handle of a grass rake across the bench, tines up in the air jingling, and produced a very proper OOOOMP OOOOMP OOOOMP sound.
A quick search later and I've found footage of the band and the restaurant. http://youtu.be/9EDZLTdS-oU
As reported in the linked video (featuring local newscasting legend, Ron Stone) The Parlor was originally a funeral parlor. Not mentioned but visible in the video is the 80 foot long solid marble bar they had shipped down by train in one piece from St. Louis in the late 19th century, if I recall correctly. They were also proud of the beer bottle and can collection behind the bar.
What is the silliest musical instrument?
Bluebottle Posted Jan 15, 2018
In a classical orchestra, the silliest instrument might well be the cannon.
It can only play one note (BOOM!!!) and I believe is only ever used for one tune (Tchaikovsky's '1812 Overture'). That said, if anyone offered to let me play the cannon in a concert, I'd jump at the chance. Doesn't have to be Royal Albert Hall, I'd happily play the cannon in the bandstand in the park.
I'm not sure the neighbours in the adjoining flats would appreciate me practicing playing the cannon at home, though, and I don't know how easy it would be to carry up and down the stairs…
<BB<
What is the silliest musical instrument?
Bluebottle Posted Jan 15, 2018
Another question is, 'what musical instrument has the silliest name?'
My nominations are:
Sackbutt
Bladder pipe
Bumbulum
Crumhorn
Hurdy Gurdy
Organistrum (makes me picture Jane Fonda)
<BB<
What is the silliest musical instrument?
Pink Paisley Posted Jan 15, 2018
Plumbing.
Blue Man Group play Donna Summer on drainage pipes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vBKI3ya-l0
PP
What is the silliest musical instrument?
Pink Paisley Posted Jan 15, 2018
Jugs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00ezil7iN8A
About 3.30 to skip the other stuff.
PP
What is the silliest musical instrument?
paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant Posted Jan 15, 2018
P D Q Bach wrote a piece for bagpipes, bicycle, and balloons. He wrote another piece for horn and hardart. He wrote "Iphigenia in Brooklyn" using double reeds -- no oboes or bassoons, just the double reeds. Slide music stands were used in another piece.
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What is the silliest musical instrument?
- 1: Just Bob aka Robert Thompson, plugging my film blog cinemainferno-blog.blogspot.co.uk (Jan 13, 2018)
- 2: Baron Grim (Jan 13, 2018)
- 3: Pink Paisley (Jan 13, 2018)
- 4: Pink Paisley (Jan 13, 2018)
- 5: bobstafford (Jan 13, 2018)
- 6: Baron Grim (Jan 13, 2018)
- 7: Baron Grim (Jan 13, 2018)
- 8: Pink Paisley (Jan 14, 2018)
- 9: You can call me TC (Jan 14, 2018)
- 10: Pink Paisley (Jan 14, 2018)
- 11: Pink Paisley (Jan 14, 2018)
- 12: Baron Grim (Jan 14, 2018)
- 13: Icy North (Jan 14, 2018)
- 14: Feisor - -0- Generix I made it back - sortof ... (Jan 15, 2018)
- 15: Baron Grim (Jan 15, 2018)
- 16: Bluebottle (Jan 15, 2018)
- 17: Bluebottle (Jan 15, 2018)
- 18: Pink Paisley (Jan 15, 2018)
- 19: Pink Paisley (Jan 15, 2018)
- 20: paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant (Jan 15, 2018)
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