A Conversation for Ask h2g2

What is the silliest musical instrument?

Post 1

Just Bob aka Robert Thompson, plugging my film blog cinemainferno-blog.blogspot.co.uk

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?

Post 2

Baron Grim

A bicycle?

http://youtu.be/y9P2V0_p6vE


What is the silliest musical instrument?

Post 3

Pink Paisley

A carrot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3Msi24KKHo

PP.


What is the silliest musical instrument?

Post 4

Pink Paisley

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?

Post 5

bobstafford

The Crumhorn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w7KJznei7I


What is the silliest musical instrument?

Post 6

Baron Grim

To go along with the carrot recorder, the potato ocarina.

http://youtu.be/gXfnrEguhxA


What is the silliest musical instrument?

Post 7

Baron Grim

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?

Post 8

Pink Paisley

Yes. It is.

The Bohemian Rhapsody cover is stunningly brilliant.

PP.


What is the silliest musical instrument?

Post 9

You can call me TC

And there was me thinking "Kazoo" and "Swanee whistle".

I have seen those vegetable musicians, though. Great fun!


What is the silliest musical instrument?

Post 10

Pink Paisley

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?

Post 11

Pink Paisley

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?

Post 12

Baron Grim

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?

Post 13

Icy North

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?

Post 14

Feisor - -0- Generix I made it back - sortof ...

in a thread like this it somply wouldn't be right if someone (me) didn't mention Spike Jones (not silliest instruments - just silliest smiley - silly ) so ...."Spike Jones"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5KYW441M4g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCTmz18z8I4


What is the silliest musical instrument?

Post 15

Baron Grim

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 Parlorsmiley - star". 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




smiley - star 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?

Post 16

Bluebottle

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?

Post 17

Bluebottle

Another question is, 'what musical instrument has the silliest name?'
My nominations are:
smiley - musicalnoteSackbutt
smiley - musicalnoteBladder pipe
smiley - musicalnoteBumbulum
smiley - musicalnoteCrumhorn
smiley - musicalnoteHurdy Gurdy
smiley - musicalnoteOrganistrum (makes me picture Jane Fonda)

<BB<


What is the silliest musical instrument?

Post 18

Pink Paisley

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?

Post 19

Pink Paisley

Jugs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00ezil7iN8A

About 3.30 to skip the other stuff.

PP


What is the silliest musical instrument?

Post 20

paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

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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