WORST INSTRUMENT EVER

[dynomike]

I nominate tamborine.

Only because just today I borrowed a particularly sweet and dry sounding metal tamborine from a friend of mine and endeavored on a recording sesh. This particular track called for a 32nd note pattern at 144 bpm. I'll be damned if my arm wasn't halfway out of its shoulder joint by the 2nd chorus.. and whats worse, when I sat down to start editing, I realized I had given myself two massive blisters on my fingertips and palm from the shaking!

I start listening back and realize that because I've set up a spaced omni pair, the differences in where I was standing in each of the takes make splicing together the takes impossible. I donned some gloves and embarked on a redux of the first chorus (where the differences in location were most obvious) but realized that I now couldn't even keep time.

Learn from my mistakes folks! First off, don't do tamborine. At all. If this is impossible, don't use a metal tamborine for high speed, high volume hand bashing. In any case put an "X" of tape on the floor where the artist/athlete will perform the tamborine part. And start by wearing gloves. I'm sure if I had followed these steps I'd still be able to throw this tamborine across the room without causing intense pain to my arm, hand, and shoulder. Gah!

Mike

[drumsound]

Maybe its hard/painful to play the tambourine, but the worst instrument ever would have to be decided in a grudge match between the accordion and the harmonica!

[Disasteradio]

no way. I nominate a Fretless Anything.

[dynomike]

Doods, you have to include an anecdote about how it has personally wronged you to support your nomination!

[Scodiddly]

I have a little egg shaker in my car, and sometimes I'll play along with the radio or a cassette or whatever. It's surprisingly hard to keep a good beat with a simple percussion instrument. I even played a tambourine in the choir once when we did an African-American style gospel tune, and it was pretty tough to play a good groove, not screw up said groove, and sing my part all at the same time. A lot of respect to that Motown guy who always played the tambourine!

[mjau]

no way. I nominate a Fretless Anything.

I second that. Having played (badly) fretless bass in a few sessions, I can attest that it is never worth it for me. There's some great fretless players out there, no doubt, but I am certainly not one of them.

[drumsound]

Doods, you have to include an anecdote about how it has personally wronged you to support your nomination!

How about having to weed through 6 takes of harminica noodles to make a comp track (on tape)?

Or living in a Mexican neighborhood on Cinco de Mayo?

[dynomike]

Doods, you have to include an anecdote about how it has personally wronged you to support your nomination!

How about having to weed through 6 takes of harminica noodles to make a comp track (on tape)?

Or living in a Mexican neighborhood on Cinco de Mayo?

Lol, this does put up a good fight.

[pulse_divider]

I nominate saxophone.

But it's all contextual... saxophones themselves don't sound bad, it's just that people who play them usually have no sense of tact or what's appropriate for the music. And they usually love to take solos.
Accordians and harmonicas are the same way. I happen to think they have an inherently beautiful sound, but trying to rock out on the accordian just sounds corny. As a backdrop, they can be quite nice an subtle.

Of course, I'm approaching this from the context of rock music.

[pulse_divider]

Oh, and saxophone has wronged me by making my skin crawl in just about every rock/pop song that has it except for:
---Roxy Music
---Hawkwind
---Stooges
---some no-wave stuff (Contortions, etc.... it makes a pretty good skronk instrument)

[;ivlunsdystf]

no way. I nominate a Fretless Anything.

I've heard some pretty good quality stuff played on a fretless piano. It kind of requires a good player though.

[brian beattie]

I've had this idea that the world's best band would be accordion, highland bagpipes, steel drums and banjo. Such maligned instruments.
There are no bad instruments, just naughty musicians.
brian

[curtiswyant]

I've seen many a-drummer make an ass of themselves thinking they could play tamb/perc simply because they can hit things with sticks.

[JamesHE]

worst instrument ever has to be skin flute. I've never played it, but my girfriend dosn't seem to like to play it much. Maybe I need a new girlfriend or maybe she need a new skin flute.

[philbo]

Bagpipes! Play 'em in your hotel room, it's guaranteed to get you noticed.


BTW, did you hear about the guy who went to a shopping mall and left an accordion in the back window of his car? When he got back to his car an hour later, the back window was smashed out and there were 2 accordions there!
________
Ferrari 365