# Favorite musical instrument!



## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

What are your favorite instruments for making music, if you have any in particular that you love?  This is any instrument, whether it be the serpent, pipe organ, electric fretless bass, theremin, horn, human voice, bicycle, anything :3

My personal favorites would be the piano (as in the modern grand piano but also love uprights, prepared piano is awesome too), the electric guitar, and the accordion (well most squeezeboxes really), and of course the glorious electric bass guitar ^_^

Yay for positive threads


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## Turangalîla (Jan 29, 2012)

The piano, of course!


Oboe gets second place


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## Head_case (Feb 5, 2010)

I don't wish to be negative about your instrument choice (I hate the piano :<0 ) or anyone else to be negative about mine lol. 

Mine is the flute. I love playing the flute more than I do, listening to flute music. It's the fact that it's a real live resonating instrument with all of the timbres and overtones right under the tip of my tongue. No CD recording, no matter how superb, matches the brilliance of the live resonating sound of a wooden flute, even if it's playing Three Blind Mice.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Ondes Martenot who's with me?


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

I have yet to discover an instrument I do not like the sound of.

My current main interests are harpsichord, bandoneon, double bass and drums. And I'm sure no one can guess the instrumentation for my (probably) next release...


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## belfastboy (Aug 3, 2012)

Cello or Clarinet!


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## EricABQ (Jul 10, 2012)

Piano. By quite a margin actually.


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

Crudblud said:


> I have yet to discover an instrument I do not like the sound of.
> 
> My current main interests are harpsichord, bandoneon, double bass and drums. And I'm sure no one can guess the instrumentation for my (probably) next release...


Same here. For a bit I didn't really like the toy piano, but once I heard Cage's Suite for it, I was convinced. I also love the ones you listed  harpsichord has such a wonderful, colorful, bright, dramatic color to it <3


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

Head_case said:


> I don't wish to be negative about your instrument choice (I hate the piano :<0 ) or anyone else to be negative about mine lol.
> 
> Mine is the flute. I love playing the flute more than I do, listening to flute music. It's the fact that it's a real live resonating instrument with all of the timbres and overtones right under the tip of my tongue. No CD recording, no matter how superb, matches the brilliance of the live resonating sound of a wooden flute, even if it's playing Three Blind Mice.


Flutes are pretty stellar  what sorts do you like best? I don't know if I've ever heard a wooden flute, except in some renaissance music performances, mostly the metal one is what I've heard. What do you think of the piccolo, alto flute, or bass flute? What do you think of fipple flutes like the recorder and the tin whistle?


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

BurningDesire said:


> Same here. For a bit I didn't really like the toy piano, but once I heard Cage's Suite for it, I was convinced. I also love the ones you listed  harpsichord has such a wonderful, colorful, bright, dramatic color to it <3


What the harpsichord lacks in dynamics it makes up for in sheer... OOMPH!


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

Crudblud said:


> What the harpsichord lacks in dynamics it makes up for in sheer... OOMPH!


Mhmm! And now we have electronic keyboards which can reproduce beautiful harpsichord samples and play them at different dynamics  So we can write music with that timbre and include dynamics


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

I've said it before; my favorite is the saxophone. As far as classical, the soprano saxophone is best suited; they have managed to make the sound of the alto tubby and uninteresting. (This is from someone who studied classical alto saxophone. Debussy seems to agree with me.) Freed from the constraints of the tuxedo-bound, though, it is capable of so many sounds that it never ceases to fascinate me.


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

BurningDesire said:


> Mhmm! And now we have electronic keyboards which can reproduce beautiful harpsichord samples and play them at different dynamics  So we can write music with that timbre and include dynamics


The problem with that is that you're not getting a proper sample, it's just the same sample at a lower volume, and it predictably sounds like crap. That is the main issue with electronic keyboards, they take an instrument and turn it in to piano. However, there are some fine (and legally free) sample libraries* of a 1720 Blanchet and an "anonymous" Italian of the same era which sound fantastic, both with two manuals and a lute stop, and the exact same dynamic at every velocity point! Glorious!

* http://sonimusicae.free.fr/accueil-en.html


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## Nadia (Jul 29, 2012)

My favorite insrument is the classical guitar. It's my primary instrument and I have been playing it for 11 years, so we practically became one. It has a fascinating capability to change character and identity, from the basoon-ish to the harpsichord-ish sound... You can transcribe many piano pieces to the guitar and they won't loose their charme. It might not produce the grand piano fortissimo sound, neither will it produce the piccolo flute's brain damaging beep, but you can still push it and make it as loud as possible. I love my instrument.
And there is His Royal Highness King Piano...


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## Head_case (Feb 5, 2010)

BurningDesire said:


> Flutes are pretty stellar  what sorts do you like best? I don't know if I've ever heard a wooden flute, except in some renaissance music performances, mostly the metal one is what I've heard. What do you think of the piccolo, alto flute, or bass flute? What do you think of fipple flutes like the recorder and the tin whistle?


Lol. Do you want me to write an essay?!

I'm definitely a wooden flute fan - the metal Boehm concert flute is rather ugly and shrill/metallic. I don't object to Boehm fingerings, although I am a big fan of the romantic flute (also called the Irish flute):

Wooden flutes like the classic Rudall Carte flutes are my favourites:










although there are more specialist vintage wooden grenadilla ones which are richer and deeper in tone, with a more sultry/jazz tone:










The character of the wooden flute is much richer and darker than the metallic flute: Yamaha do a wooden flute, but it's at the very top end of their scale. Everyone whose heard my metal Boehm vs wooden flute always goes for the wooden flute: it is less stressful to listen to close up. For the player, it has a resonance which is just so reassuring in the chest, feeling it vibrate and come alive.

I love the baroque traverso too: not at A=440Hz (kind of pointless imho). A-=400Hz is my favourite baroque pitch:










I love the baroque cross-fingerings: it is completely chromatic with shaded notes which are charmingly baroque. I'm not very good at baroque playing since I only started this year, but I love these traversos (already got my 3rd in the pipe line lol)

The renaissance flute is altogether different from the baroque flute; it is a diatonic instrument in a fixed major key (and a minor or two, if you play pentatonic) with difficulties for semi-tones. It is a bit muffly for my taste, compared to baroque flute.

Piccolo..drives me potty. I will be clobbered by the neighbours if I dare. C concert flute does them in. I can hear them bang sometimes when I overdo the 3rd octave fortissimo. I'm not a high pitched fan - more of a low pitch bottom end fan.

I like the low baroque pitch (because it is deep and masculine, but soft and subtle at the same time). The wooden romantic flute is like a sonic projectile; it makes your body vibrate at the same time and the simple system fingering is really delightful.










Of course - you could easily get confused with Boehm fingerings (closed G vs open G, as well as reversed Bb keys) vs simple system fingering vs baroque fingerings. I don't have a problem with different keying systems, but I am fastest on the Boehm system (schoolboy tendencies stick).

The alto flute...is gorgeous. I still have mine (with a low B foot joint = 'low F'). It weighs a ton, and it used to strain me. Now, I can wield it like a battle axe without the embouchure slipping from the weight. I love the alto pitch - it is great for 12am playing. Not so good for penetration - good if you play in a chamber room. One reason why I have the low F version of the alto flute, is because I used to play recorder consort - the bass recorder is also keyed in low F (but transposed an octave). So the fingerings are very similar for me, without the confusion of transposing a fourth for the alto flute, and the Boehm concert flute, and then having to contend with the bass recorder too. My only discontent is the alto flute is metal unless you have a trust fund. Recorders and fipple flutes are usually softer in tone - I have a soft spot for these too, although most tend to be diatonic so it encourages Gadget Acquisition Syndrome enought to come across as a complete tool with a set of 12. Tin whistles ...hmmm...which ones are you referring to? The ones most people refer to are those unplayable free ones with Guinness beer mats. I like the alto and bass whistles, although I'm not a great whistle player - hard to do much classical music on that :0


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

i have a love for fender rhodes (the old models) and other electric pianos. 
But i really like a lot of other instruments, trumpet, cello, double bass, harpsichord, woodwinds in general, but i think it depends a lot by the musical context. And i really like some weird instrument like the daxophone, the bazhantar, the array mbira. I don't especially like classical guitar, or maybe what i don't like is the classical technique of the guitar. There are certainly things that i like but i think that for his nature it's a rhythm instrument so talking of guitars with nylon strings i think that the flamenco players have a better understanding of the instrument that is not only the poor brother of the piano.


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

Crudblud said:


> The problem with that is that you're not getting a proper sample, it's just the same sample at a lower volume, and it predictably sounds like crap. That is the main issue with electronic keyboards, they take an instrument and turn it in to piano. However, there are some fine (and legally free) sample libraries* of a 1720 Blanchet and an "anonymous" Italian of the same era which sound fantastic, both with two manuals and a lute stop, and the exact same dynamic at every velocity point! Glorious!
> 
> * http://sonimusicae.free.fr/accueil-en.html


I am aware of patches that retain that single dynamic quality, and those are great too. Its just nice to have all these different options


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

norman bates said:


> i have a love for fender rhodes (the old models) and other electric pianos.
> But i really like a lot of other instruments, trumpet, cello, double bass, harpsichord, woodwinds in general, but i think it depends a lot by the musical context. And i really like some weird instrument like the daxophone, the bazhantar, the array mbira. I don't especially like classical guitar, or maybe what i don't like is the classical technique of the guitar. There are certainly things that i like but i think that for his nature it's a rhythm instrument so talking of guitars with nylon strings i think that the flamenco players have a better understanding of the instrument that is not only the poor brother of the piano.


I so disagree with those sentiments against the guitar X3 Its not a poor brother of the piano, its an instrument capable of performing a variety of things in musical compositions. Its not trying to be the piano. ^^


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## Llyranor (Dec 20, 2010)

Violin, definitely the violin (especially the baroque violin!) - based on the repertoire.

Others I love:
- Erhu
- Cello
- Organ
- Oboe


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

I have performed in public on eight different instruments, plus solo and ensemble vocals, and I don't so much have a favorite instrument, but very fond memories of the good times I had and good people I met whilst playing. And of course I have particular fondness for any piece I've actually performed.


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## Meaghan (Jul 31, 2010)

Pianos. Especially big, beautiful Steinway model D's. The kind where, once you've opened the top, the first note you play just bowls you over. I had the privilege of performing on one once.

But older, unassuming pianos can sometimes be very beautiful despite their imperfections. One of my favorite practice room pianos at my college is an old Weber upright with a couple of missing ivories. Somewhat uneven action, but still such a warm, rich sound.

So - my favorite instruments are the _beautiful_ pianos, whether they're big and new and flawless or small and old with character. I think I just really love pianos.


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## Arsakes (Feb 20, 2012)

I loved to play *Oboe*, but my first attempt at *Flute-Recorder* was disappointing (you know you must first play Recorder before you're qualified for other wind instruments) ... I may start to practice someday, when my life is less stressful 

I should say Piano, Violin, Oboe and Trombone.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

BurningDesire said:


> I so disagree with those sentiments against the guitar X3 Its not a poor brother of the piano, its an instrument capable of performing a variety of things in musical compositions. Its not trying to be the piano. ^^


i agree, i was saying that in classical music is often used like a poor brother of the piano, without all the rhythmic techniques used in flamenco, especially in the repertoire before the 20th century (talking of guitars with nylon strings).


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## peeyaj (Nov 17, 2010)

The trombone is my favorite instrument.










*"Never look at the trombones. You'll only encourage them."*
-_ Richard Strauss_


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## Moira (Apr 1, 2012)

I'm another that doesn't have a favourite instrument. The only instruments I currently own are a piano and a recorder, the latter only because it fits neatly into the piano chair without taking up any more space.


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## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

um, I don't know, I like many. Currently I like a lot percussion instruments: vibraphone, marimba, tubular bells, crotales, bongos, and many others. I'm a pianist, but lately I'm somewhat 'tired' of its sound, at least when I play it. Lately I'm playing some jazz with a Rhodes piano synthesizer.


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## Conor71 (Feb 19, 2009)

Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Flute, Violin


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## Bas (Jul 24, 2012)

I'll make a top three, and mention some favorite composers for the instrument:


The Pipe Organ (Bach, Buxtehude)*
The Harspichord (Zelenka, Handel, Bach(+sons) )
Cello (Elgar)
Modern piano (Rachmaninov)

*One note with the pipe organ: I was never a great fan, until I actually heard a performance of Bach in the church (of Haarlem, for fellow dutchies) live. It is an instrument that is not easy catchable on a record, I think. Maybe I will have to get some good advices here for recordings that capture enough of the natural reverb of a church, and thus sound good.


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

Piano
Synthesizer
Voice
Electric Guitar
and everything else basicly


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## Lenfer (Aug 15, 2011)

The cello followed by piano with harpsichord and viola tied for third. :tiphat:


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

Bas said:


> One note with the pipe organ: I was never a great fan, until I actually heard a performance of Bach in the church (of Haarlem, for fellow dutchies) live. It is an instrument that is not easy catchable on a record, I think. Maybe I will have to get some good advices here for recordings that capture enough of the natural reverb of a church, and thus sound good.


It might not be to your taste, but I think Olivier Latry's recordings of Messiaen's organ works are some of the best sounding recordings available, they capture the majesty of the organ and the church space spectacularly.


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## Head_case (Feb 5, 2010)

Crudblud said:


> It might not be to your taste, but I think Olivier Latry's recordings of Messiaen's organ works are some of the best sounding recordings available, they capture the majesty of the organ and the church space spectacularly.


I've had his organ works on the Calliope release (Louis Thiry) recorded in Geneva on only a pair of microphones. It's an ancient recording but it's superb - so satisfying I never bought another Messiaen album


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

belfastboy said:


> Cello or Clarinet!


Those are the instruments most pleasing to me, along with the lute. I think that I hear them as voices, speaking without words. They relate 'deep thoughts' to me, even when the music is cheerful. The oboe, English horn and acoustic guitar speak to me too, but their voices are accented in a not-so-human way. Sometimes, in the right mood, any of these instruments seem like the voice of God, telling me things I don't quite understand but feel good about anyway.

You see, believing in God is no hardship for me.


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## Bas (Jul 24, 2012)

Thanks. Will check it out. (both for the sound, as well as regarding my taste :tiphat


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## Yoshi (Jul 15, 2009)

The piano. It really is the perfect instrument 

Other favourites would be the harpsichord, the pipe organ and the violin.


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## Orpheus (Jul 15, 2012)

I think I'm going to have to divide my response into several categories, as I can't narrow down the instruments I particularly like to just a few choices, and this helps make the large number I will list a bit less unwieldy. You can take each instrument I list as my favourites in the (somewhat arbitrary) categories I've chosen, above other instruments I could have included in those categories. As many people won't be familiar with some of the more obscure instruments, especially the non-western ones, I've tried to give concise information on the instrument itself by way of introduction. I hope someone finds this useful.

*Orchestral and mainstream "classical" instruments * (baroque to present day)

*Classical guitar*
*Pipe Organ*
*Harpsichord* (I tend to prefer it to the piano, especially for the pieces originally written for the harpsichord, eg Scarlatti, which just sounds wrong on piano to my ears)
*Viola* (my favourite instrument of the orchestral string family, I wish there was more top-notch music written for it)
*Viola d'amore *
*Cor anglais*

*Earlier and folk instruments*

*Lute* (this could also go in the above section!)
*Hurdy-Gurdy* (what an extraordinary sound!)
*Renaissance viol*
*Shawm*
*Hammered Dulcimer*
*Clavichord*
*Recorder* (Renaissance)
*Celtic harp* (and earlier harps generally, not quite so keen on the modern orchestral kind)
*Lyre*
*Bagpipes *(NOT the Highland kind, I prefer the less overwhelming varieties found elsewhere!)

*Non-western melodic instruments*

*Ney *- end-blown flute, played widely in the Middle East, I prefer the Persian variant.
*Sarangi* - Indian classical bowed string instrument, a little like the Western viola d'amore; there are also simpler folk versions with the same name.
*Bansuri* - Indian bamboo transverse flute, used in classical and folk music
*Duduk *- Armenian traditional woodwind instrument, has a limited range but beautifully rich tone.
*Kora* - West African harp-lute. I think it's probably the finest Sub-Saharan African melodic instrument, though perhaps soomeone else knows better.
*Sitar *
*Guqin *- ancient Chinese zither with lovely sound, current players unfortunately seem to have a very limited repertoire of only a few pieces.
*Vina* - Indian plucked string instruments similar to the sitar in appearance but with a rich sustained tone closer to a western cello or viola, and with an exceptionally wide range; these instruments in their various forms were once the dominant instrument of Indian classical music.
*Erhu* - Chinese spike fiddle, a very expressive instrument.
*Santur *- the Persian and Indian version of the hammered dulcimer.
*Launeddas* - Sardinian triple pipes, very ancient traditional instruments which seem to belong more to exotic musical tradition than the modern "Western" one.

*Percussion/drums*

*Daf *- Persian frame drum, like a giant tamborine, played with complex technique and has very rich overtones.
*Cuica *- unique Brazilian friction drum, with an extraordinary vocal sound, I think I include this more because of its uniqueness than because it sounds particularly pleasant.  
*Tombek* - this has a million different spellings, in any case, it's the distinctive-sounding goblet drum of Persian music, sometimes also known as a Zarb.
*Tabla *- twin drums similar to minature timpani, the major Hindustani (North Indian) classical percussion instrument, widely used in other forms of music too. They only resemble bongo drums to those who don't know anything much about percussion, and therefore assume it's all more or less the same. 
*Pakhawaj* - Indian barrel drum played with sophisticated technique and with a wonderfully sonorous sound, it's only really used for "serious" traditional classical and religious music, unlike the more versatile and better known Tabla. 
*Mridangam *- this is the South Indian cousin of the Pakhawaj, the main percussion instrument in Carnatic (South Indian) classical music.
*Mbira* - sometimes called Thumb Piano in English, an African tuned percussion instrument used for melodic-sounding rhythmic accompaniment. Wikipedia informs me that it is a Lamellophone, technically speaking; thanks Wikipedia!
*Bodhrán* - the Irish folk drum, probably is the most familiar in my percussion section. 

*Unusual instruments* (that I find fascinating but wouldn't want to hear too often)

*Glass Armonica*
*Theremin* 
*Ondes Martenot*

That short list of my main favourites will do for now! :lol:


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

Orpheus:

Lots of great instruments :3 I love the erhu too.

If you want some great viola literature, may I recommend Gyorgy Ligeti's Sonata for Solo Viola, and Paul Hindemith's Kammermusik No. 5, Op. 36 No. 4, which is a viola concerto. Both are beautiful works. There's also Debussy's Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun which makes heavy use of the viola as the highest voice in the string parts, because of the unique color that it has in that register :3


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

Piano, bass and drum set.


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

Violin, Harpsichord, Oboe, and of course the Electric Guitar.


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

neoshredder said:


> Violin, Harpsichord, Oboe, and of course the Electric Guitar.


now you must write a concerto grosso with those as the concertino :3


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

I forgot to mention the viola and the theorbo and the classical guitar and the clavichord.


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> I forgot to mention the viola and the theorbo and the classical guitar and the clavichord.


whats a theorbo?


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## Carpenoctem (May 15, 2012)

Piano, clarinet and cello.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

BurningDesire said:


> whats a theorbo?


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

so a sort of archlute?


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Special mention to the ophicleide and sackbut because they're fun to say.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Manxfeeder said:


> Special mention to the ophicleide and sackbut because they're fun to say.


I forgot those. Cornett and serpent are also fantastic instruments.


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> I forgot those. Cornett and serpent are also fantastic instruments.


I do love some renaissance instruments, particularly the woodwinds like the recorder, the krummhorn, and the rackett. I really dig those bright sounds, very colorful. Like 12-string guitars and saw-wave synths and lo-fi distorted guitars and other electric instruments.

Speaking of the rackett, its a pretty amazing piece of construction:
http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/rackett.htm


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

the array mbira


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

Favorite instrument is, of course, the pipe organ, followed by the piano, then baroque instruments (krummhorn, recorders, etc).


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## Klavierspieler (Jul 16, 2011)

Piano of course.
All bowed strings. 
Clavichord.
Oboe (and Cor Anglais).
Lute.
Bassoon.
Low voice.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

The Yaybahar, my new favorite instrument


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## hagridindminor (Nov 5, 2015)

the french horn


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## Guest (Nov 5, 2015)

hagridindminor said:


> the french horn


Used to be my favorite brass instrument... until I started listening to the many wonders of Christian Lindberg, from Xenakis to Dusapin to his own compositions


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

norman bates said:


> The Yaybahar, my new favorite instrument


Interesting, I was convinced there was some kind of electronic reverb or delay going on but apparently there isn't.


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## Sherkel (Jul 27, 2014)

Timpani. No other instrument's sound stands out so much to me.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

DeepR said:


> Interesting, I was convinced there was some kind of electronic reverb or delay going on but apparently there isn't.


I'm not sure but I suspect that at least the reverb was added, it's there even in the other video on the beach.


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## cfunk (Nov 18, 2015)

*The tabla drums !*

The tabla ... So much different sounds in just two drums !

[video]https://elsitar.wistia.com/medias/ow94560od6[/video]


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## Abraham Lincoln (Oct 3, 2015)

...It's the piano, actually, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make a bad joke.


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## Marsilius (Jun 13, 2015)

The harp. Parish-Alvars wrote some fabulous music for it.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Roland AIRA system-1 I think...based on all the demos I've watched on YouTube (and I think I've seen them all!)


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## Ilarion (May 22, 2015)

As a vocalist I have 3 favorite instruments:

Organ
Piano
Lautenwerk


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