What instrument stirs your blood or melts your soul?

Category: Jam Session

Post 1 by Perestroika (Her Swissness) on Saturday, 17-Jun-2006 17:58:28

What instrument do you like best? what makes you awake, sleep and all that?
For me it's the Bagpipes, harp and dolsimma and not to mention string quartets...mmm

Post 2 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Saturday, 17-Jun-2006 18:06:04

Oh boy! This is difficult for me as there are so, so, many. I like all kinds of music and play all kinds of music, and my tastes in struments is dangerously broad, also. In terms of stringed instruments, I'd say the hammer dulcimer is about my favorite. I love the way the strings ring and resonate. I also like the sound of a nylons tring guitar, because of its intimacy. I like piano and harpsichord in terms of keyboards, my college major was piano. I like french horns because of their "dark" quality. I like recorders, because while they don't have the dynamic range of a regular transverse flute, they have a warmpth and beauty all their own. I better stop before I run out of rom.

Post 3 by nikos (English words from a Greek thinking brain) on Saturday, 17-Jun-2006 18:53:33

Harp, flute and the Greek instrument mpouzouki.

Post 4 by Blue Velvet (I've got the platinum golden silver bronze poster award.) on Sunday, 18-Jun-2006 1:47:51

I love a pretty song played on a guitar. I also can get really turned on by the saxophone.

Post 5 by Resonant (Find me alive.) on Monday, 19-Jun-2006 1:27:55

Cello, and Cittar. Words don't do them justice. Tingles and shivers and warmth. yum.

Post 6 by wildebrew (We promised the world we'd tame it, what were we hoping for?) on Monday, 19-Jun-2006 9:31:14

The right instrument for the song. A simple electric guitar can do wonders with the write effects and style of play, it can sound harsh and manacing or warm or spaced out, a 12-string electric (LA's "there she goes" e.g." or acoustic can be awesome, but so can practically any instrument on the planet. Cool drumming always gotme interested and when a song is rytnmically cool enough I tap along on any instrument or person availible, much to their dismay (thank goodness I have an electronic drum kit). I'm not a big fan of the harp for some reason but even that has its time and place. Choose the right instruments for the song/feeling you're trying to express and they can sound amazing in the context.

Post 7 by Musical Ambition (I've got the gold prolific poster award, now is there a gold cup for me?) on Monday, 19-Jun-2006 10:35:42

I love all kinds of instruments. I agree with Wildebrew. It really depends on what kind of song it is that you're listening to, but some of my absolute favorite instruments are the violin, piano, and flute.

Post 8 by changedheart421 (I've now got the bronze prolific poster award! now going for the silver award!) on Monday, 19-Jun-2006 12:21:45

definitely piano. go jim brickman

Post 9 by Perestroika (Her Swissness) on Tuesday, 20-Jun-2006 17:22:56

MMM, agreed completely with post 2 and resonant,...mmmmm cello it's just mmm, the celtic harp is another that makes me melt too.

Post 10 by Goblin (I have proven to myself and the world that I need mental help) on Wednesday, 21-Jun-2006 9:27:07

The Violin, Electric metal guitar, played by Bruce Kulick..hmm Bagpipes stir my Scottish blood so much that I feel like crying I'd defy any Scot not to.

Post 11 by Cousin Cap (Zone BBS Addict) on Wednesday, 21-Jun-2006 10:47:29

Loui, this is an excellent topic. I'm calmed almost instantaneously by a well-played nocturne or other piece on the piano; the harp makes me shiver and become foolishly romantic, as does the flute. The violin and acoustic guitar also can make me stop in wonder at a good performance, though I don't completely melt. And, for piercing, sometimes mellow beauty, there's nothing like the oboe.

Post 12 by Goblin (I have proven to myself and the world that I need mental help) on Thursday, 22-Jun-2006 8:46:21

The Cello on No one is there by Sopor Aeternus it is heartbreakingly emotive and brilliantly played.

Post 13 by jmbauer (Technology's great until it stops working.) on Tuesday, 04-Jul-2006 20:53:19

Any kine of acoustic guitar (save a Martin) played in the finger style, any percussive instrument (including the piano), and, strangely, a string section/ensemble.

Post 14 by Amethyst Moon (I can't call it a day til I enter the zone BBS) on Tuesday, 04-Jul-2006 21:47:52

The voice, for it is the built in instrument of humanity when trained properly or gifted with natural talent. I love classical choirs or gregorian chants or rock bands like Queen and Blind Guardian who incorporate choirs into their music constantly. One voice is good, but why not have many in harmony?

Post 15 by Musical Ambition (I've got the gold prolific poster award, now is there a gold cup for me?) on Wednesday, 05-Jul-2006 11:06:53

I agree. The voice can be a wonderful instrument, if it is used correctly. singing is something I enjoy doing so much. I have always been in music classes and choirs, and singing is a big part of me.

Post 16 by the wrath of fire (Veteran Zoner) on Wednesday, 16-Aug-2006 15:27:10

I'd have to say mine is the violin, as I've been playing it for twelve years. I am by no means a virtuoso or master of it, but it has so many various moods. One minute you can be playing a happy, toe-tapping upbeat melody, the next, a somber, sad melody. People have told me that when I play I express emotion through my music, which is what I try to do. I feel that if a musician can make the listener feel what they are feeling through the music, they have a gift. I also like the steel guitar, the drums, the cello, and the piano.

Post 17 by frequency (the music man) on Wednesday, 16-Aug-2006 16:17:04

With me being the music lover I am, I love all instruments. However, There's something about the Rhodes piano sound. You can be so expressive with it. From the soft playing with a chorus or phaser, to the dry sound with a bit of panning and reverb. You gotta love the funky bark the rhodes has when you play it hard.

Post 18 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Thursday, 17-Aug-2006 13:27:00

frequency, I agree about the expressiveness of the instrument. Modern synthesis and sampling have gotten really good at emulating the sounds, too.

Post 19 by bozmagic (The rottie's your best friend if you want him/her to be, lol.) on Friday, 18-Aug-2006 18:15:25

As for me, it's the piano, flute, clarinet, all the softest elements and voices on an electric piano or keyboard and almost any string instrument, even the electric guitar if its, played properly and it's not to noisy or lively. All the instruments mentioned above, really relax me, chill me out, even send me in to the deepest of slumbers when I've had a bed hair day and I'm extremely close to torching this house with my mother inside it. I put Classic FM''s Relax And Escape on the stereo and, I'm in obliveon.

Post 20 by DixieGirl (I can't call it a day til I enter the zone BBS) on Friday, 18-Aug-2006 20:06:50

The piano sends me into a different world. I could listen to someone play for hours.

Post 21 by UnknownQuantity (Account disabled) on Saturday, 19-Aug-2006 5:16:41

I'd say the Blues harp (harmonica), acoustic guitar or electric is good also, the mandolin and the Irish version of the bagpipes.

Post 22 by complicated_melody (Zone BBS Addict) on Tuesday, 22-Aug-2006 17:16:57

the hammond organ. mmmmmm. I love it.
also, the piano, and of course the voice. you can do so many different things with your voice, and the cool thing about thinking of your voice is an instrument is not only can it envoke emotion through the sounds it makes, but also through the lyrics you sing, or hear someone else sing.

Post 23 by frequency (the music man) on Tuesday, 22-Aug-2006 22:29:11

yes! the b3! great instrument! The mellotron is also quite intresting.

Post 24 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Tuesday, 22-Aug-2006 22:36:04

Frequency, your talking vintage keyboards now. Like the Rhoads, B3 emulations are getting better all the time, and I have an older synth that you can buy PCMCIA cards for that have really good instrument groups. One of them is "vintage keyboards". I never bought that card, and I could kick myself for not purchasing it.

Post 25 by SingerOfSongs (Heresy and apostasy is how progress is made.) on Wednesday, 23-Aug-2006 6:03:12

I think any instrument, if played well, can have that affect, though for me it's probably more likely to be a non electric guitar, voice, piano, or possibly the harpsichord.

Post 26 by Godzilla-On-Toast (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Monday, 28-Aug-2006 19:58:26

Well, I'm one of those who likes many kinds of music, but I have to agree with y'all into the vintage keyboards. I like anything with a sound that's all its own, like the B3 or Mellotron or any of the old analog synths. But see, I also like an electric guitar when played well, and I prefer a bluesy style. It can be a clean sound or distorted and processed, long as it's played well.

Post 27 by jmbauer (Technology's great until it stops working.) on Tuesday, 29-Aug-2006 16:08:29

On the topic of vintage gear:
Let us not forget the oberheim products, especially the matrix series.

Post 28 by frequency (the music man) on Tuesday, 29-Aug-2006 18:52:16

Yeah. Also, Pat Metheney's guitar synth in the form of the Roland GR300 is pretty cool sounding.

Post 29 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Tuesday, 29-Aug-2006 21:34:42

I don't know the model numberof it, but Yamaha had apiano synth that I just loved. It was analog, and had two independent oscillators. The envelopes were piano-like, and the sounds you could assign to each were either piano or harpsichords. they had some really nice electric pianos. You could detune them, and each oscillator had an independent volume knob. I only played it once, but it was a most memorable few hours.

Lou

Post 30 by Godzilla-On-Toast (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Wednesday, 30-Aug-2006 10:16:51

I don't know makes and model numbers of a lot of them, but I just like the sounds in general. I wish I knew more about synthesizers as far as being able to tell what one was playing just by ear. Only one I can say I recognize is the Yamaha DX-7 and I also recognize some Fairlight patches because hey were used so much in the eighties. But let's also not forget things like electric pianos and harpsichords and other organs like the Farfisa or Vox or whatever.

Post 31 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Wednesday, 30-Aug-2006 15:03:28

I had a DX7, and it was stollen. I really miss that instrument. I did some of my own programming on it. I had the sense to back up the sounds to a floppy disk. If I ever get my hands on one, I'll try to acquire it when dollars permit so I can use those sounds again.

Lou

Post 32 by frequency (the music man) on Wednesday, 30-Aug-2006 16:39:35

if you're in to VST's, ever look in to Native instruments FM7? I've heard that emulates the DX7 quite well.

Post 33 by jmbauer (Technology's great until it stops working.) on Wednesday, 30-Aug-2006 17:29:59

I remember seeing a tutorial on how to do various things (namely loading/saving banks and browsing patches) with the fm7.
I believe it is at ftp://ftp.midimag.org, under documentation or articles.

Post 34 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Wednesday, 30-Aug-2006 20:17:50

Sounds interesting. I'll look into it. Thanks.

Post 35 by va3ets (Veteran Zoner) on Monday, 11-Sep-2006 10:05:17

And what about the organ? I absolutely love that instrument. I've been playing it for the last three years now

Post 36 by Darth Vader (Luke, I am your father.) on Monday, 07-Dec-2009 19:43:03

Omg, the organ! That's a cool instrument as well, although my favorite is the acoustic piano, not those 61key electronic things that have absolutely no sound that you could even call a piano.
I also like the accordion, flute, steel guitar, drums if they're played well and properly, and, of course, the voice.

Post 37 by blindndangerous (the blind and dangerous one) on Monday, 07-Dec-2009 21:01:57

For me, its the acoustic guitar, electric guitar and drums if played correctly. I guess an example of hwo I can't stand them being played is the way avenged sevenfolds drummer plays, its ounds like he's using a pot. I'm not a fan of them anyway, but that's another story.

Post 38 by louiano (I'm going for the prolific poster awards!) on Monday, 07-Dec-2009 23:24:30

the piano. For latin music. Its variety is perhaps equal to that of jazz and other styles. Also, percussion, melodic or otherwise. Flute and violin make awesome melodic contrasts and can also complement each other. Drums can also add a beautiful and unique quality to many styles if played propperly and with theright feeling as opposed to the ones manufactured by most metal industry music. You can certainly tell that a musician is abscent.

Post 39 by blindndangerous (the blind and dangerous one) on Tuesday, 08-Dec-2009 9:49:27

I forgot to mention this one in my last post, and how I don't know since I used to play this, but a piano will also do the trick for me.

Post 40 by charrington (Zone BBS is my Life) on Tuesday, 08-Dec-2009 23:33:27

An electric guitar tuned down to G flat

Post 41 by Miss Prism (the Zone BBS remains forever my home page) on Thursday, 10-Dec-2009 21:35:12

Cello. Delicious!

And accordion, too.

Post 42 by Reyami (I've broken five thousand! any more awards going?) on Thursday, 24-Dec-2009 8:37:11

harp, violin, flute, autoharp, piano, penny whistle, recorder, classical guitar. Love all of them.

Post 43 by Sexy CC (Veteran Zoner) on Monday, 28-Dec-2009 7:52:13

man well at the top of my list is Guitar, slide guitar, it's sound so cool.
the violin, that's beautiful. and another instrument I don't now the name of it maybe someone will know but it's used in a lot of Israelly and Middle Eastern music. the sound of it at like a combination of a violin and a flute. I don't know how else to discribe but when I find out what it is I'd like to learn how to play it, it sound so exotic.beautiful