What is your favourite instrument and why?

[dozapp]

WHAT!!! horns not on the list 

[rob_the_dude]

I'd say piano - purely because i don't want to be shirked by the other members of the forum  . Seondly i'd have a double bass as its the coolest instrument to be seen playing (except for the piano of course )

BTW - Whats a claranet? (note spelling mistake) 

[rc]

I'd learn the viola d'amore just to say I play the viola of love

[tanman]

definitly kazoo.   
 
piano of course. duh

[db05]

1. asian instruments - erhu, pipa, wooden flutes, gongs, etc.
- when I heard erhu, I completely forgot the violin and the other strings
2. computer, turntable
- beats and scratching, when used properly, are not noise
3. piano, electric piano, keyboard, synth
- DUH.

[indutrial]

I'd learn the viola d'amore just to say I play the viola of love

You could also play some bad-ass Hindemith works.

[concerto_love]

anybody likes tuba..? 

[tds]

anybody likes tuba..? 

sure

[indutrial]

anybody likes tuba..? 

Tuba's a good instrument that sports a strong modern repertoire, sort of like the bass clarinet and the bassoon. It's also a good substitute in a jazz group for double-bass. If you're into unreal tuba chops, look up Marcus Rojas. I saw that guy play in a trio with a tenor sax and drums and his tuba just thrummed!! Not to mention his improv chops are remarkable.

[tds]

i love bassoon

[rc]

Tuba!  the tuba in Goran Bregovic's band is great fun, what power!  I'm not sure how to describe his music but maybe some sort of gypsy band.

Indutrial:  I'm not familiar with any Hindemith viola d'amore works, but I have an idea - I could send in a request to the request program on CBC radio 2...  Then, not only me but anyone who's curious could try and tune in when they play it.  Any recommendations?

[concerto_love]

tuba and viola are greaaat!!!  I play tuba when I was in marching band...

[lina rose]

i voted for the guitar...though i think the right choice would have been "other"...the sitar.

[enderw20]

I couldn't imagine going through life without being able to hear an accordian.

[iheartpiano]

Well, other than piano the guitar would get my vote.  Classical guitar that is, although I enjoy listening to acoustic guitar as well.  I can't really say why, I'm not so good at explaining these kinds of things.  I just know what I like. 

I also love the ukelele, has anyone heard of Jake Shimabukuro?  He's just fantastic.

[lina rose]

I also love the ukelele, has anyone heard of Jake Shimabukuro?  He's just fantastic.

omg that's beautiful, thanks for the video!

I couldn't imagine going through life without being able to hear an accordian.

i love the accordion too, why is it not on the list? one day i wanna learn how to play it...

[lostinidlewonder]

Well the Cathedral Pipe organ is the winner by far!!!!

[ted]

For some reason, in recent months, I have acquired a deep attraction to the music of the guzheng. I have always liked Chinese music in general but until I heard a friend play a guzheng live I had not realised its immense range of expression. Neither was I aware of the current renaissance of the instrument and the contemporary proliferation of modern players and techniques.

[indutrial]

Ever since I got more into music from the past century (and I'm not just talking about uber-avant-garde classical stuff) I've become incredibly whimsical about different instruments and could never subscribe to one favorite and consider it an honest statement. Following the 1920s, almost every instrument became game when composers were working on repertoire, and lots of minor instruments became a bigger deal all of the sudden. Hindemith's fine work as a chamber composer took heavy advantage of this, as he not only did pieces for the nearly-forgotten viola d'amore, but also wrote sonatas for unlikely candidates such as the tuba, the alto horn, the bassoon, the trombone, and the double bass. Additionally, he composed a trio featuring the heckelphone. This paved the way for similar ambitions amongst composers. A great example would be Niels Viggo Bentzon, who set himself to the task of penning piano-accompanied sonatas for every single member of the saxophone family. Not only did he write excellent sonatas for soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone, but he also took it a step further and did one for the beastly bass saxophone. Nowadays, a search through Worldcat will make it evident that nearly every instrument new and old has been given similar attention by composers worldwide. I recently picked up the following disc of works by composer David Loeb, who makes a point to compose for all kinds of unconventional instruments:



Of the seven works on this album, only two of them are scored for what could be considered conventional classical instruments (one for flute/cello and another for guitar/flute/violin/cello). Of the others, there's a work for the khaen, a Laotian-Thai bamboo-tubed mouth organ; there's a piece for viols and sacbuts, both early instruments; there's a work that features the Japanese shakuhachi; another work is for the so-haekum, a type of Korean folk violin; lastly, there's a piece for bass koto.

A recent favorite of mine is the mighty Warr Guitar, a 8-12 string two-hand tapping instrument that is often used as a bass instrument, since it's range covers that of a 5-string bass and guitar combined. Trey Gunn uses one of these in King Crimson. Listen to how awesome it is on this song's intro:

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At around 0:25 you finally can get a decent look at this monster. I play a big-assed six-string bass guitar and this thing puts my instrument to shame.

[lina rose]

A recent favorite of mine is the mighty Warr Guitar, a 8-12 string two-hand tapping instrument that is often used as a bass instrument, since it's range covers that of a 5-string bass and guitar combined. Trey Gunn uses one of these in King Crimson. Listen to how awesome it is on this song's intro:

&feature=related

i really like king crimson, but didn't remember this one. It's really amazing, they're awesome... and the guitar trey gunn uses seems very interesting. Thanks for the link.

[healdie]

i voted piano of course

but i love the timpani just fantastic i love the 4th movement of Shostakovichs 5th symphony just for the timpani part alone

[akonow]

I'm actually surprised by the number of people who aren't choosing the piano. Buuut I will say the piano just because I believe it is the best solo instrument. Nevertheless, the cello comes in close second because I find it very soothing. Bach's Cello Suite for example.