The most captivating instruments to listen to

Submitted by Novel_Ice_7772 t3_10omyk3 in Music

I was thinking about musical instruments and the ones among them that completely stand out for the impressive or distinctive beauty of their sound. I've listened to a lot of different instruments from many music cultures and I have, after a long thought, an absolute favorite of mine: The flute, especially the shakuhachi one. Others that I really love are harp, violin, organ (pipe and electric) cello, piano and xilophone. What are your favorites? It could come out some instruments I've never heard of.

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YVanRiet t1_j6g2zsa wrote

The Kora is a traditional Gambian instrument. With 21 strings strung up vertically (like a harp) tuned a specific scale, and arranged so it’s played with your two hands separately.

It has a nice calming sound to it that I love 😊

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rondonjon t1_j6fn56t wrote

There are a lot to appreciate. In fact, I can think of very few instruments I don’t like. I love the piano because it has so much range. My darkhorse pick is the mandolin. Something about it reaches my DNA.

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Ihadsumthin4this t1_j6fp7nu wrote

Idr whether credits go to John Paul Jones or Jimmy Page on the recording of "Hey, Hey, What Can I Do?" but that is some proper sweet mandolin!

One of my absolute top-tier piano Me-melters is amidst "Monkey Man" -- which forever I assumed was Ian Stewart, but recently I was told was Nicky Hopkins.

Fwiw, before he became a Stone, Ron Wood played several mean mandolin with Rod Stewart and the Faces.

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rondonjon t1_j6ftvpm wrote

People always look at me weird when I list Monkey Man as one of my favorite Stones songs. Rock and roll piano/keys are great, but it’s the more classical stuff that really brings out the true beauty of a piano. I need to listen to more honestly.

I fell in love with mandolin when I got into the newgrass movement and really discovered bluegrass in the 90s. I was also young and having good times listening to this music so it is associated with fond memories.

I never really thought about it, but it does surprise me a bit that it was John Paul Jones on the mandolin. Thanks for that.

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libertinauk t1_j6fvd6v wrote

Well I'm a fleabit peanut monkey.....all my friends are junkies! .... ❤️

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rondonjon t1_j6fz9bd wrote

Exactly. The lyrics are so fantastical, how can one not love it?

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libertinauk t1_j6gfdck wrote

I love the whole album. That one and Sticky Fingers are my faves ❤️

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Ihadsumthin4this t1_j6fummz wrote

I believe it's JPJ also on the "Ol' Man River" keyboard taping found on Jeff Beck's astronomically important TRUTH album.

And certainly on bass on Donovan's "Season Of The Witch" along with Page on guitar, as they accompanied much of Donovan's sessions.

Fwiw.

Oh and yes, Monkey Man is still somewhere amid my all-time top 10 from the band. No question.

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rondonjon t1_j6fyxyu wrote

Didn’t know that about Donovan. He’s one of those guys that had a few great songs that were briefly part of the zeitgeist at the time.

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Ihadsumthin4this t1_j6g46fc wrote

Yup, captured a sound which somehow defined a spell for some time.

Allow me further mention as per the TRUTH album, in calling back also to Ron Wood that he, all of 21, was handpicked by Jeff to play bass on it.

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tombomk22 t1_j6greis wrote

He’s a family friend of my mom’s. Both were big into the meditation scene in the late 70s/80s. Incredibly nice guy

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Goldteamrules64 t1_j6fn5nh wrote

If you want a cool sounding instrument thar stands out, think of bass or drums

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Ihadsumthin4this t1_j6fq570 wrote

One of my favorite drum pieces is textbook mastery in restraint by some guy named Mick Fleetwood, evoking a most captivating magic as heard within a song titled, "Brown Eyes."

As for bass, one (among dozens) I love to introduce to impassioned listeners is in "Planet Home" by Jamiroquai.

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Goldteamrules64 t1_j6fqcnk wrote

Mick Fleetwood is the drummer for this really good band called Fleetwood Mac. You should give the a listen they are really good

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Ihadsumthin4this t1_j6frjv1 wrote

I'll tell you no Little Lies in that they have a song or fifty which a time or several hundred have had me Hypnotized!

I've listened to many of their songs Over And Over, whether during Storms or on days there was Love In Store.

I Don't Want To Know just how they became so remarkably gifted, because I Walk A Thin Line in believing they definitely had an Angel in their presence and you can ask any Gold Dust Woman about this, this adherence to never breaking The Chain.

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Particular-Ground268 t1_j6fsg7p wrote

The Kora: a Malinese instrument that sounds like glints on the water. Look up Toumani Diabaté.

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Mot6180 t1_j6fnhif wrote

Check out "glass armonica". It's a pretty cool instrument if you haven't heard one before.

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Icy_Knowledge7276 t1_j6gbd02 wrote

The bagpipe never fails to give me goosebumps, I absolutely love the sound.

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raising_creampies t1_j6gny70 wrote

It may just be me, but I love the sound of an electric guitar in capable hands.

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HappenedForReal t1_j6gyw08 wrote

Oboe, it has a very nostalgic sound. Hawaiian steel guitar is quite relaxing. Other favorites are siyotanka and zither.

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DamonLazer t1_j6fnsur wrote

Glass armonica, hang drum, and Cristal Baschet all have really neat sounds.

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Abacab4 t1_j6fp9cb wrote

I love the harp as well. Autoharp too.

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Thetimmybaby t1_j6frtrk wrote

I like when people play a saw.

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libertinauk t1_j6fvi10 wrote

Harpsichord. I've always wanted to learn to play one.

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michramm t1_j6fz3y8 wrote

Xun, shakuhachi/xiao/daegum... Piano, qin/koto/gayageum, xiqin/haegeum/erhu, cimbalom/yanggeum, yangqin, guzheng... Fujara, danso, jouhhiko, acoustic guitar, violin, cello, ajaeng, piri, clarinet, synthesiser Moog, harp, nyckelharpa, oboe, geomungo, taepyeongso, sho... There are many captivating instruments, but I am mostly in love with the folklore and traditional music combined with contemporary.

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wvmitchell51 t1_j6g62c9 wrote

I think the harp has a beautiful sound. If you remember Mason Williams song Classical Gas there's a rendition on YouTube where he's accompanied by Deborah Hansen-Conant on electric harp

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TomCorsair t1_j6gt17b wrote

Amazingly played sitar

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mercur1nh0 t1_j6hcfc8 wrote

I absolutely enjoy the whistling sound of electric guitars. These solos, oh, unbelievably beautiful.

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Windy_Beard t1_j6jzkdg wrote

The Hurdy-Gurdy! A medieval string instrument that was used in church music before pipe organs became more common. Never fails to capture my attention.

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wonderlarma t1_j6k53c4 wrote

Everything he made…https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Partch

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