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Hi I was listening to a AC/DC track and noticed bagpipes playing background harmonies. Over the years many records have featured unusual instruments or sounds. David Bowie's "Stylophone" on Space Oddity for example. What is the most unusual or your favourite example of this?

Tom Zé - "Toc"
http://www.sendspace.com/file/pzeo6t

Features oddball percussion, of course, but also a radio, a blender, a vacuum cleaner, and a host of other unusual noises. You really gotta hear it. Hence, the link.

One of my favorites precisely because of odd stuff like this. Although most of his music DOES have more traditional melody and structure. But I dare you to stop listening to this before the end. Too compelling.

Without a doubt my favorite most unusual instrument is the Theremin. Invented in 1919 by a Russian (Leo Theremin) the Theremin was both one the FIRST electric instrument and the only instrument I know of that you don't actually touch to play. It consists of two antennae, one controlling the pitch and the other controls volume. As you move your hands closer or further away from the antennae the pitch and/or volume changes. The sound of the Theremin is many times associated with "space movies" or aliens because of the sweeping nature of the sound. There are a select few performers out there that actually play concertos and other classically oriented pieces on these things. The most popular person to ever use it in their music is Jimmy Page. Songs like "Dazed and Confused" and "Whole Lotta Love" both have Theremin in them. The instrument added to the mystic quality of Led Zeppelin especially in their live shows....
Anyone know any other songs or bands that use a Theremin?
***I don't have one yet, but I've love to experiment with one....!!!

Hi Pop
Downloaded your link "kinda wierd but Iliked it" The background horns had a great sound. Reminds me of Chick Coreas 70s stuff just befor Return to Forever.

Hi Nate G
I forgot about that Theremin thing. Jean Michelle Jarre uses such things alongside other "home Made" weird electronic gismos. Did not think it was as old as 1919 though. WOW

Does anyone know anything about "mouth music" at least that is what I think it is called. It is a weird ancient art where a continuos non stop note is produced by specialist breathing techniques?

Most famously:
"Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys

And have you seen the documentary about Theremin? It's pretty great. Anyone interested in the instrument will positively love it!
IMDB link:
http://imdb.com/title/tt0108323/

It is available on DVD. (I own it!)

There's a long post here somewhere on the site about weird instruments. We should dig that up. Not sure which forum it was on though.

Brian

Weird and unusual? How about an Alphorn being played on the front steps of St. Patrick's Cathedral (NYC)? Heard it, seen it. Also, an er-hu (literally, "two-string"), a sort of Chinese fiddle, being played at the Lexington Avenue subway station (NYC again).

Both instruments not unusual or weird in their original contexts, but here?

How about a 'nose flute' ??

LOL I taught myself to play the nose flute one time on a cross country drive!! I think I musta looked purty funny cause some folks passed me laughing and one trucker nearly drove off the road. Course it probably looked like a red inhaler! LOL Or maybe worse. but I got good enough to play Exodus on it. I'd heard a local band in East Lansing play one and had to find a place to buy one. They are cheap plastic things...was probably $1 at the time but was a hoot to play. Anyone with good breath control could play one easily.

Here locally, there is a guy who playes the Chapman stick. I have yet to hear him though but I'll report back after I have heard him.

There is an awesome little newspaper called LARK IN THE MORNING, that I get probably quarterly that is s source for nearly every imaginable instrument still available on earth..even exotic stuff that may only be available from remote natives. Check them out...it's terrific!! Lark In The Morning is a Northern California based musicians' service specializing in "hard-to-find musical instruments, music and instructional materials," to quote Stefan's description. For their catalog of world musical insturments, books, recordings, and videos send $3 in the U.S. or $6 from elsewhere to: Lark In The Morning, PO Box 1176, Mendocino, CA 95460. Or you can take a look on-line at the Lark In The Morning website. Larkinfo-Phone is (707) 964-3762; Mail Order (707) 964-5569; Fax (707)964-1979; email larkinam@larkinam.com.

Bobbie

You would be refering to the AC/DC song Its A Long Way To The Top Jim.
That is written in A but guitars and bass are tuned up almost a semitone to match bagpipe notes, which are slightly out of wack with standard notes.
Bonn Scott was in a pipe band (as a drummer I believe) before getting the front spot in AC/DC and it was writen to use that as an attention getting ploy is what U understand Angus Young to say about the song one time.
And it sure did.
I do it nearly every week and play an E flat harmonica bent a bit more than usual, in the break and it works not bad going by punter response.
The continual breathing thing mentioned further down the string is the way Digaridoo players manage to kep it going and so far, I haven't managed to get it to work but will one day I hope.
I use a balalaka sometimes to play blues, and it is a bit of fun.
Graham

Hi Graham You are correct about the AC/DC number.
Still havent heard anything about mouth music. but you are right about the digareedo technique.
Irish legend Rory Gallagher used to play mandolin in a blues style back in the seventies. He used to have everybody clapping and stamping in the aisles to the beat. Check out "going to my home town." Awsome!!!!

Graham and Big Jim... What's up fellas? That breathing thing you guys are talkin' about is called "circular breathing." I've tried it too, messing around with a digaridoo and harmonica but with no luck. I've met several classically trained horn and flute players who use it. They tell me it's "just" in through the nose and out through the mouth... Yeah well... that's why I play string instruments.... lol...

Bobbie, How's everything goin' with you? Nose flute on a cross country trip eh? Sounds like fun... I can relate, one time I was learning a harmonica with one of those hands free head brackets while driving. Got some pretty interesting looks and a few laughs. Hey, I had to learn the part right? lol I think it was a Tom Petty Song...

To keep the integrity of the thread here, I have one more strange instrument. It's called a Spring Drum. Picture a small drum tom flipped up side down with a handle and a long spring dangling from the drum head. When you hold it, it feels like a pitcher you might put tea or cool aid in with a spring dangling. You don't actually hit the Spring Drum... You shake it by the handle... It creates this thunderous sort of sound that sustains as long as you keep shaking. The added "coolness" to this instrument... Everytime you hit or knock the spring into something you get a metallic attack sound ala Star Wars light sabres colliding... Crazy possibilities for this instrument. They come in all sizes... the bigger the drum the deeper the sounds. I want one!

This is my kinda stuff. I love hearing about all this. When on a business trip to San Fransisco, I was in the Lark in the Morning store, and explained the history behind most every instrument that they had in the store. The owner was there listening, and I suppose was impressed. He took me into the back room, and I got to play some really expensive and cool stuff that they had there, like a harp guitar for one.
I still like playing Aerosmith on the saz, and Hendrix licks on the Guzcheng, but that makes me "novelty music" and I tend to loose credibility. Not that I have any.

Here's another "homemade one" anyone with some skills could try. I took the old sliding board we used to use as kids, and removed everything but the part you slide on - one big sheet of metal. We hung it from a hook in a room, and when you hit it with a mallet, it's somewhere between thunder and a weird gong.
Watch the sharp edges though. I once did a gig playing sizzle cymbals with my hands. No one told me the rivets are sharp, and I entertained the crowd in a completely new way bleeding all over the instruments to finish the show.

Hey Graham, this post is kind of like Deja Vu, huh?

I won't say what I said in the other one though - no need to repeat myself since you already proved how cool the voice can be. :-)

HELLO EVERYONE, I`M NEW HERE AND COME FROM FAR ACROSS THE OCEAN, I AM FROM MALTA, MY BAND IS CALLED WINTER MOODS, IF YOU FIND A MINUTE, CHECK OUR www.myspace.com/wintermoods , YOU CAN GET AN IDEA OF WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE SOUND LIKE, WE HAVE JUST DONE A VIDEO FOR OUR LATEST SONG MARIGOLD, YOU CAN ALSO CHECK IT OUT ON THE SITE.

WELL,,,NICE TO BE PART OF THIS

GOD BLESS


IVAN WMS

I remember seeing a clip of an old "Tonight Show" with Steve Allen. He had a young Frank Zappa as a guest who played a bicycle, yes a bicycle with xylophone hammers.

These clips are on YouTube.
Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGPPBwDBJDs

Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufgn__85q9E&mode=related&search=

Yeah. It's pretty great!

Poptodd, thanks for the clip. I was wrong about the xylophone hammers he used drum sticks and a bow. Steve Allen was hilarious. Frank Zappa was the ultimate indie musician. Ben

Steve Allen: "Don't you ever come here and do that again!"

I love that.

If you have ever heard WHEEL OF FORTUNE by Kay Starr the beginning of the song uses a wagon wheel and something else to make the wheel sound.

Re spring drum if you want to hear what it sounds like check out intro to "Faith Healer" by The Sensational Alex Harvey band.
Another great Scottish band.

Actually. We had an Indian bloke on JPF a while ago who did an all by mouth thing that sounded great.
Can't remember who or when but was good.
And yep Tom. Deja Vu for sure.
I remember.
It started me on a whole new path I am still travelling.
Graham

hey Pop.
I hada bit of fun over that Toc thing and if you care to hear it, and don't mind the class shaing, I can put it in my private room in SongRamp and wack the stream link in here.
Or even message you the password so you can download it for posterity if you care to.
Just a bit of fooling around doing a sort of talkie sing over a bit of chanting and your bed of my Why Mother Earth song.
Graham

The girl with "The Saw" on the post on the musician message board

If she only did Metal...

yeah. I just had a listen, and I spent forever trying to get that sound to add to my wierd one, and failed.
Now out to the workshop to grab the saw.
Its a Sthil. I wonder what key they are in.
And should I use high octave fuel in it to hit the high notes.
Graham

Antal Dorati with the Minneapolis Symphony Recorded the 1812 Overture and Wellington's Victory of which has Cannon Fire and Musket Fire as recorded at West Point in 1958 and 1960. A rousing experence if you happen to have the recording on record or CD.

Let's have a stream, Graham.
No sense keeping it to ourselves! For the record, it is not my song... but a Brazilian artist named Tom Zé (who I believe I have mentioned here before). I think that was actually recorded in 1968 or so.

So... let's hear it!

Okay. Here we go>
http://www.songramp.com/mod/mps/viewprivtrack.php?trackid=49624
leave a comment on it so I know you have listened thanks POp as the stats thing doesn't work in the PLR at the moment, and there is no play counter on there either for some dumb reason.
'Twas fun.
It is all just four vox tracks done over the backing, with three of them simply mumbling the vowel sounds aeiou and a few ohms thrown in where the uge hit.
I was going to morph a few, but decided it was working as it was.
The real sing of this song is on my public page if any want to see where it came from.
Graham

As I am reverting to Free member on SongRamp soon, I have been cuting my songs down to fit in that limit, and this one will be gone by week's end so any wanting to listen it is here.
http://www.songramp.com/mod/mps/viewprivtrack.php?trackid=49624
Any wanting to download, can by entering the password wierd until it disappears.
This has been a great litle romp for me as it made me think of other things I can do with this, and other songs.
Currently recording some never used by me sounds with the view of putting them together and seeing what comes out.
Can't believe what I found in my back yard and workshop that made a pleasing to me noise.
Graham

Heya Graham,
I listened and it was a lot of fun. Got a great big smile from that and then I went back and listened to the original (well, rework) version of "Why Mother Earth" and enjoyed the hell out of that, too. It reminded me a bit of Midnight Oil -- and not just because you're an Aussie. (Is there a diggeredoo in there?) Something is pulsing in the background and lends a very cool atmosphere. Also reminds me a little bit of another band (English, I think) called the The. Your use of harmonica is very similar to them.

Anyway, very nice work, sir. Glad you enjoyed the Tom Zé and had some fun with it.

Todd

Great thread, Big Jim,

I have a small collection of unusual instruments, and have used a lot of household items for sounds in recordings, but my current favorite is a traditional Indian insturment called the "gopi yantra" which is an instrument popular in West Bengal.

My wife found it in a little shop in Greenwich Village. It's a cousin of the banjo, as it uses a metal string and a skin drum head, but, like the banjo, the drum head is not struck. The string is suspended by two strips of bamboo which can be squeezed making a "Boi-oi-oi-oi-oing" sound which is instantly familiar to any fan of Warner Brothers cartoons from the 40's and 50's.

"When the going gets weird, the weird get going."
-Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

All the Best,
Mike

Hi Mike and everybody else for their imput. Some very good stuff spoken about perhaps it will encourage the use of some of these weird or unusual things in future projects. One other instrument I thought I would mention is the Jaw Harp or "Jews harp" as it is sometimes called. It features in The Who classic "Join togethter" This metallic twanging along with the harmonica gives the piece a certain feel that is pretty unique, certainly for its time. JIM
PS Mike there is an african drum which is like a ceramic pot and the skin is rubbed by a bow string which is threaded through this pot. The hand is placed over the hole to create a wah wah type of sound. Any ideas on what it is called.

Hi Mike and everybody else for their imput. Some very good stuff spoken about perhaps it will encourage the use of some of these weird or unusual things in future projects. One other instrument I thought I would mention is the Jaw Harp or "Jews harp" as it is sometimes called. It features in The Who classic "Join togethter" This metallic twanging along with the harmonica gives the piece a certain feel that is pretty unique, certainly for its time. JIM
PS Mike there is an african drum which is like a ceramic pot and the skin is rubbed by a bow string which is threaded through this pot. The hand is placed over the hole to create a wah wah type of sound. Any ideas on what it is called.

Hi Mike and everybody else for their imput. Some very good stuff spoken about perhaps it will encourage the use of some of these weird or unusual things in future projects. One other instrument I thought I would mention is the Jaw Harp or "Jews harp" as it is sometimes called. It features in The Who classic "Join togethter" This metallic twanging along with the harmonica gives the piece a certain feel that is pretty unique, certainly for its time. JIM
PS Mike there is an african drum which is like a ceramic pot and the skin is rubbed by a bow string which is threaded through this pot. The hand is placed over the hole to create a wah wah type of sound. Any ideas on what it is called.

Hi Mike and everybody else for their imput. Some very good stuff spoken about perhaps it will encourage the use of some of these weird or unusual things in future projects. One other instrument I thought I would mention is the Jaw Harp or "Jews harp" as it is sometimes called. It features in The Who classic "Join togethter" This metallic twanging along with the harmonica gives the piece a certain feel that is pretty unique, certainly for its time. JIM
PS Mike there is an african drum which is like a ceramic pot and the skin is rubbed by a bow string which is threaded through this pot. The hand is placed over the hole to create a wah wah type of sound. Any ideas on what it is called.

Hi Mike and everybody else for their imput. Some very good stuff spoken about perhaps it will encourage the use of some of these weird or unusual things in future projects. One other instrument I thought I would mention is the Jaw Harp or "Jews harp" as it is sometimes called. It features in The Who classic "Join togethter" This metallic twanging along with the harmonica gives the piece a certain feel that is pretty unique, certainly for its time. JIM
PS Mike there is an african drum which is like a ceramic pot and the skin is rubbed by a bow string which is threaded through this pot. The hand is placed over the hole to create a wah wah type of sound. Any ideas on what it is called.

Hi Mike and everybody else for their imput. Some very good stuff spoken about perhaps it will encourage the use of some of these weird or unusual things in future projects. One other instrument I thought I would mention is the Jaw Harp or "Jews harp" as it is sometimes called. It features in The Who classic "Join togethter" This metallic twanging along with the harmonica gives the piece a certain feel that is pretty unique, certainly for its time. JIM
PS Mike there is an african drum which is like a ceramic pot and the skin is rubbed by a bow string which is threaded through this pot. The hand is placed over the hole to create a wah wah type of sound. Any ideas on what it is called.

Hi Mike and everybody else for their imput. Some very good stuff spoken about perhaps it will encourage the use of some of these weird or unusual things in future projects. One other instrument I thought I would mention is the Jaw Harp or "Jews harp" as it is sometimes called. It features in The Who classic "Join togethter" This metallic twanging along with the harmonica gives the piece a certain feel that is pretty unique, certainly for its time. JIM
PS Mike there is an african drum which is like a ceramic pot and the skin is rubbed by a bow string which is threaded through this pot. The hand is placed over the hole to create a wah wah type of sound. Any ideas on what it is called.

Sorry about the repeat postings. My comp just went daft for a minute. I bought a new mouse and it appears to have gone a bit doollally.

Hey Big Jim - sounds to me like you're describing a cuica:
http://larkinthemorning.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_DRU106_A_Cuica_E_

But it's hard to say - there are so many similar instruments.

Them meece can be pesky critters alright.
Heck. Even the posts are geting wierd around here.
Glad you like it Todd.
No didge in it.
It is all done using Soundtrek Jammer and tweeking the instuments and effects.
Forget what i did exactly right now, but do know i gave it two seperate basslines and told one of them it was a blown bottle. That is the drone for the main. Chorus Ahhs and Sweep would add to that.
I am getting a prety interesting set of sound saved toward this at the moment, and hope to really bring the wierd out in it.
Interesting the Midnight Oil comment Todd as Peter Garrett read this lyric one time when he was down here and told me I had to go to sydney and find a composer.
It was the main thing that got me learning enough music to have all this fun I am now having.
I just didn't want to be successful enough to leave Esperance, so didn't take his advice, and have never regretted not doing so even once.
Graham