Weird/Unconventional/Lesser Known Instruments (electronic, dance, bass, jazz)

boo boo · 06-09-2007, 07:14 AM

One thing I am interested in as a music fan is exploring new sounds, and to achieve that there should always be many instruments to go around, and theres many weird instruments in the world than just the ones we have come to know.

I'll start off with different posts about individual instruments.

Starting with this.

The Chapman Stick:

One thing you will notice right off the bat is that the Chapman Stick dosen't really have a body, rather it's just one big fat neck. It is an electric instrument and there are three varieties, a 8 string, a 10 string and a 12 string. It was designed by Jazz musician Emmett Chapman in the early 70s.

Since it lacks a body, the chapman stick wasn't designed to be picked or plucked but instead it is to be played primarly via tapping and fretting with both hands. Because of this the Chapman is able to sound off many more notes than the average stringed instrument. With every Chapman there are 4, 5 or 6 melody strings and 4, 5 or 6 bass strings. This enables Chapman players to play bass, chords and melody lines simultaneously. The Chapman is also known for its very unique tone.

Notable Chapman Stick players include Guido Ponzini, Don Schiff, Guillermo Cides, Greg Howard and of course Chapman himself. But the most notable is Tony Levin, he was to the Chapman Stick what Hendrix was to the electric guitar as far as popularizing the instrument and truly defining it's capabilities is concerned.

Some demonstrations.

YouTube - King Crimson "Elephant Talk"
Tony Levin with King Crimson some time in 1981/82, performing "Elephant Talk".

YouTube - Don Schiff - Ireland
Don Schiff, performing his piece "Ireland".

YouTube - Guido Ponzini - Rainstorm upon the harbour
Guido Ponzini, with a more virtuoso approach to the instrument with his own improvisation.

YouTube - Guillermo Cides - Dance a Lot
Guillermo Cides, demonstrating the really cool sh*t you can do with just a stick and a loop machine.

YouTube - Big Meadows - Live
Greg Howard, with percussionist Darrell Rose.

YouTube - STICK Master Emmett Chapman-1983
Emmett Chapman, the mad scientist himself.

A little insight into why this is one of my favorite instruments. Tell me what you think.

More to come.

Danny · 06-09-2007, 06:45 PM

Wow thats sooooo weird....I don't know but I think I have seen those played, are they normally set on a table?

boo boo · 06-09-2007, 07:01 PM

No, they have straps and are intended to be played upright.

sleepy jack · 06-09-2007, 07:01 PM

I've actually gotten very proficient at the kazoo recently and tried incorporating it into recording, i'm trying to get an array of cheap instruments that aren't seen in music for recording lately.

boo boo · 06-09-2007, 07:08 PM

Well good luck, these babies are usuaully in the $2000 price range because of their rarity. I'm sure they can be purchased for cheap from a pawn shop or online though, but they wouldn't be easy to find.

DearJenny · 06-10-2007, 12:54 AM

Nick Urata from DeVotchKa plays both the Theremin and Bouzouki. I had the chance to play a Theremin once......awesome instrument operated by moving a hand by the metal and manipulating the magnetic energy between the pole and your hand. And a bouzouki is not to be confused with like a sitar or mandolin.....similar but of different origin. Images in image attachments of both.

boo boo · 06-10-2007, 03:44 AM

Next up. Not quite as obscure.

The Theremin:

Invented by Léon Theremin in 1919. The Theremin truly is a freak among instruments, it's often associated with the 1950s and science fiction movies. It is unique in that it is the first instrument to be played with out touching. Its made up of two radio frequency oscillators and two metal antennae, which are very sensitive to even the most subtle vibrations and movement. One of the antennae (the one that looks like a loop) controls volume, the farther your hand is from it the louder it gets, and vice versa. The other one controls pitch and is the one used to play notes. Players offen shake their hands to get a clean vibrato sound, which is what Theremin more than anything else is known for, it's tone and effect is very similar to that of the musical saw.

The instrument never became a real commercial success. It did however gather a large cult following and it's influence and impact on modern electronic music can still be heard today. Robert Moog was a theremin enthusiast and he studied the instrument before creating his own masterpiece, the Moog synthesizer.

Rock bands who have used or experimented with the Theremin include Jimmy Page, Pere Ubu, The Decemberists, Patrick Wolf and Fishbone among others.

A demonstration.

YouTube - Theremin Lesson One

A similar instrument created in 1928 is

The Ondes Martenot:

The fundamental difference between the Ondes Martenot and the Theremin is that the Martenot needs to be touched, it consists of a keyboard and a sensitive string tied to a finger ring and a strip control to manage virbato and glissando. It also has built in pitch and volume control, filters and loud speakers.

Popular musicians who have used the Martenot include Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead and Frank Zappa.

Demonstration.

YouTube - Jean Laurendeau and the Ondes Martenot

sleepy jack · 06-11-2007, 12:10 AM

The dude from Quasi used the Theremin on some Elliott Smith recordings =) and Patrick Wolf<3

Danny · 06-11-2007, 12:28 AM

I found the Theremin youtube video pretty sweet, one of the stranger instruments out there..

boo boo · 06-11-2007, 01:44 AM

Next up.

The Warr Guitar:

This crafty instrument invented by Mark Warr is somewhat of a variation between guitar and chapman stick, it can be played either like a Chapman (with both hands used for fretting and tapping) or like a traditional guitar, with picking and just about any kind of guitar or bass technique. It has a HUGE neck and there are 8 string, 12 string and 14 string varieties. There are several kinds of Warrs, some are fretted, some are fretless and some are even both at the same time (with frets on one side and none on the other). Like Chapman there are bass and melodic strings. It comes with special Piezoelectric pickups which can give it a very synthesizer like harmonic sound. There is no standard tuning for the instrument and it can be played in a variety of ways. Some of the strings are used for drone like chikari strings on a sitar. The strings are also more sensitive than those of the average guitar. Theres also a Warr Bass model especially for bassists.

The most notable Warr guitarist is Trey Gunn (King Crimson, Trey Gunn Band).

Demonstrations.

YouTube - Trey Gunn - Sozzle
The Trey Gunn Band.

YouTube - New Warr Improv 1
Some guy named Bonzo Estewjo, pretty neat.

YouTube - Warr In Space
Another Bonzo clip.

06-10-2007, 12:54 AM	#6 (permalink)
DearJenny Raptor Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Metro Detroit, MI Posts: 1,321	Nick Urata from DeVotchKa plays both the Theremin and Bouzouki. I had the chance to play a Theremin once......awesome instrument operated by moving a hand by the metal and manipulating the magnetic energy between the pole and your hand. And a bouzouki is not to be confused with like a sitar or mandolin.....similar but of different origin. Images in image attachments of both. Attached Thumbnails __________________ So here's to living life miserable. And here's to all the lonely stories that I've told. Maybe drinking wine will validate my sorrow. Every man needs a muse and mine could be the bottle.

06-09-2007, 06:45 PM	#2 (permalink)
Danny Music Addict Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 64	Wow thats sooooo weird....I don't know but I think I have seen those played, are they normally set on a table?

06-11-2007, 12:28 AM	#9 (permalink)
Danny Music Addict Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 64	I found the Theremin youtube video pretty sweet, one of the stranger instruments out there..