# Favourite cover songs played with unusual instruments **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 24, 2018, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-cover-songs-played-with-unusual-instruments/809492 "2018-02-24T20:36:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-cover-songs-played-with-unusual-instruments/809492/61 "2018-03-08T00:40:58Z")
[Build Me Up, Buttercup played on the ukulele](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeP1Klmk0ng) by Julia Nunes. And there’s just something about that video that makes it so, I dunno, wonderful. I can’t really define it. It’s fun, natural, and musical. I’ve probably watched it 300 times. I never tire of it. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-cover-songs-played-with-unusual-instruments/809492/62 "2018-03-08T12:05:32Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > [Build Me Up, Buttercup played on the ukulele](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeP1Klmk0ng) by Julia Nunes. > > And there’s just something about that video that makes it so, I dunno, wonderful. I can’t really define it. It’s fun, natural, and musical. I’ve probably watched it 300 times. I never tire of it. Yep! Everyone involved is just so into it and happy. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-cover-songs-played-with-unusual-instruments/809492/63 "2018-03-08T13:36:16Z")
Here’s a bit of mastery: [David Lindley - Minglewood Blues - 4.03.2015 - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLq9HgGP8G8) **David Lindley** , **Jackson Browne’s** long time sideman and owner of a couple of hits himself (Mercury Blues is a fave!) - here he is rocking an **Oud** - a middle eastern lute. The first two minutes are straight up oud music - I don’t know technique but it sounds very oud-y ;). But then at 1:50 he breaks into a classic Delta Blues. Holy shit does he rock it. He makes that oud sound like a 1928 Gibson L-1. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-cover-songs-played-with-unusual-instruments/809492/64 "2018-03-08T14:04:09Z")
I may have mentioned it on these boards in the past, but there is a band called Self that did an entire album with toy instruments. The album is called [Gizmodgery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gizmodgery). It includes a cover of the Doobie Brothers’ “What a Fool Believes” that is actually quite good. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-cover-songs-played-with-unusual-instruments/809492/65 "2018-03-08T18:58:45Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Here’s a bit of mastery: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLq9HgGP8G8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLq9HgGP8G8) > > **David Lindley** , **Jackson Browne’s** long time sideman and owner of a couple of hits himself (Mercury Blues is a fave!) - here he is rocking an **Oud** - a middle eastern lute. The first two minutes are straight up oud music - I don’t know technique but it sounds very oud-y ;). But then at 1:50 he breaks into a classic Delta Blues. Holy shit does he rock it. He makes that oud sound like a 1928 Gibson L-1. Which shows it’s more about style and tuning than the instrument. It’s basically a fretless 12-string minus the second string. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-cover-songs-played-with-unusual-instruments/809492.md?page=3)