# Impressive examples of musicians playing two instruments at the same time **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [November 18, 2020, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressive-examples-of-musicians-playing-two-instruments-at-the-same-time/925926 "2020-11-18T22:18:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressive-examples-of-musicians-playing-two-instruments-at-the-same-time/925926/1 "2020-11-18T22:18:38Z")
This is inspired by a few intriguing posts in the thread on tunes with [prominent brass sections](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-rock-pop-jazz-numbers-with-prominent-brass-section/924888/56). Basically, some videos of multiple sax playing were posted - by @Paintcharge and @Guest-starring_Id; and this was my contribution, Davey Payne of The Blockheads doing his thing on Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick - double sax solo @~2.35. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/CBIRj3JW3h0/hqdefault.jpg "IAN DURY AND THE BLOCKHEADS: HIT ME WITH YOUR RHYTHM STICK live") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBIRj3JW3h0) So this begs the question: what else is out there? I mean, playing two saxes at once is impressive, but what other combinations have been achieved? One-man bands would count, of course, but any combination is interesting, I think. I’ll leave it to @Paintcharge and @Guest-starring_Id to repost their discoveries here, if they wish. But what else have we got? BTW: Paging Mr Dylan… j ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressive-examples-of-musicians-playing-two-instruments-at-the-same-time/925926/2 "2020-11-18T23:11:31Z")
Gotta mention **Geddy**. Bass, keys, pedals, and oh yeah, Singing. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressive-examples-of-musicians-playing-two-instruments-at-the-same-time/925926/3 "2020-11-19T01:04:29Z")
How about two guitars and a violin? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/TJL942hg0uM/maxresdefault.jpg "Spinal Tap Nigel Tufnel solo") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJL942hg0uM) ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressive-examples-of-musicians-playing-two-instruments-at-the-same-time/925926/4 "2020-11-19T01:13:26Z")
Always have to post my own personal favorite two saxes/one dude example–Morphine, “Super Sex.” It always amazes me how rich a sound they wring out of a little cocktail drum set, two saxes and a bass with only two strings–oh, and Mark Sandman’s excessively sexy vocals. Rrowr. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yAYyuMuObFI/hqdefault.jpg "Morphine - Super sex + subtitulos en español") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAYyuMuObFI) Pardon the subtitulos en espanol, the video without them seems not to exist any more. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressive-examples-of-musicians-playing-two-instruments-at-the-same-time/925926/5 "2020-11-19T01:21:16Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > One-man bands would count, of course, but any combination is interesting, I think. Alright, this is pretty impressive (Girls Just Want to have Fun) by a traditional busker: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/OAEJ3c9pSsE/maxresdefault.jpg "Girls Just Want To Have Fun (cover by ANDERS FLANDERZ One Man Band)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAEJ3c9pSsE) And Stars & Stripes Forever on the Majestic Bellowphone is worth a look. It features the little known nose flute: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Gs3XOQ8Zf98/hqdefault.jpg "Stars and Stripes Forever") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs3XOQ8Zf98) ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressive-examples-of-musicians-playing-two-instruments-at-the-same-time/925926/6 "2020-11-19T01:32:59Z")
I guess I have to post this link to “Frankenstein” again: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/P8f-Qb-bwlU/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AHeA4AC6AKKAgwIABABGH8gUyggMA8=&rs=AOn4CLCT0KRLFl8CZ5vTyw0OMubhcFf5Tg "Frankenstein . Edgar Winters Group . 1973") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8f-Qb-bwlU) What I was really looking for was this awesome one-man band featured on BBC World Music around 20 years ago, he had a website, too. I have to dig up the tape I made to find his name again. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressive-examples-of-musicians-playing-two-instruments-at-the-same-time/925926/7 "2020-11-19T02:04:42Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/eg16mepPImk/maxresdefault.jpg "U2 - With Or Without You - Luca Stricagnoli - Fingerstyle Guitar") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg16mepPImk) ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressive-examples-of-musicians-playing-two-instruments-at-the-same-time/925926/8 "2020-11-19T02:41:15Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick Great video. Thanks for sharing that. What an amazing band. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressive-examples-of-musicians-playing-two-instruments-at-the-same-time/925926/9 "2020-11-19T03:23:25Z")
Michael Manring plays a bass solo on 4 basses: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/XdYnWH9Aeok/hqdefault.jpg "Michael Manring - My three moons - Bass Day 98") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdYnWH9Aeok) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressive-examples-of-musicians-playing-two-instruments-at-the-same-time/925926/10 "2020-11-19T04:01:16Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > Always have to post my own personal favorite two saxes/one dude example–Morphine, “Super Sex.” It always amazes me how rich a sound they wring out of a little cocktail drum set, two saxes and a bass with only two strings–oh, and Mark Sandman’s excessively sexy vocals. Rrowr. I saw them twice and they are among the 20 best shows (out of thousands; I’m a lighting guy) that I have ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressive-examples-of-musicians-playing-two-instruments-at-the-same-time/925926/11 "2020-11-19T04:01:44Z")
Does Fleegle from the Banana Splits playing the Caliopo Saxaphio Trumparimba Claribaso Trombophone count? It was impressive … but not done well. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressive-examples-of-musicians-playing-two-instruments-at-the-same-time/925926/12 "2020-11-19T04:32:21Z")
One of my biggest regrets is that by the time I put it together that the guy singing “Murder For The Money” in _Wild Things_ was the same guy who sang lead for Treat Her Right (I bought the cassette tape of their first album on the strength of “I Think She Likes Me”) and realized there was a whole bunch more music to enjoy it was too late to catch Morphine live. That guy was way to young and way too talented to just drop dead like that, although it could be argued he was lucky to die doing what he loved most. Not many can say the same. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressive-examples-of-musicians-playing-two-instruments-at-the-same-time/925926/13 "2020-11-19T15:37:02Z")
Cross posting from the other thread with my own Morphine contribution. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/h6naQ195c_k/hqdefault.jpg "Morphine "Radar" "The only one"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6naQ195c_k) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressive-examples-of-musicians-playing-two-instruments-at-the-same-time/925926/14 "2020-11-19T16:02:13Z")
This guy is playing a keyboard and guitar at the same time. You can skip all the backing track stuff he’s doing and go to about 3:50. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/SJ7zsIkZq00/maxresdefault.jpg "Playing Guitar and Piano at the Same Time") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ7zsIkZq00) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressive-examples-of-musicians-playing-two-instruments-at-the-same-time/925926/15 "2020-11-19T16:26:34Z")
Rahsaan Roland Kirk did this routinely with multiple saxophones. (Starts around 1:42) [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56v-8Xh1dCg) ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressive-examples-of-musicians-playing-two-instruments-at-the-same-time/925926/16 "2020-11-19T17:44:44Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > Always have to post my own personal favorite two saxes/one dude example–Morphine, “Super Sex.” It always amazes me how rich a sound they wring out of a little cocktail drum set, two saxes and **a bass with only two strings** My bold: Q: Why two strings? A: (I suppose) Turns out two is plenty And it immediately reminded me of Seasick Steve, who plays a guitar tooled up with only three strings. And he qualifies for this thread because he plays the Mississippi drum machine at the same time. Here he is doing exactly that, to great effect: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/pNoPNC3ebYQ/hqdefault.jpg "Seasick Steve LIVE ON JOOLS HOLLAND- DOG HOUSE") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNoPNC3ebYQ) What’s so impressive is the amount of noise he gets out of (in effect) half a guitar. j ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressive-examples-of-musicians-playing-two-instruments-at-the-same-time/925926/17 "2020-11-19T17:49:33Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Rahsaan Roland Kirk did this routinely with multiple saxophones. While walking thru the crowd. And, blind, of course. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressive-examples-of-musicians-playing-two-instruments-at-the-same-time/925926/18 "2020-11-19T19:24:08Z")
Dude! Don’t leave us hangin… [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyoChUpa8ys) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressive-examples-of-musicians-playing-two-instruments-at-the-same-time/925926/19 "2020-11-19T19:37:45Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > BTW: Paging Mr Dylan… As the resident Dylan superfan, of course he’s the first who came to my mind. 😉 And doesn’t almost every drummer play four different instruments in a way with their four extremities (or three in the case of Def Leppard)? ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressive-examples-of-musicians-playing-two-instruments-at-the-same-time/925926/20 "2020-11-19T22:32:58Z")
Sometimes the fruit is just too low-hanging, y’know? 😉 j [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressive-examples-of-musicians-playing-two-instruments-at-the-same-time/925926.md?page=2)