# Instrumental Music - Your favorite **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 2, 2004, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instrumental-music-your-favorite/237967 "2004-04-02T22:29:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KingLupid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/839c29/32.png) [@KingLupid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KingLupid)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2004, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instrumental-music-your-favorite/237967/1 "2004-04-02T22:29:58Z")
I would like to hear what your favorite relaxing, meditative musical pieces. It can be classical, new age, asian, I don’t really care. Just soft, soothing, sleepy time music. Your input is greatly appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![Marlow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Marlow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlow)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2004, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instrumental-music-your-favorite/237967/2 "2004-04-02T23:30:54Z")
Mice Parade might be up your alley. _All Roads Lead To Salzburg_ and _Collaborations_ are good. Mogwai is good, but not relaxing. Same with explosions in the sky. They aren’t really ‘instrumental’, more ‘computer’ but Boards of Canada are really good. ---
**Author:** ![Hoops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoops/32/6408_2.png) [@Hoops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoops)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instrumental-music-your-favorite/237967/3 "2004-04-03T07:15:30Z")
You might try the piano works of [Erik Satie](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000665EW/qid=1080976220/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/104-8457044-4843900). Traditional Japanese [shakuhachi music](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index%3Dblended%26field-keywords%3Dshakuhachi%26store-name%3Dclassical/104-8457044-4843900) is also nice. The eponymous album [Rain Tree Crow](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/artist/glance/-/48782/104-8457044-4843900) might suit you. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instrumental-music-your-favorite/237967/4 "2004-04-03T07:53:00Z")
My absolute favorite wind-down instrumentals are pretty much any of Chopin’s Nocturnes. In particular Op. 9. Nos. 1 & 2 always do it for me. Also, a bit more electronic, M83’s _Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts_ is an amazingly dense, textural, and atmospheric album. Every time I listen to it, I hear something new. Sigur Ros, while sometimes containing vocals (often non-sense made-up Icelandic lyrics) fits the bill, too. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instrumental-music-your-favorite/237967/5 "2004-04-03T08:04:13Z")
Ennio Morricone’s score to _Marco Polo_ is absolutely breathtaking, but as far as I know it’s out of print. (I have the LP but I’ve never seen it on CD.) But other Morricone scores such as _Days of Heaven_ are excellent. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instrumental-music-your-favorite/237967/6 "2004-04-03T08:20:35Z")
Faith No More’s version of the _Theme from Midnight Cowboy_. That song/piece/track used to be the last thing I listened to before falling asleep, and even today it makes me go, “oooh!”. Gorgeous. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instrumental-music-your-favorite/237967/7 "2004-04-03T08:24:36Z")
[This](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000067WV/qid=1080980535/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/002-5745549-1075245?v=glance&s=music&n=507846) album from Buckethead might fill the bill. Surprisingly soft and relaxing from someone so strange. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecccb3/32.png) [@Evil\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Death)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instrumental-music-your-favorite/237967/8 "2004-04-03T13:22:04Z")
Anything you can download [here](http://www.epitonic.com/artists/paulineoliverosstuartdempsterandpanaiotis.html) or [here](http://www.epitonic.com/artists/stuartdempster.html). Slow, eerie and quietly magnificent. ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instrumental-music-your-favorite/237967/9 "2004-04-03T14:05:07Z")
I feel somewhat obligated to mention A Silver Mount Zion’s _He Has Left Us Alone But Shafts of Light Sometimes Grace the Corners of Our Rooms_ . Simply great (despite one track having vocals…). ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instrumental-music-your-favorite/237967/10 "2004-04-03T14:25:37Z")
Arvo Part: _Cantus In Memoriam Benjamin Britten_ Truly stunning ---
**Author:** ![dal\_timgar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@dal\_timgar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dal_timgar)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instrumental-music-your-favorite/237967/11 "2004-04-03T21:07:30Z")
CITY, COUNTRY, CITY by War HYPERBOLICSYLABISESQUIDALIMYSTIC by Isaac Hayes THE ECSTACY OF GOLD from THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY Damn, I’m showing my age. Time to reincarnate and develop some new taste. Dal Timgar > [@KingLupid](#): > > I would like to hear what your favorite relaxing, meditative musical pieces. It can be classical, new age, asian, I don’t really care. Just soft, soothing, sleepy time music. > > Your input is greatly appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instrumental-music-your-favorite/237967/12 "2004-04-04T17:37:01Z")
I dig Bill Evans. ---
**Author:** ![wonderwench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/35a633/32.png) [@wonderwench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderwench)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instrumental-music-your-favorite/237967/13 "2004-04-04T17:47:46Z")
A few recommendations: Enya - Watermark Ceredwen - O’r Mabinogi Craig Chaquico - Panorama Sounds of Wood & Steel ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instrumental-music-your-favorite/237967/14 "2004-04-04T18:12:09Z")
Bach’s Prelude to Cello Suite #1. (We have a CD with a lovely arrangement played on harp guitar.) ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instrumental-music-your-favorite/237967/15 "2004-04-04T18:16:58Z")
I don’t know if you’d call it relaxing, but I maintain that my theme song should be Baby Elephant Walk. What I do find beautiful and relaxing would be The Flower Duet from Lakme by Delibes. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instrumental-music-your-favorite/237967/16 "2004-04-04T18:19:45Z")
**Bron Yr Aur** by Led Zeppelin is an amazing piece. I’m pretty sure it’s on Physical Graffiti (don’t confuse it with **Bron Y Aur Stomp** ). Possibly the most beautiful piece of music written in the 1970s.