# Instruments that should be more common **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 8, 2015, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980 "2015-11-08T02:00:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [November 8, 2015, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980/21 "2015-11-08T14:28:53Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Interesting, **puly** - thank you. You’re welcome. You might also want to check out the associated act Helen Money, which is Alison Chesley’s stage name for her amplified and electrified cello work. It’s a mix of ambient, drone, and I’d say metal genres. All instrumental. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980/22 "2015-11-08T17:13:33Z")
**Crooked Still** started out as a vocal/cello/banjo/bass quartet, but I think the cellist left and was replaced by a fiddler, which would have spoiled the whole thing. Here’s a 2-minute version of the old timey classic “Little Sadie.” It’ll snap your stix. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/4Fk4uBgPSPc/hqdefault.jpg "Crooked Still - Little Sadie") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fk4uBgPSPc) ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980/23 "2015-11-09T16:53:59Z")
I’d like to hear more [Marxophone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxophone) (best known from the Doors’ version of “Alabama Song”). And nothing says “cool retro space age bachelor pad music” like a [clavioline.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clavioline) ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980/24 "2015-11-09T16:59:14Z")
Steel guitar outside of country music. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980/25 "2015-11-09T18:25:38Z")
> [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](#): > > Cor anglais has a beautiful mellow sound, but I suppose if we heard it too often we’d start to tire of it. All-time favorite cor anglais moment: the solo in the Doors’ “Wishful Sinful.” ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980/26 "2015-11-09T18:36:17Z")
> [@installLSC](#): > > Oops sorry about that! I intended to say the trombone, a much underutilized part of the brass family. Yeah, in classical music, you hardly ever hear music for solo trombone. Concertos and sonatas for trombone do exist, I’m sure, but there aren’t any really famous ones. In rock/pop there isn’t much solo trombone either, but the instrument is used to good effect in the Kinks’ [“Dead End Street”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9AYDR3MMqE) (and to manic effect in the Swirling Eddies’ [“Attack Of The Pulpit Masters”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeZ5sge1ptM)). ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980/27 "2015-11-09T18:40:23Z")
I want more cornett (early music type, not the trumpet type), toy piano, steel drum, and kettle drum in mah music. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980/28 "2015-11-09T18:53:11Z")
I’ve always thought that music with a prominent bass clarinet always seems to sound great. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980/29 "2015-11-09T18:56:38Z")
As others have mentioned, the English Horn is an instrument with a lovely warm rich tone that I’d like to hear used more often. Also the bass flute. It isn’t as versatile as the rest of the flute family, but it has a lovely unexpected deep, yet bright, tone. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980/30 "2015-11-09T18:57:37Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > I’d like to hear more [Marxophone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxophone) (best known from the Doors’ version of “Alabama Song”). In Pop/Rock the only other example I know of is the Lovin’ Spoonful “She Is Still A Mystery To Me.” Here’s a video of them in '67 with the Marxophone showing in all its wierd splendor. (They’re miming to the record although I think Sebastian’s lead vocal is live.) _[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aORE48Nmkcc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aORE48Nmkcc)_ ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980/31 "2015-11-09T19:07:16Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > Steel guitar outside of country music. > > 😃 Came in to mention this – it’s really effective, for instance, in some of Dire Straits’ and Mark Knopfler’s music. The steel guitar adds a distinctive sound that could be really effective in a lot of alt-rock and alt-country music. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980/32 "2015-11-09T19:21:41Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > In Pop/Rock the only other example I know of is the Lovin’ Spoonful “She Is Still A Mystery To Me.” > Here’s a video of them in '67 with the Marxophone showing in all its wierd splendor. (They’re miming to the record although I think Sebastian’s lead vocal is live.) > > _[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aORE48Nmkcc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aORE48Nmkcc)_ Thanks for that. I never knew he used the Marxophone, although it makes sense that he would, as it’s sort of a modified autoharp, which was kind of his signature instrument in the Spoonful. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980/33 "2015-11-09T19:57:15Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > Steel guitar outside of country music. Steve Howe plays a fair amount of lap steel guitar with Yes, and that’s pretty durn far outside of country music. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980/34 "2015-11-09T20:03:32Z")
Some of **Derek Trucks’** tracks are slide guitar used to play Indian raga-type jams and exploratory jazz. He studied both as part of his mastery. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980/35 "2015-11-09T20:19:47Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I think the cello should be used more in rock, blues, and country. A couple of groups use is (Lyle Lovett and Otis Taylor), but it has some great possibilities. > > The violin is also a great instrument for rock: Seatrain and It’s a Beautiful Day, for instance. Avett Brothers have cello in a lot of their songs. ---
**Author:** ![IT\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3ec8ea/32.png) [@IT\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IT_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980/36 "2015-11-09T23:06:51Z")
The [Lyricon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyricon), a wind synthesizer from the 70s, in fact, the first wind controller. Here is an example from [Shadowfax](https://youtu.be/rY89yo-JH0k), a popular group on the Windham Hill label in the 80s. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980/37 "2015-11-10T03:08:04Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > Avett Brothers have cello in a lot of their songs. A great early example of cello in rock would be the chorus in “Good Vibrations”, with the three (?) cellos doing those “boogety-boogety-boogety” ostinato triplets behind the vocal and modified theremin. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980/38 "2015-11-10T09:50:04Z")
There’s not enough Hurdy Gurdy in rock… [Faun](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgGIOZiVCVU) [Page & Plant](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hZocFSMd3I) Or bagpipe ensembles like [Corvus Corax](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIXV2NhLb_0) also needed: more Hammered Dulcimer [Dead Can Dance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qHiaoz9su0) ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980/39 "2015-11-10T10:01:10Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Yeah, in classical music, you hardly ever hear music for solo trombone. Concertos and sonatas for trombone do exist, I’m sure, but there aren’t any really famous ones.). That’s because Blue Bells of Scotland taught us to never wish for anything featuring us ever again. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980/40 "2015-11-10T14:12:27Z")
By the way, for rock music featuring both trombone _and_ cor anglais, check out “The Peacock’s Tale” from King Crimson’s _Lizard._ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instruments-that-should-be-more-common/736980.md?page=3)