# Monkeys playing instruments **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 9, 2013, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monkeys-playing-instruments/657885 "2013-05-09T13:23:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![e.fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@e.fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/e.fred)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monkeys-playing-instruments/657885/1 "2013-05-09T13:23:47Z")
Has anyone ever tried to train chimps to play music? I think it would be cool to have a rock band with monkeys. Ive seen chimps paint so I think they could learn to play ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monkeys-playing-instruments/657885/2 "2013-05-09T13:34:58Z")
You need a hobby. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monkeys-playing-instruments/657885/3 "2013-05-09T13:38:43Z")
Madame Pepperwinkle has a soft spot for an old Saturday Morning Kids’ Show called Lancelot Link. It was from the late 1960’s/early 1970’s. The whole premise of the show was that a chimpanzee was a master spy, and other chimps were the other players. During one section of each show, they showed Lancelot and other chimps in “Groovy Garb” playing rock music, with dubbed actual music. It was funny for maybe 2 minutes. But, no, chimps don’t have the discipline to actually learn how an instrument works. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monkeys-playing-instruments/657885/4 "2013-05-09T13:46:36Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > Madame Pepperwinkle has a soft spot for an old Saturday Morning Kids’ Show called Lancelot Link. It was from the late 1960’s/early 1970’s. The whole premise of the show was that a chimpanzee was a master spy, and other chimps were the other players. During one section of each show, they showed Lancelot and other chimps in “Groovy Garb” playing rock music, with dubbed actual music. I remember that. It looked like they fed them chewing gum to make it look like they were talking/singing. When I was a kid, I once saw a monkey cranking an organ while his handler was the one on a chain collecting tips in his hat. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monkeys-playing-instruments/657885/5 "2013-05-09T14:26:19Z")
They kick ass at cymbals. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monkeys-playing-instruments/657885/6 "2013-05-09T17:44:39Z")
I’m starting to wonder if monkeys can post on message boards. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monkeys-playing-instruments/657885/7 "2013-05-09T18:01:28Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’m starting to wonder if monkeys can post on message boards. Why would they bother? They don’t require anonymity to throw their shit in public. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monkeys-playing-instruments/657885/8 "2013-05-09T18:49:18Z")
Percussion, maybe. I wouldn’t expect a monkey to become a world-class bassoonist. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monkeys-playing-instruments/657885/9 "2013-05-09T18:57:13Z")
And let us never forget: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoLTFQsFswM) ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monkeys-playing-instruments/657885/10 "2013-05-09T19:00:51Z")
I thought that most animals are incapable of keeping a beat, with the exception of some birds and [Ronan the sea lion](http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2013/04/sea-lion.aspx). ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monkeys-playing-instruments/657885/11 "2013-05-09T19:00:57Z")
I see black velvet paintings in your future. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monkeys-playing-instruments/657885/12 "2013-05-09T19:08:46Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > And let us never forget: > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoLTFQsFswM](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoLTFQsFswM) That proves one thing to me – monkeys will never be great conductors. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monkeys-playing-instruments/657885/13 "2013-05-09T19:11:24Z")
There once was a brainy baboon Who always breathed down a bassoon; For he said "It appears "That in billions of years “I must certainly hit on a tune.” ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monkeys-playing-instruments/657885/14 "2013-05-09T19:22:23Z")
Somehow, cowbell comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monkeys-playing-instruments/657885/15 "2013-05-09T20:54:22Z")
OK. I’ll be the first… [QUOTE=Mike Nesmith] We did so!!! [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monkeys-playing-instruments/657885/16 "2013-05-10T00:39:57Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > Madame Pepperwinkle has a soft spot for an old Saturday Morning Kids’ Show called Lancelot Link. It was from the late 1960’s/early 1970’s. The whole premise of the show was that a chimpanzee was a master spy, and other chimps were the other players. During one section of each show, they showed Lancelot and other chimps in “Groovy Garb” playing rock music, with dubbed actual music. It was funny for maybe 2 minutes. But, no, chimps don’t have the discipline to actually learn how an instrument works. Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp! I remember that. God, I’m old. ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monkeys-playing-instruments/657885/17 "2013-05-10T03:35:05Z")
One time at an animal show at an amusement park, I saw a baby chimp curiously take a harmonica from his trainer and attempt to play it by putting it to his mouth. It was clearly a spontaneous, untrained imitation (it occurred after the show was over and the audience was filing out). Maybe with some training, he could have been taught to blow air through the harmonica? Of course, even then you could argue that’s not really “playing” the harmonica. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monkeys-playing-instruments/657885/18 "2013-05-10T03:58:55Z")
See also: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kyn4KJzbL3c](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kyn4KJzbL3c) ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monkeys-playing-instruments/657885/19 "2013-05-10T04:12:19Z")
I can’t be buggered to find the clip, but there was a British chimpanzee rock band in the film “That Thing You Do”. They appeared on that Hollywood Palace program before The Wonders did. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monkeys-playing-instruments/657885/20 "2013-05-10T04:25:17Z")
If you put a million chimps in a room with a million musical instruments for all eternity, eventually you’ll get the work of Mozart, right? Or at least John Williams! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monkeys-playing-instruments/657885.md?page=2)