# Muscial instruments that annoy you **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 1, 2016, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscial-instruments-that-annoy-you/753557 "2016-05-01T00:13:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscial-instruments-that-annoy-you/753557/101 "2016-05-03T14:49:07Z")
> [@installLSC](#): > > [Really nobody realizes that [“Boogie On Reggae Woman”'s solo] is a harmonica?](http://www.harpsurgery.com/boogie-on-reggae-woman-harmonica/). :smack:…thanks > [@installLSC](#): > > My vote for this question is always vibes. All you can really get out of the instrument, even in the hands of a master like Lionel Hampton or Milt Jackson, is a monotonous plink. It’s too limited to be a useful melodic instrument, and doesn’t groove hard enough to be a successful percussion instrument. Some of Gary Burton’s stuff I’m ok with. IIRC no mention of the melodica yet - not a big fan - Jon Batiste’s monkeying with it didn’t change that view. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscial-instruments-that-annoy-you/753557/102 "2016-05-03T17:02:34Z")
My personal hatred is for the Oboe. It sounds like a malformed duck, squawking in agony. I was once driving down the highway while half-listening to a classical station when I found myself getting very tense and angry, turns out there was a sonata for oboes playing. ---
**Author:** ![YWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/6f9a4e/32.png) [@YWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YWalker)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscial-instruments-that-annoy-you/753557/103 "2016-05-04T00:23:09Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Heh, small world! I was actually in the Triangle British Brass Band, but the concert was at NC State. Did you play under J. Perry Watson? Yes, I played a number of years during the 80’s during both my undergrad and graduate school years. I was fortunate to be there during J. Perry Watson’s time — he was a delightful guy, as I’m sure you know from the massed brass band concerts. And I forgot to add the instruments I hate — I’ll go with accordion (unless it is played by Weird Al Yankovic) and the twangy steel guitar of country music fame (or infamy). ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscial-instruments-that-annoy-you/753557/104 "2016-05-04T16:42:59Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Well, it’s more like that if you want to play it like a serious instrument, you have to practice like it’s a serious instrument. It’s not a “pick up and start plucking out a tune” type of thing. Like you said, if you look up “theramin virtuoso” on Youtube, you can find many examples of it being played well (and it is quite amazing to watch.) But, yeah, it still sounds like a theramin–like a cross between an operatic voice and a violin. I think it’s a pretty damned cool sound in small doses. Actually I’d be interested in a link. The theremin videos I have seen all sound off-pitch to me, even the ones of the supposedly virtuoso players. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscial-instruments-that-annoy-you/753557/105 "2016-05-04T17:23:32Z")
> [@installLSC](#): > > What’s your opinion on the flugelhorn [(its most famous appearance)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwkwjOd7MCU)? Good, or do you just hate brass in general? Didn’t like this either, I think it’s the high treble nature of those types of brass. They tend to dominate and steal focus from the rest of the music, instead of being an accompaniment. French horns and trombones can be quite lovely though. ---
**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:** [May 4, 2016, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscial-instruments-that-annoy-you/753557/106 "2016-05-04T19:36:38Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Actually I’d be interested in a link. The theremin videos I have seen all sound off-pitch to me, even the ones of the supposedly virtuoso players. Clara Rockmore’s would be the obvious ones. I could see where you hear it as being “pitchy,” though. I personally think it sounds fine. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2016, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscial-instruments-that-annoy-you/753557/107 "2016-05-05T06:08:58Z")
> [@installLSC](#): > > What’s your opinion on the flugelhorn [(its most famous appearance)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwkwjOd7MCU)? always reminds me of a pretty good Bill Needle interview with CM: starts around 2:18 ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2016, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscial-instruments-that-annoy-you/753557/108 "2016-05-05T11:43:12Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > My personal hatred is for the Oboe. > > It sounds like a malformed duck, squawking in agony. > > I was once driving down the highway while half-listening to a classical station when I found myself getting very tense and angry, turns out there was a sonata for oboes playing. The ill wind that nobody blows good. And the other classic oboe joke: “Who was that oboe I saw you with last night?” “That was no oboe, that was my fife!” The clarinet, as played by beginning students. Sounds like castrating an old tomcat. I get the hate for bagpipes, but I think the way that the British forces used them in WW II in the movie The Longest Day was pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2016, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscial-instruments-that-annoy-you/753557/109 "2016-05-05T11:48:19Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > My personal hatred is for the Oboe. > > It sounds like a malformed duck, squawking in agony. > > I was once driving down the highway while half-listening to a classical station when I found myself getting very tense and angry, turns out there was a sonata for oboes playing. The ill wind that nobody blows good. And the other classic oboe joke: “Who was that oboe I saw you with last night?” “That was no oboe, that was my fife!” The clarinet, as played by beginning students. Sounds like castrating an old tomcat. I get the hate for bagpipes, but I think the way that the British forces used them in WW II in the movie The Longest Day was pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscial-instruments-that-annoy-you/753557/110 "2016-05-06T21:07:24Z")
The sound I call “a rising wall of strings” like you hear in “Rhinestone Cowboy.” It grates on my nerves. ---
**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:** [May 6, 2016, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscial-instruments-that-annoy-you/753557/111 "2016-05-06T22:34:24Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > Certain kinds of saxophone in Jazz. > > An example of what annoys me is the sax in the classic [So What?](https://youtu.be/ylXk1LBvIqU) by Miles Davis. > It’s an amazing piece, with the haunting bass tones in the beginning followed by Davis on the horn. Then at 3:26 an annoying sax kicks in and ruins it. Pistols at dawn, sir! 😃 [This piece](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx-TxiBi43c) from Coltrane should soothe things for you. ---
**Author:** ![Memnon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Memnon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Memnon)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscial-instruments-that-annoy-you/753557/112 "2016-05-06T22:43:33Z")
Ukulele - It’s a toy. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscial-instruments-that-annoy-you/753557/113 "2016-05-07T05:50:59Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > The sound I call “a rising wall of strings” like you hear in “Rhinestone Cowboy.” It grates on my nerves. Really, most formulaic cinema music is fucking annoying. When I hear that effort to evoke an emotional response/connection to the story, it makes me wish for more “Dogme 95” style filmmaking. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscial-instruments-that-annoy-you/753557.md?page=5)