# Musical intrument question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 14, 2000, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-intrument-question/41087 "2000-11-14T00:08:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-intrument-question/41087/1 "2000-11-14T00:08:53Z")
Men at Work’s “Down Under” and Rusted Root’s “Send me on my Way” have a flute type of instrument prevelant in the songs. Anyone know what they are? My guess is that MaW is an actual flute, but I can’t tell what RR’s one is. Is it a reed? A picholo? Um…a kazoo? What the difference between them anyway? Also, anyone remember the Dark Crystal? He plays a type of wind instrument at the begining that you put into your mouth and hold away from you (as opposed to a flute which runs parralel to your body). Is there an actual instrument that comes close to this? I tried asking these questions to a music shop until the salesperson started looking at me like I was the dumbest customer he’d ever laid eyes on. I probably was, but that’s not going to stop me from finding out. Anyone have some help for me? ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-intrument-question/41087/2 "2000-11-14T00:27:45Z")
I saw Men at Work live a couple of times and Greg Hamm (?) played only flute IIRC. The other instrument where one blows into the end to make flute like tones is likely a recorder. Flutes, piccolos and recorders do not have reeds. ---
**Author:** ![cykrider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f19dbf/32.png) [@cykrider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cykrider)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-intrument-question/41087/3 "2000-11-14T00:58:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Enderw23 \* > \*\*Is it a reed? A picholo? Um…a kazoo? What the difference between them anyway? > > Also, anyone remember the Dark Crystal? He plays a type of wind instrument at the begining that you put into your mouth and hold away from you (as opposed to a flute which runs parralel to your body). Is there an actual instrument that comes close to this? > \*\* As far as I know, this band was before my time, but I do know the difference between instruments. I would put money that in the MaW song it was a flute. And in the RR song, I think it was a slide whistle. ``` Reeded instruments make sound by a person blowing on a mouthpiece with a thin stick on it (a reed). The reed then vibrates the air and it travels through out the instrument and makes a sound. Reeded instruments include the clarinet, oboe, saxaphone, and bassoon. (Their are alot more). OTOH, flute has no reed, and you simply blow into it a certain way (it's kinda hard to describe) to make the vibration and the sound. ``` ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-intrument-question/41087/4 "2000-11-14T01:06:17Z")
“Send me on my Way” is credited to have a penny-whistle in it, which is a small, metallic, end-blown flute type instrument. In structure, something like a recorder, but recorders are wood or (these days) plastic. “Down Under” sounds like a regular flute. ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-intrument-question/41087/5 "2000-11-14T01:38:06Z")
Yes the under rated tinwhistle! Go here for all you could ever hopt to learn about my favorite instrument (I own a Copeland-look under “really expensive whistles”) You Star Trek fans will even find out about the mysterious whistle that Picard played! ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-intrument-question/41087/6 "2000-11-14T14:36:29Z")
The video for “Down Under” shows Greg Ham (correct spelling) sitting in a tree playing a European flute. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-intrument-question/41087/7 "2000-11-14T16:11:36Z")
Thank you all for your responses. **MikeG** , that’s a great website. I kinda feel like an idiot for not even knowing about the whistle as a musical instrument, but I’m more upset at the music store for not even suggesting it. That was exactly what I’m looking for! Cheap and peppy slide whistles for $10. They’re carting out flutes for $500. I say “um…got anything else?” and they say “Well, a saxaphone.” Yeah, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-intrument-question/41087/8 "2000-11-14T16:55:23Z")
In “Dark Crystal”, Jen plays a harmonic flute. I have a similar one, only mine is a full-scale pentatonic flute. I had it custom-made by a flute-maker at Scarborough Faire because I loved the concept. It sounds great, but you’re not going to find one in a regular instrument shop. In general, the type of flute you hold like a clarinet is referred to as an end-blown flute, and is more like a whistle in construction than the more common transverse flute (which is what they wanted you to shell out $500 for). I have several transverse and end-blown flutes made of bamboo from the same flutemaker–they’re cheap ($15-$20), easy to play, and sound very nice.