# Musicians playing instruments in unusual ways **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [December 11, 2023, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-playing-instruments-in-unusual-ways/994440 "2023-12-11T19:37:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-playing-instruments-in-unusual-ways/994440/1 "2023-12-11T19:37:01Z")
I really like [this rendition of _Billie Jean_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olHI-y3bDaM) played by four musicians on one guitar. Any other examples of musicians doing weird and cool things with their instruments? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-playing-instruments-in-unusual-ways/994440/2 "2023-12-11T20:01:02Z")
Keith Emmerson would do wild stuff with a piano. Flying it in the air. Playing upside down. Laying on the ground and pulling the piano/organ on top of him. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-playing-instruments-in-unusual-ways/994440/3 "2023-12-11T20:24:33Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BARAHLk-8dk/maxresdefault.jpg "Leo P at the BBC Proms 2017") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BARAHLk-8dk) ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-playing-instruments-in-unusual-ways/994440/4 "2023-12-11T21:13:16Z")
The OP reminded me of this with multiple people playing a Harpejji. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvlqdHJv2So&list=FL7dHQAaYQoDomh5cjpPMJWQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvlqdHJv2So&list=FL7dHQAaYQoDomh5cjpPMJWQ) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-playing-instruments-in-unusual-ways/994440/5 "2023-12-11T21:20:29Z")
This is not quite on the mark, but is worth seeing and is pretty unique. Five Pianists play Flandre’s Theme and do so very well. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/4w7zEJGxpi0/maxresdefault.jpg "Five Pianists Play Flandre's theme (U. N. Owen Was Her?) Live on Estonian national TV") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w7zEJGxpi0) ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-playing-instruments-in-unusual-ways/994440/6 "2023-12-11T21:31:51Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Keith Emmerson would do wild stuff with a piano. Flying it in the air. Playing upside down. Laying on the ground and pulling the piano/organ on top of him. Don’t forget his habit of [stabbing his keyboard with knives](https://youtu.be/xggFzkyd288?feature=shared&t=55)! ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-playing-instruments-in-unusual-ways/994440/7 "2023-12-11T21:35:18Z")
> [@dougrb](#): > > The OP reminded me of this with multiple people playing a Harpejji. IIRC, most of Walk Off The Earth’s videos are similar to that. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-playing-instruments-in-unusual-ways/994440/8 "2023-12-11T22:02:16Z")
John Cage is pretty famous for this kind of stuff > **[John Cage - Sonata V (from Sonatas and Interludes) - Inara Ferreira, prepared...](https://yt.artemislena.eu/watch?v=jRHoKZRYBlY)** > > Sonata V by John Cage for Prepared Piano, from Sonatas and Interludes, performed by Inara Ferreira. > Recorded at the FAU Theater - Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton - FL ---
**Author:** ![Lavender\_Pebble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lavender_pebble/32/6290_2.png) [@Lavender\_Pebble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lavender_Pebble)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-playing-instruments-in-unusual-ways/994440/9 "2023-12-11T22:10:06Z")
Tatsuya Nakatani plays gongs with a violin-type bow he made himself, and it’s really incredible if you can ever catch a tour. More info here: [https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/n/na-nn/-nakatani-gong-orchestra/](https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/n/na-nn/-nakatani-gong-orchestra/) and here’s a video of it: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f61bLyLmRdg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f61bLyLmRdg) He also has a more eclectic experimental set where he’s just going ham on a drum set with some meditation bowls, cymbals and a single gong that is pretty intense. It gets a little weird but I appreciate the chaos. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-playing-instruments-in-unusual-ways/994440/10 "2023-12-11T22:12:12Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/oiziGLe1jBw/hqdefault.jpg "Lang Lang plays Chopin with orange") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiziGLe1jBw) ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-playing-instruments-in-unusual-ways/994440/11 "2023-12-11T22:13:29Z")
Like this one: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/P9mybTArlsk/hqdefault.jpg "Somebody That I Used to Know - Walk off the Earth (Gotye - Cover)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9mybTArlsk) ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-playing-instruments-in-unusual-ways/994440/12 "2023-12-11T22:13:36Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ifKKlhYF53w/hqdefault.jpg "IGUDESMAN & JOO - Rachmaninov had big Hands") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifKKlhYF53w) ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-playing-instruments-in-unusual-ways/994440/13 "2023-12-11T22:15:05Z")
[The Vaughn Brothers playing Pipeline on a double-necked guitar](https://youtu.be/Jhfr7sjLcJg?feature=shared) [Jeff Beck joins Tal Wilkenfeld for a bass solo](https://youtu.be/gXtbvrz7XlA?feature=shared) ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-playing-instruments-in-unusual-ways/994440/14 "2023-12-11T22:43:47Z")
[Michael Hedges had a unique way of playing guitar.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaIN13aDbCc&ab_channel=type3secretion) A number of clones have appeared since, but none of them have what he had in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-playing-instruments-in-unusual-ways/994440/15 "2023-12-11T22:45:10Z")
Leroy Troy, sort of a banjo manipulator: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/TzQcjupwexM/hqdefault.jpg "23－Leroy Troy－Banjo Meltdown 1992") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzQcjupwexM) The Flying Karamazov Brothers: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/0FUo1LiSFxE/hqdefault.jpg "The Flying Karamazov Brothers (1983) - Part 7 of 8") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FUo1LiSFxE) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-playing-instruments-in-unusual-ways/994440/16 "2023-12-11T22:46:39Z")
Of course, Jimmy Page used to use a bow on his Les Paul guitar. Didn’t do much for me and I sure wouldn’t want to play a concert with all that rosin on the strings. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-playing-instruments-in-unusual-ways/994440/17 "2023-12-11T22:51:24Z")
Some country/bluegrass bands do a novelty act where they’ll switch instruments mid song and just keep passing them around. Or two pickers will each be playing 1 hand on their instruments and the other on the other instrument. Sorry I don’t have a specific example in mind to share. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-playing-instruments-in-unusual-ways/994440/18 "2023-12-11T22:56:03Z")
The obscure 60s group the Creation played guitar with a bow; Jimmy Page, not surprisingly, tried it, too. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-playing-instruments-in-unusual-ways/994440/19 "2023-12-11T23:20:00Z")
Back in the day “hipsters” would play a bass by plucking the strings instead of using a bow. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2023, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-playing-instruments-in-unusual-ways/994440/20 "2023-12-12T10:20:50Z")
The late great Jeff Healy played all guitar, not only lap steel, sitting down with his guitar on his lap. I guess that style had something to do with his blindness. ETA: and of course there were those guitarists who did tricks like playing with their teeth, behind their back and other stunts, the most famous of all of course Jimi Hendrix, who IIRC copied these stunts from T Bone Walker. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-playing-instruments-in-unusual-ways/994440.md?page=2)