# Non-traditional instrument in rock/pop **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 16, 2014, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867 "2014-06-16T01:08:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867/21 "2014-06-16T06:22:09Z")
The Corrs (specifically Caroline Corr) played the [Bodhrán](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhr%C3%A1n) on a number of tracks. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867/22 "2014-06-16T07:59:07Z")
In Moxy Früvous, Jian Ghomeshi occasionally played the tin whistle. _Shoehorn With Teeth_, by They Might Be Giants, used a glockenspiel. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867/23 "2014-06-16T07:59:21Z")
Andy Mackay of _Roxy Music_ sometimes played the oboe (as here in [Virginia Plain](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEalg62F8Zg&feature=kp)). ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867/24 "2014-06-16T08:22:58Z")
I _think_ that is Grace Slick playing a recorder on Jefferson Airplane’s “[Comin’ Back to Me](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2zds1aRwAo)”. (Possibly it is a flute. My ear is not good enough to be sure. However, she is holding a recorder on [the album cover](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jeffair.jpg). On the other hand, though, the cover shows other band members holding instruments that I do not think are played on the album. Yet again, however, [Grace’s Wikipedia entry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Slick) does mention her playing recorder with her earlier band - but it also says she sometimes played the flute, as well as the oboe and clarinet.) ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867/25 "2014-06-16T09:06:19Z")
I play guitar in a band that features a violinist: [http://thenightsky.bandcamp.com/](http://thenightsky.bandcamp.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867/26 "2014-06-16T13:05:05Z")
Cake regularly uses a trumpet. And something called a vibraslap. The Hooters used…well, hooters or melodicas. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867/27 "2014-06-16T13:53:48Z")
Hard rock band Jackyl used a Jonsered chain saw 😉 Introduced in “Lumberjack” but also featured in the songs “Headed for Destruction” and “Cut the Crap” I’d say a two-stroke powered piece of power equipment qualifies as an “unusual” instrument. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867/28 "2014-06-16T14:17:58Z")
Tony Levin, who was in King Crimson and Yes, plays the [Stick](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapman_Stick). ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867/29 "2014-06-16T14:23:41Z")
Pink Floyd’s “The Gnome” features a celesta. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867/30 "2014-06-16T14:30:39Z")
A number of Tilly & the Wall songs [use tap dancing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZCZRTcY3uA) as the main percussion. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867/31 "2014-06-16T14:34:09Z")
Kongos have an accordian solo in a hard rock setting, Apocolyptica and their cellos playing Metal covers, Pete Townsend’s use of a synth in The Who? ---
**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:** [June 16, 2014, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867/32 "2014-06-16T14:39:45Z")
That reminds me: Soundgarden’s “Spoonman” had a spoon solo in it. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867/33 "2014-06-16T14:43:43Z")
Do we count the vacuum cleaner solos in Phish’s live shows? (I don’t know if they used it on a studio track). For that matter, do we count Future Man playing “drumitar” in Bela Fleck and the Flecktones? ---
**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:** [June 16, 2014, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867/34 "2014-06-16T14:58:02Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > Do we count the vacuum cleaner solos in Phish’s live shows? (I don’t know if they used it on a studio version.) I’m pretty sure it was used on _Junta_. Can’t remember what song, but I remember reading it in the liner notes. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867/35 "2014-06-16T15:23:41Z")
Oh yeah, another fiddle-rock example: Yellowcard. (and Dave Mathews Band, I guess, though I don’t know if that’s just for “Ants Marching,” or all their songs) ---
**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:** [June 16, 2014, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867/36 "2014-06-16T15:31:56Z")
Brian Ritchie from the Violent Femmes plays an acoustic bass a lot of the time. Not an upright bass, but what is basically bigger acoustic guitar with thicker strings. He also plays some sort of Japanese flute and it’s a big part of his life but I don’t know what Femmes songs it appears on. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867/37 "2014-06-16T15:35:17Z")
Alan Stivell tried very hard to rehabilitate the Irish harp as a rock n roll instrument. Both Billy Joel and The Band used accordions prominently. ---
**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:** [June 16, 2014, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867/38 "2014-06-16T15:45:08Z")
Taj Mahal often plays banjo, mandolin, ukulele, and [kalimba](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalimba). The live version of his “Ain’t Gwine Whistle Dixie (Any Mo’)” features a tuba solo by Howard Johnson (who at one point fronted an all-tuba band called Gravity) Elton John used tap dancing (provided by the Bonzo Dog Band’s “Legs” Larry Smith) on his song “I Think I’m Gonna Kill Myself”). ---
**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:** [June 16, 2014, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867/39 "2014-06-16T15:59:20Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Brian Ritchie from the Violent Femmes plays an acoustic bass a lot of the time. Not an upright bass, but what is basically bigger acoustic guitar with thicker strings. > > He also plays some sort of Japanese flute and it’s a big part of his life but I don’t know what Femmes songs it appears on. Forgot to mention that the drummer just plays a snare drum with no set, and some songs feature a xylophone. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867/40 "2014-06-17T03:27:25Z")
How could I forget the electric jug played by 13th Floor Elevators Svengali Tommy Hall? The Who song “Join Together” features Jew’s harp and chord and bass harmonicas. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-instrument-in-rock-pop/690867.md?page=3)