# What Instrument Is This? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 21, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-instrument-is-this/619517 "2012-04-21T17:59:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-instrument-is-this/619517/1 "2012-04-21T17:59:10Z")
The percussion instrument played between 1:33 and 2:03 of [this clip.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UVNT4wvIGY) Thanks! ---
**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:** [April 21, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-instrument-is-this/619517/2 "2012-04-21T18:02:17Z")
Can you be more specific, I hear a handful of percussion instruments. Drums? Xylophone? ---
**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:** [April 21, 2012, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-instrument-is-this/619517/3 "2012-04-21T18:05:05Z")
[Here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YzGOq42zLk) they are in studio. Whatever it is you’re looking for, the answer is probably ‘synthesizer’. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-instrument-is-this/619517/4 "2012-04-21T19:06:27Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Can you be more specific, I hear a handful of percussion instruments. Drums? Xylophone? It’s deeper than the xylophone. It sounds like a combination of a drum and a wind instrument, if that makes sense (and I’m sure it doesn’t, sorry). ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-instrument-is-this/619517/5 "2012-04-21T19:10:28Z")
Here it is in a different song from a different era: [Terry Snyder - Rock a Bongo Boogie - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT-izUM_oR0) It’s the drums (?) at the very beginning. ---
**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:** [April 21, 2012, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-instrument-is-this/619517/6 "2012-04-21T19:16:09Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Here it is in a different song from a different era: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT-izUM\_oR0](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT-izUM_oR0) > > It’s the drums (?) at the very beginning. I hear it there. Almost sounds like when Blue Man Group hits the PVC tubes with ping pong paddles. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-instrument-is-this/619517/7 "2012-04-21T19:51:37Z")
The percussion being played in the second piece sound like [octobans](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN3jyXHJmTs) or [roto-toms](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgutw5FM5QU) to me, probably somewhat processed. FWIW, I don’t hear the same instruments at all in the first piece. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-instrument-is-this/619517/8 "2012-04-21T20:06:18Z")
Weirdest percussion “instrument” I’ve ever seen was a wooden door used by Herman’s Hermits in the song “This Door Swings Both Ways”. 🙂 Q ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-instrument-is-this/619517/9 "2012-04-21T20:09:12Z")
I think that it’s a sampled version of a slit drum. ---
**Author:** ![Satellite\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Satellite\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satellite_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-instrument-is-this/619517/10 "2012-04-21T21:51:15Z")
Just thought I’d add, 172 freaking MILLION views!! Wow.