this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2025
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Bonus points for a song that has a good part for that instrument.

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[–] propitiouspanda@lemmy.cafe 2 points 4 days ago
[–] RealSpiderLane@lemmy.zip 2 points 5 days ago

Pro musician here.

There are so many, but a hurdy gurdy has gotta be up there. Played by someone who knows more than the basics, it sounds like something a medieval king would demand played to relax.

(They’re also among the most expensive instruments out there, as the only makers today are extremely talented individual ones; no big company like Fender or anything makes them. If you see one, you know it was handmade by a master.)

I also love the sound of the Crwth. It’s from Wales, and is sort of like a regional spinoff/precursor to the violin.

[–] crapwittyname@lemm.ee 5 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)
[–] dependencyinjection@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Piano or Violin for solo instruments, but I love a good concerto or symphony.

[–] psilotop@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago

Drums - pretty much any single by Street Drum Corp

[–] ipkpjersi@lemmy.ml 3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Probably acoustic guitar tbh, I love acoustic covers, but Piano is amazing too, and electric guitar.

Acoustic covers are just so raw and nice to listen to.

[–] Krudler@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago

Vibraphone and marimba

Very close, steel drum

[–] Cruxifux@feddit.nl 27 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Just love a heavy well produced guitar riff. Might be a boring answer but that’s the one for me.

[–] Apeman42@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (4 children)

I'm also fan of a particular type of guitar riff that I can only describe as "crunchy" with my limited music vocabulary.

The best example I can give is Spirit in the Sky. The lyrics are cheesy, but damn the guitars are fine in that track.

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[–] Jaxia@startrek.website 23 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I love a good piano piece.

One of my favorites: https://youtu.be/zucBfXpCA6s

[–] toomanypancakes@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

That was a lovely performance! Great pick, thanks for sharing it

[–] Scrawny@lemm.ee 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Her Hungarian Rhapsody performance is my favorite!

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[–] Apeman42@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Like as the main or only instrument in a song? Probably Spanish guitar. See "Vamo Alla Flamenco" from Final Fantasy 9. I wanna say Diablo 2 had a good Spanish guitar track too, but no idea what it's called.

[–] Malkor@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I believe the song in Diablo is called "Tristram". Excellent classical guitar song!

[–] Chozo@fedia.io 4 points 1 week ago

It's also a really fun song to play. I used to know how to do the intro when I was younger. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2evIg-aYw8

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[–] SendMePhotos@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Drums in music. I always zero in on the percussion patterns.

[–] fan0m@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Here’s one I enjoy a lot.

https://youtu.be/wgDZrFG8Ku4

I also recommend checking that whole album out. It’s great.

[–] blarth@thelemmy.club 1 points 5 days ago

This song is awesome, thanks.

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[–] reddig33@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Oboe. Anything from the Dream Academy albums would qualify. It has a nice pure sound almost like a vocal.

In second place would be the sitar, or the Hammond Organ if someone is rockin out. The Peddlers, or Fanny would be good examples of excellent Hammond.

[–] blarth@thelemmy.club 2 points 5 days ago

Oboe was my choice as well.

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[–] mechoman444@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago

The hurdy-gurdy is so pleasant to listen too. I love the drone notes it can play.

[–] DirigibleProtein@aussie.zone 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)
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[–] Alabaster_Mango@lemmy.ca 10 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (6 children)
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[–] JayleneSlide@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Roland TB-303. It's the synth that launched so much electronic music. Examples are legion, but one of my favorites is Psychic TV "E-male:" https://youtu.be/o2U3joQ9oFI

Generally considered among the penultimate 303 examples are:

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[–] Skunk@jlai.lu 7 points 1 week ago

The Cello, loved it so much that I started learning to play it at around 30.

https://youtu.be/7_8yPpCjK_w

[–] Kyle_The_G@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

oboe, cello, violin...

[–] AceFuzzLord@lemm.ee 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

IDK why, but the hurdy gurdy has a pretty alluring sound, in my opinion. So I'm probably going with either that or acoustic guitar.

Edit:

I really like this song using hurdy gurdy because to me it kinda sounds like a soundtrack piece for some prison action film.

[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)
[–] AceFuzzLord@lemm.ee 2 points 6 days ago

Damn! That hit hard! Thank you for that one.

[–] moakley@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

Piano. Chopin, especially Raindrop.

https://youtu.be/6OFHXmiZP38

If I said guitar, I'd point you to this song, which is actually a piano song performed on guitar. Lately this is the song that makes me feel things.

https://youtu.be/fnymlUUomKI

[–] sockman@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Love me a steel drum. No other instrument can instantly transport you to a beach

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[–] Lazhward@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago (3 children)
[–] pdqcp@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 6 days ago

Any song in particular that you'd recommend?

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[–] card797@champserver.net 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)
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[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago
[–] Windex007@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Bassoon or oboe... Maybe it's the double reed?

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[–] lnxtx@feddit.nl 6 points 1 week ago
[–] Sammy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I love the theremin! This is one of my favorite duets.

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[–] Aussiemandeus@aussie.zone 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Violin is up there for me, such rich notes and emotion can be pushed through it.

After that a didgeridoo played well is awesome. I like to play mine into the bath tub so I get the reverberation and can really hear it

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[–] zxqwas@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

If you just keep it to the basic instrument drums probably.

If we are allowing it then a heavily distorted guitar tuned stupidly low. But is it the instrument or the various electronics that make the sound?

[–] pdqcp@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I'm not so well versed in music, so any examples of music that you like that have this distortion you mentioned?

[–] zxqwas@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago

Any heavy metal uses distortion, at least I think that is the English term.

If you're asking specifically i like meshuggah - bleed style guitar.

[–] whotookkarl@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

Who doesn't enjoy some good theremin

https://youtu.be/9qYndeST4aw

[–] Deconceptualist@lemm.ee 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

My actual favorite is electric guitar followed by violin, and I'll gladly expound, but those have already been mentioned.

So for this comment I'll go with handpan drum. Those sound so amazing and soothing to me.

[–] Aussiemandeus@aussie.zone 4 points 1 week ago

Damn I've been trying to find out what the hand pan drum was called for so long, thank you haha.

I would call it the 44 gallon xylophone

[–] lennybird@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I love a lot of different instruments, but I fell in love with the Erhu after ATLA. Second to that, the orchestral strings like the violin, viola, cello, etc. Scores from Halo and Elder Scrolls franchises.

Finally, the collective vocal cords of choirs.

[–] NeedyPlatter@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 week ago

Violin! Especially when they are used to imitate the sound of wind. My current fav examples of this: https://youtu.be/U0TXIXTzJEY https://youtu.be/NqAOGduIFbg

[–] FreakinSteve@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'm big fan of pianos (but not all piano genres) and I have learned that I really like piano run through a phaser and doubled with a Japanese koto

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[–] marzhall@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago (2 children)

When I think of a classical instrument, I think cello - specifically this piece Shadow of Doubt by Yoko Kanno, where it has such a brooding tone and power.

Being a synthesizer nerd, I like those most, but they have such varied tones among them and even on the same synth; 4x Atlantis by Aphex Twin probably captures one of the tones I most love, and the entire "Orphans" piece hits much of the range.

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[–] Almacca@aussie.zone 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Electric guitar.

Not a single instrument, but I love a horn section, too.

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