Most unique intrument you've ever heard in a song

[Hyorinmaru]

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I picked this one because the only instrument is Bobby McFerrin's voice. There may be more songs that have the vocalists voice as the only insturment but I haven't come across them yet and I doubt it would work as well as it does here. With what consumers and music execs are looking for in today's music I highly doubt we'll see a song like this (the voice of the singer being the only instrument) anytime soon.​

 

[Sinister Shadows]

interesting style of music I've discovered over the last couple of years is whats effectively known as "Hellbilly" basically playing hard rock on traditional country instruments. besides the electric guitar it's Slide Guitar, Stand up Bass, Fiddle, Banjo and drums.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv35xffJUZA


can never get the vids to work so just posted link.

seen this act in the video live in concert twice last year, they play a 3 hour set, starting with traditional country, then Hellbilly, then punk-metal.

 

[Alex]

Hmm interesting thread idea man.

I guess I'd pick the sitar.


Red Hot Chili Peppers-Behind The Sun

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Guitarist Hillel Slovak plays the sitar throughout the song and it gives a bit of added depth. On a guitar it still would have been good, but the sitar gives it extra depth in my opinion.


Rolling Stones-Paint It Black

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Played by Brian Jones, it gives the song its signature riff and again it gives the song some extra depth that a guitar wouldn't be able to give.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Goldfrapp use an instrument called The Theremin in a few of their songs. In the video below you can see the singer Alison Goldfrapp using it at some points in her songs.

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Here is a definition of the instrument from Wikipedia

The theremin, originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device in 1928. The controlling section usually consists of two metal antennas which sense the position of the player's hands and control oscillators for frequency with one hand, and amplitude (volume) with the other, so it can be played without being touched. The electric signals from the theremin are amplified and sent to a loudspeaker.

The theremin is associated with a very eerie sound, which has led to its use in movie soundtracks such as Miklos Rozsa's for Spellbound and The Lost Weekend and Bernard Herrmann's for The Day the Earth Stood Still and as the theme tune for the ITV drama Midsomer Murders. Theremins are also used in concert music (especially avant-garde and 20th- and 21st-century new music) and in popular music genres such as rock. Psychedelic rock bands in particular, such as Hawkwind, have often used the theremin in their work.

I remember seeing Goldfrapp at a festival several years ago, and thought they pretty much sucked bar 2 songs, but I remember seeing Alison waving her hands infront of this weird box thing and having no idea what it was. Now I do.

 

[HailTheGillberg]

On May of 2010, Crash Test Dummies released a great album known as Oooh La La.

On this album, Brad Roberts and company used toy instruments (specifically one called the Optigan, for Optical Organ) and created a unique batch of sounds that are pretty hard to distinguish from 'real' instruments most of the time.

So yeah, I would say the Optigan used by CTD on Oooh La La.

EDIT: Here's a Youtube link to one of the tracks off of the album... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ef3Wx6vnsc

 

[SorgFamily]

I guess I'd pick the sitar.

That was my first choice as well. A couple Beatles songs use it most popularly on Norwegian Wood (This Bird has Flown) and Within You Without You. George Harrison took a fascination to the instrument when he found one on the set of the movie, Help!.


For a different choice I'll pick the flugelhorn which was used on Paul McCartney's first post Beatles #1 single "Uncle Albert, Admiral Halsey played by Marvin Stamn, an American trumpeter.
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[This Is My Name Thank You]

The Motograter by the band Motograter. It was an homemade insturment that was developed to act as the bands bass. It has many heavy strings and power tools and chains on it. By far the craziest instrument I have ever heard.

 

[¡Roján!]

I'll probably go with the sitar in the song ''Life in Technicolor II'' by Coldplay. The way they use the normal guitar and the sitar it's almost impossible to recognise the sitar! But, my favourite part of the song is the massive instrumental intro that lasts for about a minute or so. Really, a great song to listen to on a sad, rainy day.

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[Dowdsy McDowds]

This one goes to Sigur Ros for their stone marimba.

 

[JWGunslinger]

Black Sheep by Dewey Cox

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Pretty interesting video huh?
Yep I took an artist from a movie(Walk Hard) and picked a song from the soundtrack by him(John C Reily) but this is definitely a unique song. He uses everthing from a dijurido to them using a frickin goat and even some african tribesmen playing in the background. Crazy combination of instruments for a crazy song, but thats how it's supposed to be and I even enjoy listening to it outside of the movie.