There are instruments that are the tentpoles of rock: the drums, lead guitar, bass, and keyboard. But every so often, bands will get the bright idea to bring something new to the mix. Across the history of the genre, rockers have strayed far and wide to find new sounds. They’ve tried everything from spoons to bagpipes.
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Check out five rockers that have used unusual instruments in their song crafting, below.
1. The Bagpipes – AC/DC
Though AC/DC hails from Australia, Bon Scott celebrates his birth country, Scotland, in “It’s Long Way to the Top.” Producer George Young found out Scott had been a part of a bagpipe band when he was younger and urged the frontman to add a pipe solo to the tune. Scott agreed though he had never played the instrument before (he was the drummer in the aforementioned band) and somehow pulled off the stunner of a bagpipe break that appears in “It’s Long Way to the Top” today.
2. The Theremin – The Beach Boys
Strangely the means to capturing a spooky vibe and the means to capturing a sun-soaked, beachy one come from the same source: the Theremin. The electronic instrument had been used more for scary sound effects than rock records before the Beach Boys came along. In their genre-redefining hit “Good Vibrations,” Mike Love waves his hand over the instrument to create the iconic riff we all know and love. Many bands have adopted the Theremin’s since.
3. The Hurdy Gurdy – Metallica
The Hurdy Gurdy sounds made up, nevertheless, it is a very real instrument that dominated the Dark Ages. Though it has largely fallen out of use in modern times, Metallica did take it for a spin on their song “Low Man’s Lyric.” There is something mystical about the instrument, which you wouldn’t think would align with Metallica’s sound, but pairs perfectly with their dark imagery.
4. Spoons – Soundgarden
You’d be doing a song called “Spoonman” a disservice if you didn’t bring out a spoon or two. Folkies have used the spoon as a percussive instrument for decades, but it doesn’t show up too often in hard rock, making the decision for Soundgarden to add it to their hit all the more interesting. The song is said to have been inspired by a street musician named Artis the Spoonman. One could guess what his instrument of choice was…
5. A Makeshift Kazoo – Jimi Hendrix
Though Jimi Hendrix is thought of as a through-and-through rocker, his roots are heavily steeped in the blues. In his song “Crosstown Traffic,” Hendrix fashioned a makeshift kazoo out of a comb and a tissue to help add a bluesy flavor to the lead riff. His guitar is still front and center though, of course.
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