The Most Irritating Instrument Ever

[John Flynn]

OK, we joke a lot on this site about irritating instruments and sometimes it's true and sometimes it's just in fun. But tonight I really heard the most irritating musical instrument ever. My group played at an old-time open mike night at a bar. Our set went pretty well.

Then after us, a group came on that included a musical saw player. I tried to keep an open mind. I tried to like it. But it sounded like one of those electronic "therimins" they used to make horror movie soundtracks. I think I will have nightmares about it tonight. After about three tunes, I was down to my last nerve and just had to get out of there. I have never been so adversely affected by any music before. Convicted killers should have to listen to saw music, but it would be "cruel and unusual punishment." Has anyone else encountered this?

[s1m0n]

Funny. I saw the title of this thread, and thought "the musical saw.."

[Scott Tichenor]

Been there. Done that.

http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin....t=19399

[jmkatcher]

How about Lloyd Loar's personal musical saw? Is this an S-5?



BTW, this really is a picture of Loar's saw.

[Moose]

C'mon now... - this WAS a valid question! - waddan't it! - Ya' know some of these CAFE folks are real serious-minded individuals..

[evanreilly]

Hey, I always wanted a Theremin... I want to try "LOnesome Moonlight Waltz" on that instrument.

[Eugene]

Hey, I play saw! I didn't really have a choice; it's required by the score for George Crumb's Ancient Voices of Children. In any event, saw players are people and need some lovin' too...and some of us even play mandolin.

[John Craton]

Unbeknownst to many, the saw is in fact a very ancient instrument dating at least to the first century B.C. While Nero had his fiddle, apparently Gaius Julius Caesar had the saw as his famous quote would asseverate: "I came, I sawed, I conquered."

[Moose]

Now!! - see what you'se guys started!...### - I told ya'

[OdnamNool]

Sawk it to me, baby. BAYYY-BEEE!

[John Flynn]

It occurs to me that the musical saw is the only instrument that is always both "flat" and "sharp" at the same time.

[Tom C]

Kazoo is also extremely annoying.

[jlb]

I once took gigs from time to time with a band that had a saw player.

Fortunately, he would only play "breaks" (vs. playing the saw the whole time, which I've also heard)....unmelodious to say the least.

[Moose]

What some of us will do.... for a few bucks!## (or maybe...a chance to "pick")

[plunkett5]

Once I worked with a saw player, but he just couldn't cut it.

[Moose]

Well..., this thread certainly has taken on a "life" of its' own - hee... hee...

[ShaneJ]

What you need is a saw player in every band that has a b@n&o. That way the guy with the saw could cut the neck off the b@n&o, and the b@n&o player would be forced to try to constantly tune the saw, keeping it out of commission.

[mandroid]

A racing beltsander, super modified class,

[Bruce Evans]

My nomination for the most annoying instrument:

A soprano who has been told by friends and relatives that she has -

"a beautiful voice."

[John Flynn]

A soprano who has been told by friends and relatives that she has - "a beautiful voice."

A running joke among vocalists is that every soprano's motto is, "It's better to be sharp than to be off key!"

[mandocrucian]

Clara Rockmore Method for theremin

Clara Rockmore All Music Guide bio

Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey documentary, review by Roger Ebert

Austin City Chronicle article on "The Musical Saw".

OK, we joke a lot on this site about irritating instruments and sometimes it's true and sometimes it's just in fun. But tonight I really heard the most irritating musical instrument ever.

And sometimes, after hearing some "pickers", I can honestly attibute that title to the mandolin. It's the player, not the instrument, "bub".

NH

[garyblanchard]

I just bought a CD of Mountain Dulcimer music that had John Hartford playing fiddle on some tracks. The dulcimer player (whose name escapes me at the moment) played saw on one track. While I wouldn't want a steady diet of it, I rather enjoyed the track.

[Clyde Clevenger]

My vote goes to the banjolin as the most annoying instrument. I know it's the player on all those other insturments, but there isn't a way to make this beast paletable. I'm a fair to middlin' player on several instruments, folks seem to like to jam with me when I play guitar, mandolin or even banjo in a pinch, but I get very lonely very quickly when I get out the banjolin. Then I can go to bed, that's why I keep it.

[John Flynn]

there isn't a way to make this beast paletable

Mandoholic: I mostly agree with you, but you should check out Curtis Buckhannon playing a Gibson banjolin on the "Echoes of the Ozarks" track on the Ill-Mo Boys' CD "Laugh and Grow Fat." It is the best use of that instrument I've ever heard. He doubles the fiddle on melody with his left hand, but his right hand picking creates a percussion element in the tune, giving it a unique character that it probably could not have achieved any other way.

[garyblanchard]

Dave Grisman plays banjolin on a couple of cuts on the "Shady Grove" CD with Jerry Garcia. Perhaps it is the songs, the jug-band classic "Stealin'" and "Hesitation Blues" or maybe it is the player, but it sounds great. I also heard one played recently at a vaudeville revival show that sounded good. (Then too, I am a banjo player as well, so what does that tell you? # )