Top Ten Musical Instruments

Violet sure seems to blow that harmonica like she knows what she's doing, but the noise that comes out is akin to the death wheezes of an aging bagpipe. Still, it's hilarious to watch, and she takes it extremely seriously.

If you get to know me, you'll know that I love making top ten lists, about anything and everything. So I figured I would post them here in this blog at various points. Let's start with my top ten favorite instruments.

10.) Timpani Drums - Okay, this is an odd choice of instruments, but this is the instrument that MAKES the symphony orchestra for me. When you hear the booming of them in the beginning of a piece, it brings such majesty, such power - that I immediately stop and listen.

9.) Xylophone - Yes, "x" is for xylophone - that's my ESL teaching coming out. (and I've always been irritated that this is the example they use). Anyway, I actually prefer duel xylophones, with people banging away on them like crazy. Too bad the instruments are bulky and difficult to move around - I've always wanted to learn how to play them.

8.) Trombone - A brass band needs the trombone, and hearing them do the slide brings shivers when I hear it. Oddly, I'm not as enthused about them when played solo, but I do enjoy them in a group - trumpets alone do not have enough oomph in bands.

7.) Fiddle - Yeah, I said fiddle instead of violin. Are they different? Wikipedia says they're basically the same - and I mean the style of music. A good violinist can make you cry. A good fiddler can make the most stoic of men dance. Crying is good sometimes, but I rather tap my foot, thank you.

6.) French Horn - Such a mellow, rich sound - I wish bands and orchestras give them more solos. When backed up by strings, it's something I can close my eyes and just listen with enjoyment.

5.) Clarinet - I love Dixie music, and a good clarinet player will make me stop and listen - even in the most exciting amusement park in the world (why is that the only place I run into Dixie bands?). The trumpet is louder, and brasher. But the clarinet is the instrument that brings the true melody to the group.

4.) Trumpet - Brash, loud, blaring. Without them, I couldn't stand brass bands. I wouldn't be able to smile as much as I do when I hear Bugler's Holiday by Leroy Anderson. The trumpet IS the orchestra. The leader, the best - and hearing them in God is Good All the Time brings me joy every time.

3.) Accordion - Yeah, I said it. I'm tired of the accordion being associated with polka. Yes, it is the mainstay of that brand of music, but a master of the accordion - and they certainly are rare - is amazing to listen to. Add an accordion to a band, and someone who knows how to wield it, and you have increased it's likeability by 100%.

2.) Piano - The only instrument I know how to play (okay, I know how to play the trumpet - we just haven't worked out any of the kings yet). Still, the pianist is the master of the orchestra, the leader - they don't need anyone else to sound good. And the variety of styles are amazing - from honky tonk to ballads.

1.) Theater Organ - I love the grandeur of the pipe organ, but the theater organ is still my favorite. When I was a kid, I went to an organ maker (forget the name now), and an old man sat down at the organ and played several pieces for us. I was transfixed, and I've never forgotten it. Yes, silent films are dead and gone - and theater organs have been mostly relegated to recordings at ice rinks - but it's still my favorite instrument. Perhaps modern keyboards have replaced them to some degree, but it just isn't the same.

Okay, those are my favorite instruments - the Definitive List of Best Musical Instruments. What's yours?