The most annoying/hated instrument

[Rhymer]

I would have to say the bagpipes. I don't see how the sound of cats dying could be classified as music. When I was a toddler my parents lived next door to a guy who played the bagpipes at stupid times. The guy was evicted after several people complained about him playing the bagpipes at 4 in the morning.

Yes, if someone can't play them well, they are annoying as bollocks. However, in the hands of a skilled musician and in the right setting, they can be quite mervelous.

Case in point:

Dropkick Murphys's Fields of Athenry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10agPj0Vzu4

 

[ToxicOranges]

Autotune. I'd rather hear a 25 minute recorder solo than hear anything autotuned.

Whats wrong with it, it makes for a nice effect...

As much as I support Autotuned music, dont use Kanye bloody West to push Autotune.

Instead, I humbly suggest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gN2hntZBIUQ

Daft Punk

 

[IronicBeet]

Autotune. I'd rather hear a 25 minute recorder solo than hear anything autotuned.

Whats wrong with it, it makes for a nice effect...

If you have to use Autotune in order to sing well you have no business singing in the first place. It's that simple. It has enabled talentless hacks like Kanye to get immensely popular, something impossible before Autotune became popular.

He's actually pretty talented, man. Say what you want about his rapping (And yes, he has a tendency to act like a complete douchebag), but he makes great beats.

 

[Link_to_Future]

The clarinet.

It is an extremely beautiful instrument when played in the lower registers by a talented musician.

However, in most of my experience it is played either by untalented students or up in the higher octaves. And personally that just drives me batty.

 

[Gudgeon]

Put any instrument into the hands of a child, force them to learn it and most of them will probably resent the experience. The recorder can be really amazing! probably as close as a recorder can get to shredding, I guess? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjTh2huJh1k&feature=related

I work in a musical instrument shop, there is nothing worse than an over enthusiastic melodeon player.

 

[Brutal Peanut]

I don't tend to like many wind or horn instruments, at all. They annoy me for some reason. My husband LOVES the sound of Bagpipes. I don't mind them as much, but if I listen to it too much, they give me a whopping headache.

I love the sound of string instruments though. Violins and Cellos mostly and enjoy the more slow and mournful melodies.

Edit You know those women who shout "WHA!" or "WOO!" for everything? It usually takes the place of clapping their hands, or just laughing. Whether in the audience on a live recording of a comedians show, or some guy they think is hot did a somersault or some other show off shit in front of them, or some bartender poured them their drink. That is probably the most annoying sound, I've ever heard. So some female vocal chords? lol

 

[Jonluw]

Well, the bagpipe gets a lot of hate. As does the accordion.
I'm gonna be a little unorthodox though, and say the violin. I do love the violin when it's part of an orchestra, - then it sounds great - but when playing solo pieces, it's just too... whiney.

 

[Jovlo]

It's not an instrument, but I can't stand people whistling.
It cuts through me like a knife.

 

[TipsyPeaches]

piccolo. It may just be because in orchestra I was the tuba player, so had a heavy bass, but tat thing would just cut right throug the music and drive me insane. So yeah.

also, lay the heck off the bagpipes. Flower of Scotland would not be Flower of Scotland unless squeezed out the creaking monstrosity. Beautiful beast.

 

[Theo Rob]

Seconded for recorder. It's the most useless thing I've ever heard. It has never sounded good played by anybody, and it's not even inherently funny like the kazoo. And I had to play it because apparently all schools like to torture you in year two...

I couldn't agree with you more. Why waste time learing an instrument you will never need to use ever in your life. Even if it does help grasp basic music...it's just not worth it.

just great
in my pimary school recorder lesson were brutal
we were punished for the slightest mess up
bad memories

 

[Amphoteric]

Bagpipes.It's probably the ONLY instrument that still sounds bloody awful even when played by an 'expert'

I don't know...


Also I say recorder. I don't know how music teachers across the country remain sane...

 

[Mazza35]

I don't know why you all hate bagpipes, they are awesome!
But yeah, I'm going to have to go with auto tuned voices, (and mainstream pop in that case), I literally assume foetal position or blast Punk into my ear from my phone, if phone is not handy, I assume head to wall method.

 

[maninahat]

Well, the bagpipe gets a lot of hate. As does the accordion.
I'm gonna be a little unorthodox though, and say the violin. I do love the violin when it's part of an orchestra, - then it sounds great - but when playing solo pieces, it's just too... whiney.

It can take forever for a violinist to get it tone perfect and a nice sound. Can be a similar case with a clarinet. It takes years of training for these instruments to actually sound nice, but when they do, they sound excellent. Clarinets are perhaps worse still, because they never sound nice in clarinet choir pieces.

 

[theonlyblaze2]

Goin' with the recorder. I agree the bagpipes are annoying in modern ages, that shit had to be scary as hell to hear when going into war. Also, playing them-makes you invincable. Case in point #3 on this list. http://www.cracked.com/article_17019_5-real-life-soldiers-who-make-rambo-look-like-pussy.html

 

[Apollo45]

Recorder.

Bagpipes may sound absolutely horrible in the hands of a novice, but, as has been said, it can be amazing in the hands of someone who actually knows how to play it. Plus it is by far the most badass instrument ever made. Nothing else can be taken in to battle and have quite the same effect as it did. Refer to Private Bill Millin [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Millin] as an example. And, for an example of a group of bagpipers who know their instrument, refer to The Rouges of Scotland [http://www.esnips.com/doc/400ce226-0c39-4dc2-8908-5e8889082476/Celtic-Bagpipes---The-Rouges-Of-Scotland], at least in my opinion.

 

[tomtom94]

The descant recorder in the hands of the average child.

See also: any loud instrument in the hands of someone who doesn't know how to play it.

I know someone with grade 8 treble recorder (she hates it and only does it because she's paid to mind) so they CAN be played well...just generally not.

 

[Vault101]

We've all got one. That one instrument, whether through terrible sound, traumatizing experience or annoying repetition is the one instrument that you hate. For me it is the retarded cousin of the flute and whistle, THE RECORDER!!!. My hate for this ear drum shattereing excuse for an instrument was rekindled when my sister found one while cleaning her room and has been blowing on it for most of the afternoon (luckily she got bored of it). Anyone who did music in primary school know of the horrible nails on chalkboard sound it makes, any poor mother who had to drive her child home who now thinks they will be the next best musician knows of the pain.

Now with my small rant over. So fellow escapist what is your most hated instrument? Feel free to share your bad experiences with it.

I swear I dont think ANYONE could make a recorder sound good

 

[Amphoteric]

has a rad recorder solo

just sayin

Sounds like an ocarina to me...

 

[Wrann]

Ya I would have to go with the recorder also if not just because my little brother and sister had to do it for school and my god was it TERRIBLE to listen to.

 

[Silent observer]

Kinda not the same thing, but I do hate the way that EVERYONE plays the guitar. Or at least, everyone claims to - but what they mean is, they can play a few chords. Poorly.

Not sure why this annoys me so much, I even get angry at myself for playing the guitar.