Instrument Overkill

What instrument, in your opinion, is overdone-to-death in modern music?
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My vote: The cymbals. Cymbals are a cheap way to fill extra time. They are sometimes used as a substitute for good musicianship.

There's just too much use of cymbals in popular music. How many cymbals does the average drumkit have? Too many. How often does the average drummer strike them? Too often.

heh… in the last band I was in, we practiced in an extremely small basement where I used to be positioned right next to the drummer, and one of his cymbals was right next to my ear. So, I concur.

Roto-toms.

COWBELL!

Actually in the 70s it was the hi-hat on many songs. It would be like a hi-hat with some backing band.

If you concider the Anteres auto-tune an instrument, then that is the most overused. You can hear it on so many singers.

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I agree with cymbals. Less cymbals, more toms I say. I was in a band where the drummer played the quads in marching band…so luckily he tended to not rely on cymbals.

It can also be how the cymbals are recorded on an album. I hate it when they're up front and too hissy (pssss instead of pish). It makes an album hard to get through for me.

The melodica is also overused.

Originally posted by Chip Chanko:


The melodica is also overused.

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But the keytar is way-underused, IMHO.

yep, i'd also agree with cymbals. i think the most under used instrument is the xylophone.

soul music was killed by the DX7 synthesizer sound and the slap bass

Cymbals, yep. Way overused, i notice this at live shows alot.

Most uderused… I was gonna say jaw harp, but i jsut heard it on the dandy warhols album. I play mandolin, and that instrument is underused in everything but bluegrass. Thats why my plan is to introduce it to rock, like Jethro Tull and the flute.

Originally posted by TheWaz:
I play mandolin, and that instrument is underused in everything but bluegrass. Thats why my plan is to introduce it to rock

perhaps you are unfamiliar with this little ditty
<img src="http://i20.ebayimg.com/02/i/02/f3/71/03_1.JPG" alt=" - " />

Originally posted by TheWaz:
Cymbals, yep. Way overused, i notice this at live shows alot.

Most uderused… I was gonna say jaw harp, but i jsut heard it on the dandy warhols album. I play mandolin, and that instrument is underused in everything but bluegrass. Thats why my plan is to introduce it to rock, like Jethro Tull and the flute.

Don't forget Mercury Rev for the flute. On their first several albums they had a lot of flute.

The Vibraslap

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definitely the theremin

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The human voice.

:roll:

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
:roll:

Yes as used to horrid effect by Cher and others. You can usually hear it when you know someone's voice should go from "head voice" to "chest voice" but it doesn't. It is just weird to hear.

without it hoobastank and ashley simpson would be saying theater five is to your left and down the hall…