Progressive Boink

[Spoodles]

10. Synthesizer - 179 points
(10 of 21 lists. Highest ranking #2 - Jaspers)

A synthesizer (or synthesiser, properly called "sound" or "music" synthesizer, and often abbreviated to "synth") is an electronic musical instrument that utilizes one or more sound generators to create waveforms which are then processed and combined in order to generate musical sounds.

Synthesizers utilize a number of different technologies or programmed algorithms, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Among the most popular waveform synthesis techniques are subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis, wavetable synthesis, frequency modulation synthesis, phase distortion synthesis, physical modeling synthesis and sample-based synthesis. Other sound synthesis methods, like subharmonic synthesis or granular synthesis, are not found in music synthesizers.

Synthesizers are often controlled with a piano-style keyboard, leading such instruments to be referred to simply as "keyboards". Several other forms of controller have been devised to resemble violins, guitars and wind-instruments. Synthesizers without controllers are often called "modules", and can be controlled using MIDI or CV/Gate methods.

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

[Spoodles]

The top ten has been breached! Nothing to do now but go down with the ship! Tomorrow and Wednesday! S.O.S.

[CH]

10. Synthesizer - 179 points
(10 of 21 lists. Highest ranking #2 - Jaspers)

A synthesizer (or synthesiser, properly called "sound" or "music" synthesizer, and often abbreviated to "synth") is an electronic musical instrument that utilizes one or more sound generators to create waveforms which are then processed and combined in order to generate musical sounds.

Synthesizers utilize a number of different technologies or programmed algorithms, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Among the most popular waveform synthesis techniques are subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis, wavetable synthesis, frequency modulation synthesis, phase distortion synthesis, physical modeling synthesis and sample-based synthesis. Other sound synthesis methods, like subharmonic synthesis or granular synthesis, are not found in music synthesizers.

Synthesizers are often controlled with a piano-style keyboard, leading such instruments to be referred to simply as "keyboards". Several other forms of controller have been devised to resemble violins, guitars and wind-instruments. Synthesizers without controllers are often called "modules", and can be controlled using MIDI or CV/Gate methods.

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

Someone voted Synthesizer higher than I did? As someone who unapologetically loves 80's music, this brings me great joy. Now let's see piano get #1.

[Z. S. Ghost]

Someone voted Synthesizer higher than I did? As someone who unapologetically loves 80's music, this brings me great joy. Now let's see piano get #1.

I put it #4, too. It's too bad the synthesizer is gonna be this high and there's no love for its broheim the sampler.

[Spoodles]

9. Banjo - 195 points
(13 of 21 lists. Highest ranking #3 - Natasha, Fuzzy Dunlop)

The banjo is a stringed instrument with, typically, four or five strings, which vibrate a membrane of plastic material or animal hide stretched over a circular frame. Early forms of the instrument were primarily developed by enslaved Africans in Colonial America, adapted from several African instruments. There are several ideas on where the name banjo came from. It may derive from the Kimbundu term mbanza. Some etymologists believe it comes from a dialectal pronunciation of the Portuguese "bandore" or from an early anglicisation of the Spanish word "bandurria", though other research suggests that it may come from a Senegambian term for a bamboo stick formerly used for the instrument's neck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSFLZ-MzIhM

[Spoodles]

8. Violin - 200 points
(14 of 21 lists. Highest ranking #1 - Wha)

The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest and highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which also includes the viola and cello, and occasionally the double bass.

A person who makes or repairs violins is called a luthier, or simply a violin maker. The parts of a violin are usually made from different types of wood (although electric violins may not be made of wood at all, since their sound may not be dependent on specific acoustic characteristics of the instrument's construction), and it is usually strung with gut, nylon/steel composite, or steel strings.

Someone who plays the violin is called a violinist or a fiddler. The violinist produces sound by drawing a bow across one or more strings (which may be stopped by the fingers of the other hand to produce a full range of pitches), by plucking the strings (with either hand), or by a variety of other techniques. The violin is played by musicians in a wide variety of musical genres, including Baroque music, classical, jazz, folk music, pop-punk and rock and roll. The violin has come to be played in many non-western music cultures all over the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xyBo4gFQJ0 The least annoying video I could find for the violin

[Spoodles]

7. Kit Drums - 210 points
(13 of 21 lists. Highest ranking #2 - Laura, Nicholas)

A drum kit (also drum set, kit, or trap set) is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person (drummer).

The individual instruments of a drum set are hit by a variety of implements held in the hand, including sticks, brushes, and mallets. Two notable exceptions include the bass drum, played by a foot-operated pedal, and the hi-hat cymbals, which may be struck together using a foot pedal in addition to being played with sticks or brushes. Although other instruments can be played using a pedal, the feet are usually occupied by the bass drum and hi hat, and as a result the drummer plays in a seated position. Percussion notation is often used by drummers to signify which drum set components are to be played. A full size drum set without any additional percussion instruments has a bass drum, floor tom, snare drum, tom-toms, and a variety of cymbals including hi-hat cymbals, ride cymbal and a crash cymbal.

Various music genres dictate the stylistically appropriate use of the drum kit's set-up. For example, in most forms of rock music, the bass drum, hi-hat and snare drum are the primary instruments used to create a drum beat, whereas in jazz, ride and snare patterns tend to be more prevalent. In the 2000s, an increasing number of drummers have begun to use electronic drum pads which trigger synthesized or sampled drum sounds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Sf_pogZ8jE

[Spoodles]

6. Trumpet - 210 points
(14 of 21 lists. Highest ranking #1 - Ed)

The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are constructed of brass tubing bent twice into an oblong shape, and are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air column inside the trumpet.

There are several types of trumpet; the most common is a transposing instrument pitched in B♭. The tube length of the most common B-trumpet is about 134 cm. The predecessors to trumpets did not have valves, but modern trumpets have either three piston valves or three rotary valves. Each valve increases the length of tubing when engaged, thereby lowering the pitch.

The trumpet is used in many forms of music, including classical music and jazz.

A musician who plays the trumpet is called a trumpet player or trumpeter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1etIeZFm14

[Spoodles]

All right, everyone - hold on to your "butts." The top five is tomorrow. ANY GUESSES ON THE EXTREMELY MYSTERIOUS RESULTS?

[Natasha]

the banjo makes me happier than any other instrument and i'm thrilled it ranked so high!

aaaaah, the Big Four are obvious, but i cannot for the life of me figure out what the fifth instrument is......

[CH]

5-Piano
4-Human Voice
3-Electric Guitar
2-Acoustic Guitar
1-Cowbell

[Laura~]

I love banjos so much. And harpsichord. So amazing.

[tmbg13]

You can't be sad while playing the banjo. It is literally the happiest instrument.

[Greene]

Iron Horse disagrees.

[Z. S. Ghost]

Belated video for the synthesizer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRkFZA4CoTY
Proper video for the banjo: any modest mouse. modest mouse rools

[tmbg13]

Proper video for the banjo

ahahahaha get the fuck out of here

[Fuzzy Dunlop]

yo natasha has the best list (except mine)

country/western/bluegrass isn't my absolute favorite kind of music, but it's made up of pretty much the most beautiful-sounding instruments.

[B]

Belated video for the synthesizer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRkFZA4CoTY

You are my new best friend.

[Fuzzy Dunlop]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQp7Id8iRA4

[Jaspers]

5-Electric Guitar
4-Acoustic Guitar
3-A Rock Just Sittin' There
2-Lady Gaga
1-Coobledob