[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
there’s a whole world of colorful
creative music out there and these are
the tools of the trade welcome to
watchmojo.com and today we’re counting
down our picks for the top ten cool
musical instruments
[Applause]
for this list we’re ranking musical
instruments which either possess an
ocean of coolness or are the chosen
instrument for a particularly cool
musician we’re also taking into account
how various artists have taken an
instrument and utilize it in a
particularly cool way and made it their
own
[Music]
all Dover omitting the marble machine as
there’s only one known example of this
instrument in the world
[Music]
number ten
didgeridoo it doesn’t take long to pick
out the sound of a didgeridoo from a
musical crowd thanks to its loud droning
sound and uniquely elongated shape this
wind instrument was first introduced by
Aboriginal Australians as a tool closely
tied in with their tribal culture with
the didgeridoo continuing to be closely
associated with the country’s musical
heritage to this very day
progressive musicians such as Kate Bush
and pop group Jamiroquai have even
utilized the didgeridoo in a modern rock
format thus proving its versatility
across culture and genre
[Music]
number nine harmonica
[Music]
the next instrument on a list has long
been the chosen sidearm accompaniment of
blues men and folk heroes alike
although this reed instrument also known
as a French harp or mouth organ never
really sees use as a song leader its
ability to drive home a memorable melody
has proven useful for artists as varied
as Bob Dylan
[Music]
and Billy Joel who’s classic piano man
features a plaintive melancholy
harmonica in between the songs versus
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
it’s portable easy to learn and the
perfect instrument to pull out when you
just want to lay down a jam
[Music]
keep me searching for a heart of gold
number eight cello
[Music]
whoever said that the cellos couldn’t
rock don’t spout such a nonsense to
Finland’s Apocalyptica who have made a
career out of electrifying audiences
with their heavy-metal cello antics
Apocalyptica aren’t the only artists to
break new ground when it comes to these
classy string instruments however as
evidenced by the avant-garde alternative
actress Mutina who combined the cellos
routes in beautiful classical music and
combined it with a dark fresh and very
cool sound all their own
[Music]
number seven violin
sure some might not think there’s much
coolness to be found within the humble
violin but one need only point out the
infamous reputation of the classical
outlaw niccolò paganini to uncover the
true sinister origins behind this small
stringed wonder the italian violinist
and composer was rumoured to have sold
his soul to the devil in order to
develop his demonically fast and precise
fingering technique while paganini’s
amorous adventures with female admirers
earned him gossip wherever he traveled
[Music]
if you’re not a fan of the traditional
sound of the violin you have better
believe there is an electric counterpart
number six bass guitar
we head next to the mighty rhythm
section where this Lord of the low end
holds down a steady beat to anchor any
song the bass guitar is a versatile
instrument when placed in the proper
hands as it can hang back in the pocket
or fly off the handle depending on the
musicians technique
yeah
the bass guitar is often seen as an
instrument of groove however and saw
some serious progression thanks to Paul
McCartney of the Beatles whose
performance on the band’s come together
saw serious innovation in terms of the
bass guitar finally stepping out of the
shadows and into the spotlight
[Music]
number five saxophone
nothing says slinky and sexy quite like
the sensuous saxophone this woodwind
instrument was particularly popular in
the 1980s thanks to its prominent
placement in such massive pop hits as
George Michaels Careless Whisper and
Billy ocean’s Caribbean Queen elsewhere
the saxophone was put to good use in
both R&B and rock not to mention the
classic big-band sound of its deeper
tones cousin the baritone sax
even Lady Gaga got into some Saks action
with her hit the edge of glory proving
that this horn still has plenty of
Tooting to do
[Music]
number four synthesizer
the next instrument on our list also
rose to some serious prominence in the
1980s but began to see proper
implementation in the 1970s progressive
rock boom the synthesizer revolutionized
the electronic music field when it was
utilized by such forward-thinking rock
icons as Rush and Emerson Lake and
Palmer
while former yes keyboardist Rick
Wakeman even drafted an entire concept
album about King Arthur around the
synthesizer
[Music]
meanwhile Germany’s tangerine dream
managed to create entire worlds with the
synthesizers almost limitless potential
for atmosphere and soundscapes
[Music]
an ocean which has been continued today
with such modern electronic artists as
Trent Reznor
number three piano blue jean baby la lay
down the classics never go out of style
as evidenced by the longevity of the
mighty piano if you think this
instrument is just for classical music
or soft teary ballads then think again
because the piano has long been a
cornerstone in the gigantic castle wall
which is rock and roll history
[Music]
it’s not
[Applause]
Oh sometime
there’s the classical bomb bass of
Mozart
Stevie Wonder’s electrified funk or the
formative rock of Jerry Lee Lewis few
instruments have driven as many
musicians to coolness as the piano
[Music]
wotz further proof just watch Tori a
Moe’s tinkle those ivories and be
convinced that the piano is one
massively cool instrument indeed
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
number two drums everybody loves the
drums even your neighbors
there’s just something primal and
propulsive about this ultimate rhythmic
instrument which makes it an icon of
cool
[Music]
drums can be loud and boisterous or
dissing Li technical but one thing’s for
sure there were profoundly physical
instrument which demands a lifetime of
dedication and dexterity to master
fans may love to air guitar their
favorite licks at concerts but air
drumming has to land a close second as
evidenced by the legions of Neil Peart
fans who walk to every Rush concert for
yet another glimpse of their drum God
and rock icon
[Music]
before we reveal our coolest musical
instruments here are a few rockin
honourable mentions
[Music]
[Music]
number one electric guitar
there have been countless stories of
rock-and-roll icons who grew up
idolizing their favorite guitarists it
didn’t matter if that guitarist was
Eddie Van Halen
Lindsey Buckingham
[Music]
or Annie DeFranco and was the allure and
siren call of that seductive six-string
which brought them all together
[Music]
trying to give my life meaning dating
meaning you the guitar is cool enough on
its own but the addition of plugging it
into an app and pranking it to 11 just
set the bar so much higher endlessly
expressive capable of an array of styles
tones and sounds and able to fit into
any musical genre the electric guitar is
a go-to tool of creation and there’s
nothing cooler than that
[Applause]
do you agree with our list which
instrument do you think is the epitome
of cool
[Applause]
for more harmonious top 10s published
every day be sure to subscribe to
watchmojo.com
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
there’s a whole world of colorful
creative music out there and these are
the tools of the trade welcome to
watchmojo.com and today we’re counting
down our picks for the top ten cool
musical instruments
[Applause]
for this list we’re ranking musical
instruments which either possess an
ocean of coolness or are the chosen
instrument for a particularly cool
musician we’re also taking into account
how various artists have taken an
instrument and utilize it in a
particularly cool way and made it their
own
[Music]
all Dover omitting the marble machine as
there’s only one known example of this
instrument in the world
[Music]
number ten
didgeridoo it doesn’t take long to pick
out the sound of a didgeridoo from a
musical crowd thanks to its loud droning
sound and uniquely elongated shape this
wind instrument was first introduced by
Aboriginal Australians as a tool closely
tied in with their tribal culture with
the didgeridoo continuing to be closely
associated with the country’s musical
heritage to this very day
progressive musicians such as Kate Bush
and pop group Jamiroquai have even
utilized the didgeridoo in a modern rock
format thus proving its versatility
across culture and genre
[Music]
number nine harmonica
[Music]
the next instrument on a list has long
been the chosen sidearm accompaniment of
blues men and folk heroes alike
although this reed instrument also known
as a French harp or mouth organ never
really sees use as a song leader its
ability to drive home a memorable melody
has proven useful for artists as varied
as Bob Dylan
[Music]
and Billy Joel who’s classic piano man
features a plaintive melancholy
harmonica in between the songs versus
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
it’s portable easy to learn and the
perfect instrument to pull out when you
just want to lay down a jam
[Music]
keep me searching for a heart of gold
number eight cello
[Music]
whoever said that the cellos couldn’t
rock don’t spout such a nonsense to
Finland’s Apocalyptica who have made a
career out of electrifying audiences
with their heavy-metal cello antics
Apocalyptica aren’t the only artists to
break new ground when it comes to these
classy string instruments however as
evidenced by the avant-garde alternative
actress Mutina who combined the cellos
routes in beautiful classical music and
combined it with a dark fresh and very
cool sound all their own
[Music]
number seven violin
sure some might not think there’s much
coolness to be found within the humble
violin but one need only point out the
infamous reputation of the classical
outlaw niccolò paganini to uncover the
true sinister origins behind this small
stringed wonder the italian violinist
and composer was rumoured to have sold
his soul to the devil in order to
develop his demonically fast and precise
fingering technique while paganini’s
amorous adventures with female admirers
earned him gossip wherever he traveled
[Music]
if you’re not a fan of the traditional
sound of the violin you have better
believe there is an electric counterpart
number six bass guitar
we head next to the mighty rhythm
section where this Lord of the low end
holds down a steady beat to anchor any
song the bass guitar is a versatile
instrument when placed in the proper
hands as it can hang back in the pocket
or fly off the handle depending on the
musicians technique
yeah
the bass guitar is often seen as an
instrument of groove however and saw
some serious progression thanks to Paul
McCartney of the Beatles whose
performance on the band’s come together
saw serious innovation in terms of the
bass guitar finally stepping out of the
shadows and into the spotlight
[Music]
number five saxophone
nothing says slinky and sexy quite like
the sensuous saxophone this woodwind
instrument was particularly popular in
the 1980s thanks to its prominent
placement in such massive pop hits as
George Michaels Careless Whisper and
Billy ocean’s Caribbean Queen elsewhere
the saxophone was put to good use in
both R&B and rock not to mention the
classic big-band sound of its deeper
tones cousin the baritone sax
even Lady Gaga got into some Saks action
with her hit the edge of glory proving
that this horn still has plenty of
Tooting to do
[Music]
number four synthesizer
the next instrument on our list also
rose to some serious prominence in the
1980s but began to see proper
implementation in the 1970s progressive
rock boom the synthesizer revolutionized
the electronic music field when it was
utilized by such forward-thinking rock
icons as Rush and Emerson Lake and
Palmer
while former yes keyboardist Rick
Wakeman even drafted an entire concept
album about King Arthur around the
synthesizer
[Music]
meanwhile Germany’s tangerine dream
managed to create entire worlds with the
synthesizers almost limitless potential
for atmosphere and soundscapes
[Music]
an ocean which has been continued today
with such modern electronic artists as
Trent Reznor
number three piano blue jean baby la lay
down the classics never go out of style
as evidenced by the longevity of the
mighty piano if you think this
instrument is just for classical music
or soft teary ballads then think again
because the piano has long been a
cornerstone in the gigantic castle wall
which is rock and roll history
[Music]
it’s not
[Applause]
Oh sometime
there’s the classical bomb bass of
Mozart
Stevie Wonder’s electrified funk or the
formative rock of Jerry Lee Lewis few
instruments have driven as many
musicians to coolness as the piano
[Music]
wotz further proof just watch Tori a
Moe’s tinkle those ivories and be
convinced that the piano is one
massively cool instrument indeed
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
number two drums everybody loves the
drums even your neighbors
there’s just something primal and
propulsive about this ultimate rhythmic
instrument which makes it an icon of
cool
[Music]
drums can be loud and boisterous or
dissing Li technical but one thing’s for
sure there were profoundly physical
instrument which demands a lifetime of
dedication and dexterity to master
fans may love to air guitar their
favorite licks at concerts but air
drumming has to land a close second as
evidenced by the legions of Neil Peart
fans who walk to every Rush concert for
yet another glimpse of their drum God
and rock icon
[Music]
before we reveal our coolest musical
instruments here are a few rockin
honourable mentions
[Music]
[Music]
number one electric guitar
there have been countless stories of
rock-and-roll icons who grew up
idolizing their favorite guitarists it
didn’t matter if that guitarist was
Eddie Van Halen
Lindsey Buckingham
[Music]
or Annie DeFranco and was the allure and
siren call of that seductive six-string
which brought them all together
[Music]
trying to give my life meaning dating
meaning you the guitar is cool enough on
its own but the addition of plugging it
into an app and pranking it to 11 just
set the bar so much higher endlessly
expressive capable of an array of styles
tones and sounds and able to fit into
any musical genre the electric guitar is
a go-to tool of creation and there’s
nothing cooler than that
[Applause]
do you agree with our list which
instrument do you think is the epitome
of cool
[Applause]
for more harmonious top 10s published
every day be sure to subscribe to
watchmojo.com
[Music]
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