The Most Versatile Musical Instrument

This forum has a lot about music, but what about musical instruments? Which instrument/interface has the most 'possibilities', like continuous pitch, polyphony, ease of use, etc.? I nominate the Continuum Fingerboard (http://www.hakenaudio.com/Continuum ), but does anyone know about the upcoming Sixense controller? I posted some ideas in their forum (http://sixense.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=61 ).

edited 27th Nov '10 4:47:56 AM by MrMormon

The Eigenharp, possibly?

I didn't write any of that.

As far as conventional instruments go, it's probably the electric guitar.

The electric guitar is pretty limited, actually.

You can't even write racist abuse in excrement on somebody's car without the politically correct brigade jumping down your throat!

Synthesizer, most likely.

Or if you want to stretch the definition of "instrument", a laptop.

I spread my wings and I learn how to fly....

Guitar in general perhaps?

Also piano. There's a kind of piano that I unfortunately forget the name of that was generalized, in that it had keys at enough pitches to allow playing in any tuning you pleased without reconfiguration.

[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.

I think it depends on what versatile means. If it means it can play all the parts (treble, bass, tenor etc.) of any song, then I would say piano. (or maybe I'm just biased because that's what I play ) The only genres of music that is hard to play on piano is rap and heavy metal.

You can very easily make a rap backbeat with piano.

Not by itself obviously, but you can use it. There's really no instrument you can't use for a backbeat. Except maybe xylophones.

I spread my wings and I learn how to fly....

^ I just imagined hardcore gangsta rap with a xylophone backbeat. Funniest thing I've heard all day.

"Wax on, wax off..." "But Mr. Miyagi, I don't see how this is helping me do Karate..." "Pubic hair is weakness, Daniel-san!"

There's a Why? song that uses a marimba. Not gangsta at all, of course.

[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.

Why? are more indie rock with strong hip-hop influence. Only reason they're considered hip-hop by some is that they're on anticon.

Unless you mean Why? the person, who is now known as Yoni Wolf.

I spread my wings and I learn how to fly....

man, whatever

[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.

I SWAMP YOU WITH MY USELESS TRIVIA.

Heh, sorry.

edited 28th Nov '10 12:04:28 PM by SpainSun

I spread my wings and I learn how to fly....

The SynthAxe.

Ecstasy is Sustained Intensity

Human voice.

Uhhh...Theremin?

I cannot think of a more versatile one.

I'm biased, but I find that synths and keyboards are more versatile than guitars. Guitars don't fall very far behind, though. They're a case of doing a lot with very little.

If it can't glissando and play in multiple timbres it's not versatile. As far as non-electronic instruments go, it's probably cello. Capable of decent two not polyphony if you have a good player, and it's amazing the amount of different sounds you can get out of it with extended techniques. Cello beats out guitar because it can sustain. It beats out violin because the longer strings give more control over the kinds of tones you get. It beats out contrabass because it sounds better.

Also, theremin is quite limited.

The most versatile electronic instrument is the computer.

edited 28th Nov '10 10:57:21 PM by arks

Video Game Census. Please contribute.

Actually, the most versatile electronic instrument is probably a sampler.

You can't even write racist abuse in excrement on somebody's car without the politically correct brigade jumping down your throat!

A computer can be used as a sampler.

[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.

A motion controller can be a theremin - controlling six notes at once. And its programmability is not limited because the sound would be generated on a general computer, with helpful graphics if desired. I don't know any instruments that doesn't surpass. Depends on your taste of interface, though. And if you somehow want more than six notes.

By the way, the Sixense/Razer Hydra controller I'm talking about comes out tomorrow!

edited 18th Apr '11 6:55:21 AM by MrMormon

I was going to nominate the Ztar (Rob Swire from Pendulum uses one of these), but that's even worse than an actual guitar. It can't do palm-muting, fingerstyle, bends, slides (well, maybe), or harmonics.

There are snakes in the grass, so we'd better go hunting!

The eclectic guitar?

Fanfiction I hate.

I'd imagine an eclectic guitar would provide a diverse palette of sounds.

"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt." - Some guy with a snazzy hat.

The Prepared Piano or the Human voice.

The 5 geek social fallacies. Know them well.