Aunts, uncles, parents and grandparents hear us out – we made you a list of the 10 most annoying and hated musical instruments in the world so that you can set them aside, far away from your little ones. That’s for your own sake! And you, professional musicians, no hard feelings if your instrument is on this list. Not everyone is capable of using it properly!
It’s one thing to dislike, for example, a violin because your kid’s playing sounds like a cat being strangled, it’s completely another to hate a certain instrument from the bottom of your soul because the sound of it drives you crazy, whether it’s played by your untalented niece or the Rachmaninoff himself. We are referring to the sound that forces cells in your body to kill each other! At first sight, it seems that whether you hate or love something is an individual matter. To the contrary, our little survey showed an interesting pattern. Wind instruments are widely represented on our list – to be more precise, even 8 are wind instruments of 10 listed. Is it possible that wailing and whistle sound of these musical instruments is what bothers all these ears?
Before we proceed to the sounds that are going to make your eye twitch, you can get a quick look at our article, and find out which are the 10 easiest instruments to learn how to play. Anyway, we are sure that after you read this one, you’ll definitely know what not to play!
If someone asks, it was a fun and interesting job to combine this list. In order to do so, we gathered information from a range of forums and websites such as The Escapist, Yahoo, The Blu-ray to name a few. We were interested what is the opinion of both experts and laymen in the field of music. So, don’t be afraid of what’s next –you just prepare yourself to be a little bit annoyed. You can also grab the earplugs if you have some! Kidding aside, there are some musical instruments on this list, which when played by professionals can sound really, really good, but considering the opinion of a “bigger crowd”, apparently these are the most annoying and hated musical instruments in the world!
10. The Clarinet
Jazz fans all over the world let your voice be heard, for the sake of your great-grandfathers who enjoyed the music of the Big Band era and protect the clarinet and its sound. For, the public has spoken! The clarinet apparently deserves the place on our list of most annoying and hated musical instruments in the world. Wait, but why? Maybe it’s because someone had the bad experience in the high school orchestra or the fact that the sound of clarinet puts someone asleep? Some pretty weak reasons, right?
9. The Trumpet
If there were more people like Louis Armstrong, the trumpet wouldn’t be on our list of the most annoying and hated musical instruments in the world. Unfortunately, playing the trumpet is not a piece of cake. Hours of practice and lip buzzing can easily drive you mad. Not to mention the collateral damage – the poor family and edgy neighbors. Although it’s loud and sometimes obnoxious while played at home, the trumpet sounds great in classical and jazz ensembles. So, if you are a trumpet player and you love your instrument, practice in the place where you won’t be bothering others.
8. The Flute
There’s a rumor that Mozart wasn’t a particular fan of the flute, that ranks 8th in our list of most annoying and hated musical instruments in the world, since he complained in his letters that it is not possible for him to write for an instrument that cannot bare. Well, apparently he is not the only one. The high and squeaky sound of the flute is ear-piercing to many others. However, the discovery of a 35 000-year-old bone-flute in Germany suggests that in spite of bad traits, the flute was cherished to nowadays. After all, it’s not a common thing that one annoying instrument survives millenniums. Maybe there is something to it.
7. The Saxophone
Believe it or not, to some the saxophone is annoying. Apparently, there is a small number of romantic souls out there. We are sorry Stan Getz, John Coltrane, and the others, it seems that jazz is not a cure anymore, when someone’s feelin’ blue. Sadly, today’s people give more attention to the ears than to the heart. So, when someone excludes emotions from the music, maybe the sound of this brass-wind instrument really can be earsplitting.
6. The Banjo
Whether it’s a four, five or six-stringed banjo, the one is for sure -opinions are divided when it comes to this musical instrument. If you are not a country-folk-bluegrass music admirer, there is little chance that you would like it. Supposedly, banjo sounds too happy! There is a common opinion that sad song can’t be played on the banjo. Furthermore, when is something overly happy it threatens to become irritating. If your memory serves you well, think about what happened to the Bugs Bunny’s banjo. Opera singer ‘Giovanni Jones’ had broken it, because ‘that annoying sound’ interrupted his practice! However, there is another far ridiculous reason that came along. Rumor has it that guitarists are spreading all that hatred because banjoists take away the light from them. So, it’s up to you. Listen, and judge it!
5. The Triangle
Why would anyone hate the triangle? The musical instrument couldn’t be simpler! The number 5 in our list of most annoying and hated musical instruments in the world is formed of a steel rod bent in the form of a triangle that is opened at one angle. One additional steel or wooden rod is meant for striking the bent rod. Isn’t it the easiest musical instrument to play? When the most hated and annoying part comes? Well, now. Apparently, the ding-dong sound that triangle produces can be very annoying. Moreover, because of the lack of common knowledge, a large number of people think about triangle as a sheer uselessness! Maybe they didn’t have the chance to listen to a true professional who knows when it’s time for the ding, and when the dong comes.
4. The Kazoo
The Kazoo and it’s buzzing sound can often be heard on children’s birthdays. On the other hand, a few years ago, it was possible to hear the sound of kazoo even in the Carnegie Hall. ‘Only’ difference is a performer. Being the toy and the musical instrument at the same time, it can make a sound of a police siren, or you can play the Mozart’s ‘Turkish March’ on it. This voice-changing musical instrument, similar to the African mirliton was used for the folk music, back in XIX century North-America. But a sound of a mosquito or fly constantly buzzing around your head can be really irritating, right? And now, let’s see the top three most annoying and hated musical instruments in the world.
3. The Bagpipes
Do you know why are the fingers of bagpiper like lightning? Well, they hardly ever strike at the same spot! Oh, our dear Scottish readers, don’t be mad! After all, there’s a grain of truth in every joke! Being nasal and quite high, the sound of bagpipes definitely deserves the third place on our list of 10 most annoying and hated musical instruments in the world. This wind instrument makes a sound that you either love or hate. Apparently, the second one is more common. Nevertheless, they are in use for centuries. But, you should be careful if you want to pursue the bagpiper career! Allegedly, the disease-causing fungus is discovered inside of the instrument! Therefore, by inhaling it, you could get a potentially fatal inflammation! Considering that, maybe is less painful just to listen to it?
2. The Recorder
Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are…. Oh, your neighbor’s daughter is being a virtuoso again! Maybe you are experiencing a bad déjà vu? A bad horror movie about you, the third-grader, and The Recorder? It seems, that this musical instrument sends shivers down the spine to many others! If you ever asked yourself whether the recorder is a serious musical instrument while listening to its high-pitched sound, here’s the answer! It is, and it sounds very distinctive, probably due to its whistle mouthpiece. Folks in the Middle Ages quite liked it! Today the situation is a little bit different. Nevertheless, there’s actually a number of professional recorder players! If you didn’t know, even Bruce Springsteen played it on some of his tracks.
1. The Vuvuzela
And, finally!! The first place on our list of 10 most annoying and hated musical instruments in the world goes to the vuvuzela. If you are a football enthusiast, then the bzz zzz zzz sound of the vuvuzela must be the music for your ears!! It has to be, especially after the 2010 FIFA World Cup, when vuvuzela -a South African instrument- got a worldwide recognition. After all, a huge 35-meter (115ft) blue vuvuzela constructed in the Cape Town prove that. However, if football matches aren’t your thing, does ordinary vuvuzela, a 65cm long plastic horn has its purpose? Especially when it’s well-known that vuvuzela can cause hearing loss due to a very high noise of 127 decibels. It does if you are a company that earns millions by selling them. But if you are not a member of the Zulu nation or passionate football fan with earplugs, then, what’s the point? Well, check out the video!
