I just wanted to hear your thoughts about that instrument called a xylophone.

I decided to start this thread because one of my musical pet peeves is the xylophone. If I remember right, Goldsmith can't stand the harp. Well, I can't stand the xylophone.

I mean, it sounds great in Thai and Chinese music, but in something like Western action music, I find its timbre to be ludicrous. It completely takes away any impact and makes the music sound childish.

What are your thoughts?

If I would ban any instrument, it'd be the oboe. Damned whiny-assed instrument. No offense (again) to oboe players.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHY I LOVE IT

I can't stand trumpets and most of the "loud-noised" horns in movie scores - they are too "demanding", they seem to eat all the rest of the orchestra. (But there are some exceptions, like most of John Williams' marches - what they would be without the great wind sections ?)

But oboes, French Horns, and other soft wind instruments are just BEAUTIFUL, even when used in fierce horror music.

If I had to choose ONE perfect instrument of the orchestra, I'd choose the HARP - it is an instrument which cannot be played in a wrong way; VIOLIN can be played in a wrong way (especially as a solo instrument), so although it is my most FAVORITE instrument within a LARGE ORCHESTRA, I usually can't stand it on its own... Complicated, isn't it ?

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Originally posted by Racerprose:
I'd ban oboe and clairnet.

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There wouldn't be much left of good music without half of the winds. Just think of Conan!

I squirm everytime I hear it. It really is awful.

I also say there should be restrictions on the dynamic(loud/soft) levels the saxophone can play at. Nothing about mp(moderately soft).

As for clarinets, I don't have a problem with how loudly they play, but frankly, anything above an A or a B is painful.

I also think Shakira should be banned.
She needs to be more decisive with regards to how she's going to sing. It's fricken annoying when she cycles through several different vocal styles in a 30second time frame.

Um, Shakira is not a musical instrument. She's a talented singer.

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Originally posted by miss tonya:
Come to think of it.. I honestly can't think of a single Goldsmith score that utilizes the harp!

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There are four(!) of 'em in Chinatown.

Personally, I'd get rid of electronic substitutes for real instruments. If you want a bassoon in there, you should hire a bassoonist, not select "bassoon" on your Yamaha. By all means use keyboards for mocking it up, orchestration, "see what it would sound like if we gave the melody to a detuned viola" and so on, and by all means use keyboards for weird and non-existent instruments. But not to save money on session players...

Gae NP AOTC

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Originally posted by Richard Street:
Personally, I'd get rid of electronic substitutes for real instruments.

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I absolutely agree. I can understand why they have to use synths instead of real instruments for TV productions or videogames. But at least when the budget is there, using synths to replace real instruments is just cheap. Even Goldsmith occasionally went too far with it, see Lionheart and possibly Gremlins (although both still are great scores).

While I would love to see all of those instruments gain more wide-spread acceptance (especially the theremin), I don't think I'd like any of them to be made permenant members. Doing that, I think, would ruin the distinctiveness that really makes them special.

And xylophones are very important. I know I've heard some scores where I questioned there presence---or at least their prominence---but usually they well applied wherever they are used. Currently you can hear them in wonderful use on AOTC, track three.

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Originally posted by Gae:
Personally, I think Barry makes great dramatic use of the Xylophone in his earlier Bond scores, especially Goldfinger with those tremolo effects e.g. Arrival of the Bomb and Countdown". Personally I like its use in an orchestra when used effectively. It has a unique sound and contrasts well with the other instruments.

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The harpsichord is cool!
I do really love this instrument.

I also think Shakira should be banned.
She needs to be more decisive with regards to how she's going to sing. It's fricken annoying when she cycles through several different vocal styles in a 30second time frame.

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Here I do agree! i think that the following should be banned:
Shakira
Kylie Minogue
Aqua
(almost every new pop music created by a computer)

NP Dead of Night (Georges Auric)