241 replies to this topic

[Quint]

We all like the sound of a well performed strings section or fanfare of triumphant brass and some love nothing more than the glorious vibrations of an electric guitar to a drummers beat, but what distinctive musical sound gets up your nose? What 'instrument' can you not stand to hear?



The first 15 seconds of that song features an awful but thankfully rarely used synth sample which I detest no matter how good a song or piece of music might be inspite of it. The crap Doogie Howser theme had a similar version of it here. Its a sound which screams cheese and tackiness and I hate it.

What about you?

And before one of the hilarious cleverboys gets their 'choice' in, I'll beat 'em to it:

[Koray Savas]

Hey that's a good theme!

[Quint]

I know it is

As tv themes go, its excellent.

[Henry Buck]

Overly amplified piano playing soft, plaintive music. Turn that damn volume down!

[Nick Parker]

Poorly intonated strings are the worst. Ugh....

[E.T. & Elliott]

Modern movie trailer action music. In general.

[Neimoidian]

Modern movie trailer action music. In general.

Oh yes!

[Quint]

Overly amplified piano playing soft, plaintive music. Turn that damn volume down!

Poorly intonated strings are the worst. Ugh....

YouTube examples would be good!

[Wojo]

Axl Rose
Geddy Lee

[Quint]

Axl Rose

Each to his own and all that, but I was only thinking the other day (whilst listening to Sweet Child O'Mine) about his amazingly unique voice and how much it compliments the Guns N' Roses sound. I love that band though.

But yeah, you illustrate perfectly my meaning with this thread.

[Koray Savas]

I can't stand metal.

[Quint]

I'm not much of a fan either (I don't mind the odd Metallica track), but G N' R are more rock than metal. Soft metal perhaps.

[Maglorfin]

Poorly intonated strings are the worst. Ugh....

I'm sure you meant to say "poorly intonated horns are the worst", everybody knows it's God's honest truth.

[Koray Savas]

I didn't mean GNR is metal, I was just saying that's what I can't stand. I only like Welcome To The Jungle, Sweet Child O' Mine, and Paradise City. Not a big fan of the band.

[OneBuckFilms]

Bad Synths and Bagpipes (though there are a couple of notable exceptions).

[Nick Parker]

You want YouTube.com examples? Alright then.



Please note that it is usually the younger musicians who have this problem, which they cannot really be blamed for because they were never really taught how to improve it.

Of course, YouTube.com has a lot of videos of people teaching this delicate art, like this one starring a Jeff Goldblum impersonator.

[Quint]

I didn't mean GNR is metal, I was just saying that's what I can't stand.

Ah ok. You wasn't specific though, hence my presumption. As for GNR, have you heard Patience? It is a superb song with a nice, quieter melody and a great musical structure. Have a listen if you're ever inclined.

You want YouTube.com examples? Alright then.



Please note that it is usually the younger musicians who have this problem, which they cannot really be blamed for because they were never really taught how to improve it.

Well, I agree with you of course, but linking very young kids playing the best they can isn't really the most suitable example either and more than a little unfair, regardless of the fact that it obviously not their fault.

[Nick Parker]

Poorly intonated strings are the worst. Ugh....

I'm sure you meant to say "poorly intonated horns are the worst", everybody knows it's God's honest truth.

Like this?

[Maglorfin]

Poorly intonated strings are the worst. Ugh....

I'm sure you meant to say "poorly intonated horns are the worst", everybody knows it's God's honest truth.

Like this?

Jesus H. Christ, yes. I know this sounds evil, but I'm not sure whether I should die of laughter or of horror ...

[Joe Brausam]

Poorly intonated strings are the worst. Ugh....

I'm sure you meant to say "poorly intonated horns are the worst", everybody knows it's God's honest truth.

Like this?

Jesus H. Christ, yes. I know this sounds evil, but I'm not sure whether I should die of laughter or of horror ...

Unlikely that there's horns in an elementary ensemble. But yeah...when us horn players are out of tune and playing as a section, it's terrifying!

[Stefancos]

Sounds fine to me.

[crocodile]

Electric cello, James Horner 90's synths, duduk.

Karol

[Delorean90]

I've gotten rather irritated with RCP's stereotypical useage of that blend of electronic and ethnic percussion that they use, but one of the crowning jewels is that sort of clicky thing that was put to obnoxiously gratuitous use in 3:02-5:33 of "The Battle" in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

[crocodile]

Yes, that too.

And choirs with drum loops. It's cheesy as hell in most cases.

Karol

[dfenton85]

I can't stand bad 80's horn synths. It just makes me cry out for the real thing.

[AzOutcast]

Blast beats.

Fortunately it's not featured too prominently in film scores. In other types of music . . .

[MissPadmé]

The dry, emotionless Brass-sound samples Zimmer and his boys love so much...

also the fake choir from Angels and Demons.. it sounds so bad

[Nick Parker]

Well, I agree with you of course, but linking very young kids playing the best they can isn't really the most suitable example either and more than a little unfair, regardless of the fact that it obviously not their fault.

You are absolutely right, of course, but intonation tends to be less of a problem with more experienced and older groups, and I thought it would be much faster were I to search for a younger ensemble, where bad intonation is a commonality.

[Stefancos]

Todays film makers fine emotional brass music to be vulgar.

Hans is only feeding the monkey!

[Nick Parker]

One of the crowning jewels is that sort of clicky thing that was put to obnoxiously gratuitous use in 3:02-5:33 of "The Battle" in [i]The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe."

It sounds like something I would hear while playing an NES game.

[Datameister]

Singers with nervous, overactive vibrato. Almost any popular music that sounds angry. Whatever type of woodwind instrument Horner has used in scores such as Braveheart...again, overactive vibrato. Anything involving the brass and/or percussion sections of the Prague Philharmonic. Saxophones being overused in bands and wind ensembles with little regard for their unique and rather prominent timbre. Re-recordings that opt for completely different and painfully inferior tempi, even if they're being conducted by the composer (e.g. just about any performance of "Theme from Jurassic Park").

The Zimmer cliches can be very effective or very annoying, depending on my mood, which score it is, and how much I've heard them in recent times.

[John Crichton]

Overused generic chorus, like in Superman Returns.

[Henry Buck]

Overused generic chorus, like in Superman Returns.

Awful, awful, awful!

[Bowie]

Xylophone hits!

[Koray Savas]

also the fake choir from Angels and Demons.. it sounds so bad

I may be wrong but I'm think it's real. Need to check the CD again.

[Marian Schedenig]

Singers with nervous, overactive vibrato.

Truth!

[indy4]

Singers with nervous, overactive vibrato.

I'd say that goes for any instrument (especially flutes).

[Datameister]

Yes, definitely.

[Marian Schedenig]

I've never heard woodwinds with a vibrato that sounds like a glissando tremolo though. I have heard singers who sounded like that.

[artyjeffrey]

I don't know if I'm saying the correct instrument, but it's a clavichord? Well, the electric version, which appeared in many funky 1970s songs.

Oh, okay, here's an example you might be able to bring up in your mind... it's the keyboard instrument that's very prevalent during Stevie Wonder's "Superstitious." I absolutely cannot stand that sound.