Every musical instrument is special in its way. It depends more on the musician how he/she plays it such that it sounds cool and attractive to the audience. Be it classical music shows to operas to live pop concerts, the same instrument can be used to produce a variety of tones as per the requirement that fits the occasion best. While it is very difficult to choose the top 10 coolest instruments of them all, here is a list based on how some of these instruments are played in a funky way to give a song that additional boost it requires.

Harmonica/Melodica

You will always see a harmonica or a melodica accompanying jazz and blues musicians. The harmonica takes the winds out of the sails. The harmonica is a reed instrument and is commonly known as a mouth organ in several parts of the world. The various air holes are sized in such a fashion that when you blow air, the seven notes of the natural scale are played. Scale changing harmonicas are also available that let you play more than one scale at a time. The Melodica is a similar instrument but has keys in it. It is like a keyboard that has a pipe where you blow air into. The classic Piano Man by Billy Joel uses Harmonica extensively.

Cello

The Cello is much cooler than you think it to be. Predominantly used as an accompanying instrument, the Cello is the backbone of any orchestra. It can be considered to be the equivalent of an acoustic bass guitar in an orchestra. With the advent of the electric Cello, there are no boundaries to what can be done on a cello. Apocalyptica has infused the Cello in heavy metal songs. 2Cellos is a band of two cellists that has blown the roof of some of the biggest stages of the world by belting out solos on Cellos taking center stage.

Violin

The Violin is one of the oldest stringed instruments known to mankind. While the general notion of the sound of Violin is sweet and mellow, some of the greatest violin players of the world have proven it to be otherwise. One of the best violin performances of today’s time is by Lindsey Stirling when she performed Phantom of the Opera. Electric versions of the Violin are more in trend now, but the acoustic ones are still to be matched for sound. Not to mention, Albert Einstein loved playing the violin. If it could intrigue one of the best minds of the human race, it ought to be special!

Bass Guitar

Bass Guitar is the spinal cord of every rock and pop band. Although the sound of a bass guitar fades amongst the other instruments, without it, any song would crumble. Traditional bass guitars have 4 thick strings. These are available in both acoustic and electric variants. Paul McCartney of the Beatles was one of the first musicians to show to the world the variations and playing styles that one can use on a Bass. The ‘slap’ playing style has led to bassists now playing solos in rock gigs. Mohini Dey, the bassist in AR Rahman’s ensemble is currently one of the best bass players in the world.

Saxophone

The saxophone is a thing of sheer beauty. It belongs to the wood-wind instrument family and is usually made of brass. It is played with a single-reed mouthpiece. The saxophone became cool right when Louis Armstrong walked on to the stage with a saxophone and sang ‘What a Wonderful World’ which is known to be one of the best performances of all times. Louis Armstrong’s rendition of La Vie En Rose also has some serious saxophone in it. This instrument is mostly used in orchestras.

Piano

As the saying goes ‘Old is Gold’, the piano never dies. It is baffling to see how a set of keys on a huge structure has transformed music over centuries. To this date, every renowned musician still composes a new song on a piano or a keyboard. Starting from Beethoven, Mozart, and Rachmaninoff to Yurima, Stevie Wonder, and Freddie Mercury, the piano has been constant and ever mellifluous. Some of the contemporary piano players and composers are Chris Martin of Coldplay and John Legend. Piano is probably one of the few instruments that you can sit and listen to without blinking for hours together. Garageband happens to have the best library for piano now, after the recent update.

Drums

Drums is a rhythmic instrument that controls the flow and tempo of the song. It is the envelope and crutch of any song. Being a drummer is not an easy task. It requires a lifetime of dedication as it can get emotionally and physically draining at times. What people see in live performances is only the hands of a drummer moving so fast. It is just the tip of the iceberg as the footwork requires even more practice to master. Not to mention double bass players. If you are curious, look up a double bass player’s footwork on YouTube. You will be nothing but amazed!

Electric Guitar

Electric Guitar is one of the most crowd-catching instruments. If one plays a good solo, no matter how well the singer sang or the drummer improvised, the guitarist is bound to leave a mark on the audience. Such is the power of a set of 6 strings. The list of great guitarists is never-ending. There is a hidden guitarist in every household now. With the help of cool accessories like processors and pedalboards, there is no tone you cannot sample on an electric guitar.

Mandolin

Mandolin is considered to be one of the sweetest instruments. It is a part of the lute family and has 4 strings. 5 and 6 stringed mandolins are also available. The normal way of playing this instrument is picking strings in quick successions such that every note you play has a lingering echo to it. This kind of instrument is commonly used in folk and country music frequently.

Sarod

If you are moved by deep emotional sounds, the Sarod is going to tinker your emotions. It is a stringed instrument that is used in Hindustani Music. The sarod is increasingly being used in fusion music to create a perfect blend between eastern and western music. Unlike the guitar, the Sarod does not have frets so continuous transitions can be made between notes. This is known as meend. One of the greatest Sarod players to have lived is Pandit Amjad Ali Khan. He played with Pandit Ravi Shankar on one too many shows and projects.

When you spend all day wearing headphones, you definitely want to listen to something other than in-game gunshots or cards being dealt with.

For years now the music industry has been leading the way in online content streaming, resulting in playlists from apps like Spotify being as commonplace on people’s mobile devices as Google Maps or WhatsApp.

However, the change in how music is consumed and displayed has been huge, with music magazines and stodgy old critics being shunted onto the sidelines by online influencers who have adapted to the tech landscape quicker than their more outdated counterparts.

Among those influencers are online streamers, who often start as one-man bands, streaming everything from video games to beauty tips. Pretty soon, their growing channels allow them to become the go-to people in terms of music suggestions.

Here are just some of the most influential online streamers today, who are harnessing the power of music like no one before has ever managed to do.

Card Sharks, Chess Pros and Fall Guys – Filling Tension-Filled Silences with Carefully Curated Beats

Many online gaming streamers have too many crashes, bangs, and wallops going on in their live streams while pumping music simultaneously, while other streamers play the sort of game that is ideally suited to some soothing background grooves.

A growing subset of these streamers are pro poker, chess, and Fall Guy players, who often stream tournaments for hours on end.

As players whittle down at the business end of a tournament, and the streamer is required to make fewer plays, the music he or she uses becomes all the more important. Many pros such as Lex Veldhuis or GMHikaru have made their personalized playlists a highlight of their content, meaning these pros are now on-hand to show people how to conquer 1,000-players-strong tournaments on the world’s biggest gaming sites such as PokerStars and Steam, all the while sharing their musical vibes.

Dr DisRespect – From Online Fragger to Music Video Super Star

The most popular streamers on the planet are undoubtedly those that play battle royale video games such as PUBG or Call of Duty, with many becoming so popular that they can take their content to the next level with help from editors, tech support, and sound teams.
No more so is this true than with one of the greatest of them all, Dr DisRespect, whose 6-foot-8 frame, flowing black mullet and red bulletproof vest have become iconic in the eSports world and beyond.

Not content on featuring other peoples’ music on his YouTube Gaming channel, the Doc has taken to collaborating with recording artists such as J+1, who create retro synth beats and lace them with voice samples from the big man himself to create tracks that have garnered millions of views and plays online.

Some streamers such as Dr DisRespect are collaborating with recording artists to create their very own tracks and music videos.

Music Streamers – Using Twitch Donations to Launch a New Career

While there is every reason to suspect that gaming streamers of all varieties are having a meaningful impact on peoples’ music tastes and preferences, there are also those streamers who dare to beam their very own music around the world and direct to listeners on platforms such as Twitch.

This means that whether you are an acoustic guitar whiz or a crooner with dulcet vocal chords, there is an audience out there who want to discover new talent. Now, new fans of an artist can not only listen to their newly discovered singer-songwriters but also gain personal insights from them regarding their everyday life or indeed how they go about writing their material or playing their instruments.

With many top DJs already using such platforms to perform in front of fans who cannot make it to stadium or club gigs, this seems like one music trend that is only just getting started. In a couple of years, we will see even the more popular gamers combine their love for online play with exquisite taste in music. Who knows, maybe you will be one of them?

There are many things that evoke strong feelings of recollection in people. They include smell and taste, and it only takes a small dose to open the floodgates for the memories to gush in. One of the best ways to engage memory is through music, with neuroscientists discovering that people are more likely to remember words if they learn them alongside an accompanying track. Pop music has been used successfully in a number of games to make them more enjoyable. But the audio has another function as well. It can serve to immortalize the games because, whenever someone hears that music, they will think of the title in which they heard it first.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is a Good Example of a Solid Accompanying Track

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and its sequel, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, are considered among the defining titles of the PlayStation and were hugely popular when they were released in 1999 and 2000 respectively. They had exceptional and engaging gameplay, but one of the most-loved things about the games was the choice of songs playing in the background while players skated around. These included classics like Bring The Noise by Public Enemy and Superman by Goldfinger.

Activision Blizzard decided to remaster the game for modern consoles, updating all the surroundings and graphics to put them in line with the standard of offerings available today using the Unreal Engine 4. A lot of the aspects of the game remain the same, with some features being updated.

What is most notable about the rerelease of the two original games for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows is the fact that developer Vicarious Visions chose to keep all the songs from the originals. This has helped bring about feelings of nostalgia in players who enjoyed the games twenty years ago. It should come as no surprise, then, that the new game sold more than one million units within the first two weeks of its release.

Slot Developers Using Popular Music and Acts to Gain Immortality

Music can also help certain games stand out in a highly saturated market, and this has been shown to good effect in slot games. There seems to have been a rise in music-themed slots in recent years, and top developer NetEnt is leading the way with its NetEnt Rocks range of games. The acts used for these games include legendary acts Guns N’ Roses, Motorhead, and Jimi Hendrix – one of the best guitarists of all time. The music makes the games iconic, but also gives them immortality as classic tracks like Paradise City and Ace of Spades never get old.

One of the newest musical slots on the market is Music Stage from PlayPearls. It’s designed to make the player feel as though they are the pop star, playing in front of a sell-out audience. This is a technique that has been used to good effect in offerings like Guitar Hero, as it allows the player to imagine what it would be like to rock out in front of adoring fans. When people play this game, the music helps stir up emotions, making the title memorable for years to come.

Music has added another foundation to games to make them even more memorable and enjoyable. Developers who get their music choices right can lead players to think about their games even when they aren’t playing them. All it takes is for the song to come on to trigger those feelings of nostalgia for the game.

© [nicoletaionescu] /iStock

Electronic dance music (EDM) is also known by other names such as dance music, club music, house music, and more recently, trap music. Tons of variations and sub-genres have evolved out of EDM over the last 40 years. Early EDM was called Dub or hip hop. Dub came out of Jamaican reggae music and introduced special effects like reverb and delay to make a unique sound mix. Even disco music is an early form of EDM. The point is, EDM makes you want to get up and dance. It’s often played in clubs by DJs who mix sounds and sound effects together with mixing boards. Even tech giant Elon Musk released his own EDM track according to the BBC.

© [mediaphotos] /iStock

The electrifying, heart-pumping tunes make fantastic movie soundtracks, not to mention the music industry itself provides a lot of great plot lines for feature films. This makes EDM enthusiasts and movie buffs fast friends. If you are looking for a movie-related gift for a friend who loves house music, here is a brief list of the best EDM movies to date. You can find even more great movie buff gifts ideas in this article from Giftwits as well.

We Are Your Friends (2015)

This movie about an aspiring DJ played by Zac Efron gives a fictional behind the scenes look at what it takes to rise to fame in the world of EDM. The wild ride is fueled with music, drugs, and sex while both a love triangle and a budding career are set up. This movie also stars Wes Bentley and Emily Ratajkowski. Despite its weak theatrical release, it’s now hailed as a timepiece movie for millennials and will probably become a cult classic among that crew, especially those that love dance music. Buy this movie as a gift and include a copy of the thumping soundtrack as a bonus.

Daft Punk Unchained (2015)

Daft Punk is a French Grammy Award-winning EDM band that is probably the most recognizable name in the business, even in the US. This documentary details their career which started in the early 1990s. It uses rare archive footage and personal interviews. While it chronicles the life and work of members Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, it also contains interviews from their closest collaborators like Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers, and Michel Gondry. The document was created entirely from previously recorded film and no new scenes containing Daft Punk were included. Their hit song “Get Lucky” helped them achieve international fame and awards, including 5 Grammy Awards. They have also done many amazing collaborations including a song with The Weeknd a few years ago.

Berlin Calling (2008)

A DJ that tours clubs around the world with his girlfriend and manager but ultimately lands in a psychiatric clinic after overdosing on narcotics. It shows struggles in Berlin following Hitler’s “final solution.” The film is ripe with techno clubs and a great soundtrack. Ecstasy puts him into a psychotic break which puts his career and relationships in trouble.

XOXO (2016)

If you love EDM music festivals then this movie will be right up your alley. It’s about six people attending an electronic dance music festival and who are all struggling in some way until their paths collide. The visuals in the movie are amazing and really bring the festival scene to life. It carries all the EDM cliches such as the bro-tank crowd, the slutty girls, the druggies, and the straight-edge (absolutely no drugs or alcohol) just to name a few. It’s both a comedy and a drama with something for everyone. If you’ve never been to a festival and want to see what one is like, this is a pretty good example.

I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (2016)

Forbes Magazine recently did a write up on the highest-paid DJs in the industry and the hard-working Steve Aoki was in the top five (along with The Chainsmokers, Calvin Harris, Diplo, and Marshmello). They reported that Aoki makes six-figures a night when he performs. I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead is a Netflix documentary about one of the most talented DJs the world has ever known. His story is exhilarating and at times heartbreaking in the time leading up to his biggest show to date. He talks about this childhood, his issues with his father, and more.

Party Monster (2003)

According to Kate Huber at NJGamblingFun, “For a bit of a throw-back, check out this clubbing movie starring Macaulay Culkin and Seth Green. It’s a biographical drama about party promoter and “king of the club kids” Michael Alig. Alig started out as a social outcast but found his groove in the club scene. He rose to fame but drugs ultimately tore him apart and ended in murder and prison time. The film got mainly negative reviews when it was first released but has become a cult classic over time. Roger Ebert even conceded that Culkin’s performance was fearless.”

24 Hour Party People (2002)

This British comedy-drama details Manchester’s popular music scene between 1976 and 1992. It starts out with punk rock but later evolves into the rave and DJ culture of the 1980s. The plot centers around a newspaper reporter that follows and reports on the music scene and news of the time. Although it’s a fictional movie, it is based loosely on real events which can be seen throughout the movie. The “fourth-wall” is frequently broken in a stylized fashion that brings a level of personalization to the film.

Human Traffic (1999)

This 90s movie is a mixture of music, romance, and club culture in Brittan and stars John Simm and Danny Dyer. The tale of five close friends who explore their relationships and personal demons during ecstasy and music filed weekend. It includes plenty of backdrop of techno raves for the EDM lovers out there. It is interesting to note that the UK version and the US version of the movie are pretty different so if you are a purist try to find the original version.

Believe it or not, there’s an endless amount of ideas that will help you promote your music career in 2020. As new social media platforms are rapidly emerging, artists don’t want to lag behind these innovative technologies. Definitely, you have to take advantage of the Internet as a powerful marketing tool. So, I have written down the best strategies for promoting yourself in this digital era like a pro. These days it doesn’t really matter if you refuse to sign a major label deal. With budgetary autonomy, you can go far on your own. The music industry is very competitive but with the following ideas, you can even save a lot of money.

33 Unique Ideas To Spark Your Music Career Success Right Away!

1 – Tell the story of how you got started in music.

2 – Make a behind the scenes video after releasing a music video.

3 – Make a teaser video of your upcoming singles in order to create a sense of expectation.

4 – Host an #AskMeAnything session via Instagram stories.

5 – Share funny videos on TikTok.

6 – Share quotes of your musical heroes.

7 – Host a poll and let your fans pick the best singles from your album.

8 – Share your favorite books and movies with your fans.

9 – Ask for Netflix recommendations.

10 – Give away Spotify gift cards.

11 – Get interviewed or promoted on music blogs.

12 – Share useful tips with your audience.

13 – Remind your fans constantly concert and release dates.

14 – Raise your voice against social issues.

15 – Express your opinion about music industry news.

16 – Go live and perform your music no matter what.

17 – Participate in podcasts or radio shows.

18 – Share press releases on Facebook, Liker, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

19 – Post testimonials from your fans or people of the music industry.

20 – Share old photos and memories of the past.

21 – Share personal wins (e.g. chart-topping hits and music awards)

22 – Thank your fans and show gratitude.

23 – Post a ‘Throwback Thursday’ and use the hashtag #TBT

24 – Share your favorite music-related apps.

25 – Post a video of yourself showing the process of making music at the studio.

26 – Unveil your morning routine or create a day-in-the-life video.

27 – Post about events or festivals you’re going to.

28 – Show people listening or dancing to your music.

29 – Share a charity you’ve partnered with.

30 –  Mention brands that you love.

31 – Make your own merchandise, t-shirts, and caps with your logo.

32 – Share all your social media channels and interact with your fans.

33 – Post about trips you’ve taken.