Wind Instruments in Prog - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Maybe the flutes, but all are very welcome.

"PROG IS MY FERRARI".
Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Prog gets interesting when it is not dominated by guitar. Wind instrument dominated groups such as Univers Zero, Henry Cow, etc. however, tend not to be favoured at the 'rock' end of the equation. Even the juxtaposition of trombone and guitar with Shub-Niggurath is not deemed palatable by many. So, we get the preponderance of tedious 'prog metal' bands to satisfy our guitar cravings...

Originally posted by Heart of the Matter

Heart of the Matter wrote:

the descending flute part in Silently Falling.

Good call. Clap

I'm in the flute camp although I'd have hoped for multiple votes on this one. I'm a bit ambivalent on saxophones, they can be great and they can annoy me, but I always love a good pipe organ, and oboes, bassoons and clarinets are also always welcome.

I’m really surprised by how much flute is leading. I don’t dislike the flute in prog, but it often comes across to me as terribly cliché. That’s not to say I don’t like some prog that had flute, but more often than not, it turns me off rather than on.

I guess I probably expected flute to be in the lead, but definitely not by this much. Because of the way the question is worded, and because flute is the very first option, I do wonder how many people assumed this was a multiple vote poll, and voted for flute intending to vote for something else as well.

(I almost did this myself, and it was only because I was reading through the list to see what was included, that I didn’t. I was surprised to find that it wasn’t multiple vote after casting my vote, so I was very glad I had looked through the list first!)

Reviewer for The Progressive Aspect

Pan flutes just sound amazing (listen to Stationary Traveller for proof).

Bagpipes are great (but most users are in Gaelic or Folk Rock like Runrig or Wolfstone) but Uillean Pipes are even better (as in Horslips or Mostly Autumn).

Flutes and saxes can be wonderful and bassoons, recorders and crumhorns are magical when Gryphon use them.

A TVR is not a car. It's a way of life.

Saxophone

Two random guys agreed to shake hands. Just Because. They felt like it, you know. It was an agreement of sorts...a random agreement.

Tuba solo at 2:25....

...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined
to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology...

Originally posted by I prophesy disaster

I prophesy disaster wrote:

AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

I think sax usually works better with jazz or fusion.

Or Van der Graaf Generator.

The occasional KC appearance, too.

Also, anything with Wayne Shorter (obviously).

"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021

nick_h_nz wrote:

The bass clarinet is probably my absolute favourite instrument to hear, so I voted for clarinets.

Clarinets in general evoke a really wonderful atmosphere and tone, but the bass clarinet is just damn sexy. It doesn’t burst bring joy to the cockles of my heart, but to the sub-cockle region, too.

Trumpets and trombones are probably next in my list. I love when bands forgo traditional instruments and use a trumpet and/or trombone instead.

Saxophone follows, and of course can vary wildly depending on what type of sax is played (or, of course how it is played).

Rounding out my top five is the euphonium, potentially for patriotic reasons, as so much of the music Don McGlashan has been a part of over the years, and across many groups, has included his wonderful playing of the euphonium.

I actually really like bagpipes in music, too, but I think most people tend to think of Scottish bagpipes, and I don’t think I own anything that has these bagpipes playing. However, I have a lot of music in my collection that use bagpipes from other countries. The bagpipes from different countries all sound quite different from each other.

Like me, this is a terribly difficult poll to choose only one. Also, my tastes are pretty similar to yours. (One of my daughters played euphonium growing up--her choice!--and the another played oboe and, later, saxophones.) (The other two: cello & piano, and double bass.)

Like I said, though, cor anglais: heavenly….

Drew Fisher
https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/

Poll Question: What are your favorite wind instruments in prog?
Poll Choice	Votes	Poll Statistics
Flutes	22	[40.00%]
Saxophones	10	[18.18%]
Pipe organ	4	[7.27%]
Bagpipes	1	[1.82%]
Oboes	2	[3.64%]
Bassoons	3	[5.45%]
Recorders	0	[0.00%]
Didgeridoos	1	[1.82%]
Pan Flutes	1	[1.82%]
Clarinets	2	[3.64%]
Trumpets	2	[3.64%]
Trombones	1	[1.82%]
French horns	2	[3.64%]
Tubas	2	[3.64%]
Tin whistles	0	[0.00%]
Crumhorns	2	[3.64%]
You can not vote in this poll