Comedy+and+Humor


 * Musical techniques can be used to make music funny or humorous: **
 * Sporadic crescendos and decrescendos of the melody
 * Staggered chordal structures
 * Unusual accents in certain parts of the songs.
 * A short pause in the music. Unexpected pauses
 * High pitched crescendos
 * Unruly low-pitched sounds
 * Usually the music is played quite fast.
 * Instead of using sound effects Instruments are played to add comedic relief to something that might be scary to children. (For example: Flutes are played very fast from a hi to low pitch which renders the event of falling down a ladder funny.)
 * The tempo is often up beat and faced paced. The use of silly sound effects.
 * Staccato notes and fast tempos
 * Shocking noises and sounds can also add to a piece's humor.
 * Sounds that are unexpected are always funny.
 * Contrasting sounds
 * Iincorporating cliches.

**Instruments and sounds often used to make funny, jumorous music:**
 * [|Accordion] -As mentioned, one of the funniest instruments, if not the funniest.
 * [|Bagpipes] -Not funny to listen to, but funny because of its physical appearance, and the entire [|men in kilts] aspect.
 * The [|Dijeredoo] -Although probably not funny when actually played in its native context. But since it is associated with hippies, it becomes funny.
 * The [|Ukulele] - It is small. Small instruments are often funny.
 * [|Tuba], [|Trombone] and [|French Horn] . Brass instruments are funny as a group, and these are three of the funniest.
 * [|The Hurdy Gurdy] - A relatively obscure instrument, something like a fiddle, only...different.
 * [|The Oboe] -The funniest [|woodwind].
 * [|The Kazoo] - Funny, but since it is kind of intended to be funny, it loses some of its humor appeal.
 * [|Percussion] - Percussion, other than the drum set, is funny. Drummers, however, are funny, even though their instruments are not. Percussion instruments that can be funny include, [|Triangle], [|Tambourine] , [|Bongos] , [|Tom-Toms] , [|Xylophone] and [|Electric Dulcimer] , and [|Bells] . Especially [|Cowbells].
 * [|The Banjo] - Brought up to me, 2 1/2 years after the original writing, by [|Avalyn] . The Banjo is an obvious choice, especially because it is (like the [|Hurdy Gurdy] and the [|Fiddle] ) associated with HICKS. Also, another exception to my "stringed instruments aren't funny" rule.
 * Another subset of funny instruments is anything that is improvised, or invented.. (And the varieties of improvised musical instruments is manifold- [|rp] sent me a link to an-all vegetable orchestra]). I consider this to be somewhat of a different category. Of course the [|Saw] is funny. But how can you compare it to the [|Tuba] ? You just can't. It should also be noted that [|The Spoons], an instrument that is both non-drum percussion and improvised, has an unfair position of humor when compared to anything else.
 * Another group that is funny, but in a way that is again difficult to compare, is novel instruments, especially technological novelties. The [|Theremin] is funny. The [|Drum Buddy] is funny. The [|Player Piano] is funny. [|Wah Wah Peddle] can be funny. [|Moog] can also be funny. Also, it is from the [|1970s], a funny decade, and has a funny name.

Source: []

Leonard Bernstein: Young People's Concerts | Humor in Music (Part 1 of 4) media type="youtube" key="Bmgzk28KZtA" height="315" width="420"
 * Examples: **

Vibraslap media type="youtube" key="P4bwu8JJakw" height="315" width="420"

Friz Freleng Bugs Bunny Cartoon