"John Pepper"

Is there any simple way that I can identify a musical instrument I hear
either on television or CD?


** In general - no.

The variety of tone qualities possible with a given musical instrument is
huge - PLUS using electronics allows an ever much wider range to be
obtained. The electric guitar is a perfect example.

Then you have the very widespread use of keyboard synthesisers and
programmable machines substituting for real instruments ( drums, pianos,
harpsichords, organs) and even whole groups of instruments - string
sections, brass sections, etc.

Usually the instruments and their player's names are mentioned on a CD -
but with some material the whole of the instrumentation is synthetic and
done by one or two synth specialists. The noises you hear on a recording may
closely resemble real instruments or they may not.

Stick with classical or mainstream jazz recordings if you want to know just
what is being served up.




.............. Phil