I am making a list. A list of musical elements that, when added to songs, INSTANTLY make the song better than it would be otherwise. Inagural additions to this list: - Maracas/Shakers of any kind. - Group vocals. The bigger the better. - Hand claps - The screaming out of an instrument in the band's lineup before the solo of said instrument. Please feel free to add your own.
I decided before posting that i was gonna give rep to whoever was the first to post this. but sadly, i need to spread it around. Consider yourself invisi-repped.
So many wonderful Brazilian instruments to choose from ... I'll say the cuica Check out the audio samples. You'll find yourself going, "Ah, so that's what makes that sound." http://www.ovationtv.com/artszone/programs/bossanova/matter.html
Anvil. That giant sheet metal thing classical orchestras use to make a thunder sound. Samples of speeches of genocidal dictators and/or soundbites from the movie Aliens. Guitar as percussive instrument. Choruses singing in Latin.
Bongos. Bongos can make a good song a classic, and a mediocre song somewhat tolerable. Basically, any type of hand percussion instrument, including cowbells, improves the sound by at least 17 percent.
Trumpet. In fact any horn besides a saxaphone improves a song. Saxaphone works the other way. A half-second silent pause just before a hook is always good too.