Is mayonnaise really an instrument? We finally have an answer

We thought things would get weird around April Fool’s day, but not quite this weird. We finally have an answer to one of the most iconic and bizarre questions ever asked: is mayonnaise an instrument?

Patrick Star asked this very crucial question back in one of the most loved Spongebob SquarePants episodes of all time, Band Geeks, which aired in September 2001. Thanks to condiment brand Hellmann’s, “mayonnaise is officially stepping into the world of music”, apparently.

Hellmann’s put the question to the test by working with Dr. Rachael Durkin, Head of Global Music Technologies at Northumbria University, and her team of experts. Together, they have drawn on expertise in organology (the study of musical instruments), alongside acoustics and musicology.

Their research delivers a “clear, evidence-based verdict”, according to Hellmann’s – mayonnaise can indeed function as an instrument.

Dr. Rachael Durkin says, “Music has always evolved through experimentation. When you look at the core principles of how instruments create sound, you realise the possibilities for unconventional materials are endless. Exploring something like mayonnaise isn’t just about fun; it challenges our assumptions and invites us to think far more creatively about what music can be.”

Andy Arthur Smith, a music creator with over six million followers across social media, has collaborated with Hellmann’s to create an original track in honour of the news. Aptly titled Mayonnaise Is an Instrument, it is composed entirely from mayonnaise-generated sounds.

He adds: “It’s a question that’s been around for years, but no one’s really tried to answer it properly. Seeing people actually make music with mayonnaise and turning it into a real track has been wild. It shouldn’t work, but somehow it does. We’re bringing a new texture to music!”

Watch Andy Arthur Smith get creative with his new fave instrument below:

@andyarthursmith

The age old question – IS mayonnaise an instrument?! #hellmannspartner @Hellmann’s Mayonnaise

♬ original sound – Andy Arthur Smith

@andyarthursmith

Behold the delicious process of using mayonnaise as an instrument! #HellmannsPartner @Hellmann’s Mayonnaise

♬ original sound – Andy Arthur Smith

Rachel is a DIY musician who began learning guitar and keyboard from her bedroom at 14. She has written news and features for MusicTech since 2022, and also has bylines across Kerrang!, Guitar.com, and The Forty-Five. Though a lover of heavy music, her guilty pleasure is 2000s pop.