Those of us who love American Idol have long said that its creators would eventually need to adjust or die. By that, we don’t mean that they should suffer actual death, just that it’s the very nature of the entertainment business that they need to innovate.

Well, I don’t know that it’s innovation necessarily, but it’s been announced — according to this article in the Nov. 5 New York Post — that contestants who make it to Hollywood will be allowed to play instruments.

If that goes well, they could be allowed to play them during the finals.

Of course, Idol producers are merely dipping their toes into the water, not promising a swim. I’d be really surprised if Idol turns into Rock Star, although I always loved the instrumental element in that show.

Personally, I don’t expect the instrument to play a big role in Season 7. Eventually, I think Idol producers will have to tweak the show in bigger ways to keep up with an evolving, hungry audience, and instruments can play a role in that.

However, let’s remember that neither Kelly nor Carrie, generally, plays an instrument as a primary source of instrumentation. That’s not to say they can’t. I think I’ve seen both with a guitar, but their wins had zero to do with an ability to play an instrument.

Still, a nice switch, and I hope Nigel Lythgoe is open to other twists and tweaks to our favorite annual event.

Oh. The other big news regarding Idol today centered on Lythgoe’s announcement that very few mentors will be used this season, a welcome move if you ask me. It was as if it was becoming a marketplace necessity for folks with new CDs to get on for a week of Idol to boost sales.

Sure, I thought the advice given by the likes of Tony Bennett and Gloria Estefan and Gwen Stefani was real, but the show needs to be focused on the contestants.

So, what’s your take on the instrument announcement? Do you think it will become a big player on Idol 7?