7 Weird and Wonderful Musical Instruments From Around The World
A blog about musical instruments that are weird but still can produce sounds.
By Aimee Laurence
Published: Monday, February 24, 2014 at 12:38 p.m. Last Modified: Monday, February 24, 2014 at 1:37 p.m.
Music brings people together in a way nothing else can. Even if two people don’t speak the same language or come from a similar background, they can still enjoy music together.
The beauty of music is that it’s always evolving and changing. New genres join the scene all the time, and musicians are constantly pushing boundaries with their sound. One of the things that makes music so fun is the variety of instruments used to bring those sounds to life. Of course, in Western music we’re most familiar with guitars, drums, pianos and other common instruments, but there’s a whole world of less familiar – and often very strange-looking – instruments out there just waiting to be discovered.
Here are 7 of our favorite weird and wonderful musical instruments from around the world!
Music is beautiful. It sounds awesome, it feels great and it is a real form of art. However, the instruments that are used to create this amazing sound are not always the most conventional things. While some strange instruments were created for practical reasons, others were created for pure entertainment and some were even just created for art.
Some of these strange instruments are still used today, while we may never see others again. Here are 7 weird and wonderful musical instruments from around the world:
1. The Great Stalacpipe Organ: This organ is one of the largest musical instruments in the world! It is located in Luray Caverns, Virginia and uses mallets to tap on stalactites to create sound. It was built by Leland W Sprinkle in the 1950s and is a very rare instrument indeed!
2. The Theramin: This instrument is played without touch! The player moves their hands around an antenna-like device which causes electric signals to be sent to a speaker that makes noise. This was invented in 1920 and was often used for horror film soundtracks due to its eerie sound!
3. The Otamatone: This instrument looks like something you might find at an arcade game or a toy store but it is actually a
If you’re the type of music lover who is a fan of everything from Bach to bongos, then you probably love all different types of instruments. But even the most ardent music enthusiast may not have heard of these weird and wonderful musical instruments from around the world.
1. The Great Stalacpipe Organ
Believe it or not, this instrument is actually located in Luray Caverns in Virginia. It is the world’s largest musical instrument, spanning 3.5 acres and using stalactites to produce the sound of organ pipes.
2. The Waterphone
The waterphone was invented in the mid-1960s by Richard Waters, hence the name. It has become a go-to instrument for film composers because it produces such an eerie sound that can add a sense of mystery or terror to movie scenes. The waterphone has an unusual design with metal rods about three feet long coming out of a resonator bowl. It’s played by bowing or plucking the rods while rotating the bowl to change pitch and tone.
3. The Koto
This Japanese instrument resembles a table with strings stretched over it, but the koto is actually held on the player’s lap like a guitar or violin
Great buskers know that sometimes the best way to draw a crowd and make an impact is to be a little different.
With that in mind, here are seven of the most unusual musical instruments from around the world.
1. The Waterphone
Have you ever wondered what a musical instrument would sound like if it was crafted by H.R. Giger? Then you might be interested in the waterphone, which looks like something that could have been used in the Alien movies.
Built by Richard Waters, a musician and instrument maker who hails from California, this bizarre contraption gives off otherworldly sounds when played with a bow, stick or mallet. Made of stainless steel and brass, it’s also known as “The Singing Ringing Tree” and “The Bell Tree.”
2. The Phonofiddle
Invented by Norwegian-American violinist Rasmus Vogt back in 1876, the phonofiddle is one of several attempts to combine an Edison phonograph with a violin. Also known as a “gramofiddle,” it can play cylinders up to ten minutes long and record music using a stylus at the base of the fingerboard.
In this article we’ll discuss some of the weirdest musical instruments from around the world. These are instruments that are unique to particular cultures, and require a certain level of skill to be played well.
The Hang
The Hang is a Swiss invention, created by Felix Rohner and Sabina Scharer. It’s been described as a cross between a steel drum and an acoustic guitar, and is one of the most popular modern-day percussion instruments. The instrument has eight different notes which can be played by striking or pressing the surface with hands or mallets.
The Glass Armonica
Created in 1761 by Benjamin Franklin, the Glass Armonica uses glass bowls mounted on a spindle and turned with a foot pedal. The musician rubs their fingers around the bowls’ rims to produce sound, while also using their other hand to dampen the vibrations from certain bowls. Although it was popular in its day, many saw it as an evil instrument, associated with witchcraft and madness.
The Musical Saw
The Musical Saw is an ordinary saw that’s bowed with a violin bow to emit sounds. It’s most often used in folk music but has also featured in classical pieces such as Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat (A Soldier’s
The musical world is full of a variety of instruments, some are very popular whereas others are not. Some instruments are very unique in nature and design, which makes them so interesting to play with. Here we have compiled a list of seven most weird instruments played around the world.
1. Kora:
This is an African harp, which is played by the Mandinkas of Gambia and Senegal in Western Africa. The kora can be considered as a bridge between the harp and lute family because it has 21 strings (which are tied to a notched bridge) attached to the neck and body of the instrument. Unique thing about the kora is that it has a longer neck and arms than any other harps. It has a diameter of about 1 meter and its body is made using half of a gourd covered with cow skin. The sound hole comes from one end and this produces extremely beautiful music from this instrument.
2. Hang Drum:
This handpan shaped instrument was invented in Switzerland by Felix Rohner and Sabina Scharer in 2000 under their company name PANArt Hangbau AG. As it comes from the name itself, this instrument is shaped like a dish with convex shape of about 45 cm in diameter. Its
A busker is a person who performs in the street or other public place for voluntary donations. Buskers are also known as street performers, street musicians and busking.
The word busking derives from the Spanish root word “buscar,” which means “to seek.”
Busking is a way of making money by playing music, juggling, magic tricks, mime or anything else that attracts an audience. It’s not just about the money; it’s about the performance and having fun. Buskers are also welcome to perform for free in public spaces, some of which are more welcoming than others.
Busking has been around for thousands of years, but it’s only recently that it has become organized and regulated by cities. In most major cities around the world you will find organized busking groups and events where performers can apply to take part, register with the city and then be allocated a pitch in the city to perform. The city will typically charge a small fee to use their space (around $10-$15 per day), but many cities now offer free permits if you perform outside of peak times or in less busy areas of town.
The most common type of busker is a street musician, who may play on their own or as part of a group