The most interesting musical instruments. The strangest musical instruments in the world

Thanks to musical instruments we can make music - one of the most unique creations person. From trumpet to piano and bass guitar, they have been used to create countless complex symphonies, rock ballads and popular songs.

However, this list contains some of the strangest and most bizarre musical instruments that exist on the planet. And, by the way, some of them are from the category of “does this even exist?”

So here are 25 truly strange musical instruments - in sound, design or, most often, both.

25. Vegetable Orchestra

Created almost 20 years ago by a group of friends who were passionate about instrumental music The Vegetable Orchestra in Vienna has become one of the strangest musical instrument groups on the planet.

The musicians make their instruments before each performance - entirely from vegetables such as carrots, eggplants, leeks - to create a completely unusual performance that the audience can only see and hear.

24. Music Box


Construction equipment is most often noisy and annoying with its rumble, in strong contrast to a small music box. But one massive music box has been created that combines both.

This nearly one-ton vibratory compactor has been redesigned to spin just like a classic music box. He can play one famous tune - “The Star-Spangled Banner” (US anthem).

23. Cat piano


I would like to hope that the cat piano never becomes a real invention. Published in a book about strange and bizarre musical instruments, the "Katzenklavier" (also known as the cat piano or cat organ) is a musical instrument in which cats are seated in an octave according to the tone of their voice.

Their tails are extended towards the keyboard with nails. When a key is pressed, the nail presses painfully on the tail of one of the cats, which produces the desired sound.

22. 12-neck guitar


It was pretty cool when Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page played a double-neck guitar on stage. I wonder what it would be like if he played that 12-neck guitar?

21. Zeusaphone


Imagine creating music from electrical arcs. Zeusophone does just that. Known as the "Singing Tesla Coil", this unusual musical instrument produces sound by altering visible flashes of electricity, creating a futuristic-sounding electronic instrument.

20. Yaybahar


Yaybahar is one of the strangest musical instruments that came from the Middle East. This acoustic instrument has strings connected to coiled springs that are stuck into the center of the drum frames. When the strings are played, the vibrations echo throughout the room, like echoing in a cave or inside a metal sphere, creating a hypnotic sound.

19. Sea organ


There are two large sea organs in the world - one in Zadar (Croatia) and the other in San Francisco (USA). They both work in a similar way - with a series of pipes absorbing and amplifying the sound of the waves, making the sea and its vagaries the main performer. The sounds that the sea organ makes have been compared to the sound of water entering the ears and the didgeridoo.

18. Pupa (Chrysalis)


The dolly is one of the most beautiful instruments in this list of strange musical instruments. Modeled after a massive, round, stone Aztec calendar, the instrument's wheel rotates in a circle with strings taut, producing a sound similar to a perfectly tuned zither.

17. Janko Keyboard


Janko's keyboard looks like a long, irregular chessboard. Developed by Paul von Jankó, this alternative arrangement of piano keys allows pianists to play such musical works, which cannot be played on a standard keyboard.

Although the keyboard looks quite difficult to play, it produces the same number of sounds as a standard keyboard and is easier to learn to play because changing the key only requires the player to move their hands up or down, without having to change fingerings.

16. Symphony House


Most musical instruments are portable, and the Symphony House is definitely not one of them! In this case, the musical instrument is an entire house in Michigan with an area of ​​575 square meters.

From the opposite windows that allow the sounds of nearby coastal waves or the noise of the forest to penetrate, to the wind blowing through the long strings of a distinctive harp, the entire house resonates with sound.

The largest musical instrument in the house is two 12-meter horizontal beams made of anegri wood with strings stretched along them. When the strings are played, the entire room vibrates, giving the person the feeling of being inside a giant guitar or cello.

15. Theremin

Theremin is one of the very first electronic instruments, patented in 1928. Two metal antennas determine the position of the performer's hands, changing the frequency and volume, which are converted from electrical signals into sounds.

14. Uncello

More like the model of the universe proposed by Nicolaus Copernicus in the 16th century, the unzello is a combination of wood, pegs, strings and an amazing custom resonator. Instead of a traditional cello body that amplifies the sound, the uncello uses a round fishbowl to produce sounds when the bow is played across the strings.

13. Hydrolophone


Hydrolophone is a musical instrument new era, created by Steve Mann, which emphasizes the importance of water and serves as a sensory exploration device for the visually impaired.

Essentially, it is a massive water organ that is played by plugging small holes with your fingers, from which water slowly flows, hydraulically creating the traditional organ sound.

12. Bikelophone


The Baiklophone was built in 1995 as part of a project to explore new sounds. Using a bicycle frame as a base, this musical instrument creates layered sounds using a loop recording system.

It is constructed with bass strings, wood, metal telephone bells and more. The sound it produces is truly incomparable because it produces a wide range of sounds from harmonious melodies to sci-fi intros.

11. Earth Harp


Somewhat similar to the Symphony House, the Earth Harp is the world's longest stringed instrument. A harp with stretched strings 300 meters long produces sounds similar to a cello. A musician wearing cotton gloves coated with violin rosin plucks the strings with his hands, creating an audible wave of compression.

10. Great Stalacpipe Organ


Nature is full of sounds that are pleasant to our ears. Combining human ingenuity and design with natural acoustics, Leland W. Sprinkle installed a custom lithophone in Luray Caverns, Virginia, USA.

The organ produces sounds of varying tones using tens of thousands of years old stalactites that have been converted into resonators.

9. Serpent


This bassy wind instrument, with a brass mouthpiece and finger holes similar to a woodwind, was so named because of its unusual design. The curving shape of the Snake allows it to produce a unique sound, reminiscent of a cross between a tuba and a trumpet.

8. Ice Organ


The Swedish Ice Hotel, built entirely of ice in winter, is one of the most famous boutique hotels in the world. In 2004, American ice sculptor Tim Linhart accepted an offer to build a musical instrument that would fit the hotel's theme.

As a result, Linart created the world's first ice organ - an instrument with pipes carved entirely from ice. Unfortunately, the life of this unusual musical instrument was short-lived - it melted last winter.

7. Aeolus


Looking like an instrument modeled after Tina Turner's bad hairstyle, the aeolus is a huge arch with many pipes that catches every breath of wind and converts it into sound, often produced in the rather eerie tones associated with a UFO landing.

6. Nellophone


If the previous unusual musical instrument resembles Tina Turner's hair, then this one can be compared to the tentacles of a jellyfish. To play a nellophone, which is constructed entirely of curved pipes, the performer stands in the center and strikes the pipes with special paddles, thereby producing the sound of the air resonating within them.

5. Sharpsichord

One of the most complex and strange musical instruments on this list, the sharpsichord has 11,520 holes with pegs inserted into them and resembles a music box.

When the solar-powered cylinder turns, a lever rises to pluck the strings. The power is then transferred to the jumper, which amplifies the sound using a large horn.

4. Pyrophone Organ

This list covers a lot various types remade organs, and this one may be the best of them all. Unlike using stalactites or ice, the pyrophonic organ produces sounds by creating mini-explosions with each keystroke.

Hitting the key of a propane and gasoline-powered pyrophonic organ provokes exhaust from the pipe, like a car engine, thereby creating sound.

3. Fence. Any fence.


Few people in the world can claim to be a “fence-playing musician.” In fact, only one person can do this - Australian Jon Rose (already sounds like the name of a rock star), creating music on fences.

Rose uses a violin bow to create resonating sounds on tightly strung "acoustic" fences, ranging from barbed wire to chain link fences. Some of his most provocative performances include playing on the border fence between Mexico and the United States, and between Syria and Israel.

2. Cheese Drums


As a combination of two human passions - music and cheese - these cheese drums are a truly wonderful and very strange group of instruments.

Their creators took a traditional drum kit and replaced all the drums with massive round heads of cheese, placing a microphone next to each to produce more delicate sounds.

For most of us, their sound will be more like the drumsticks of an amateur drummer sitting in a local Vietnamese restaurant.

1. Loophonium

As a small tuba-like bass musical instrument that plays a leading role in brass and military bands, the euphonium is not such a strange instrument.

That is, until Fritz Spiegl of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra created the toiletphonium: a fully functioning combination of a euphonium and a beautifully painted toilet.

The world is full of different, amazing and unusual sounds. Merging together, they turn into a melody: calming and cheerful, cheerful and sad, romantic and alarming. Inspired by the sounds of nature, man created musical instruments, with the help of which it is possible to recreate the most impressive, heart-warming melodies. And in addition to instruments known throughout the world, such as the piano, guitar, drum, saxophone, violin and others, there are musical instruments that are no less interesting appearance, and in sound. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the ten most interesting musical instruments in the world.

Whistle

This musical instrument is the basis of Irish culture. It is rare that Irish music is complete without the sound of this authentic instrument: cheerful jig motifs, fast polkas, soulful airs - the voice of the whistle can be felt in each of the presented directions.

The instrument is an oblong flute with a whistle at one end and 6 holes on front side. As a rule, whistles are made from tin, but instruments made of wood, plastic and silver also have a right to exist.

The history of the appearance of the whistle goes back to the 11th-12th century. It is from these times that the first memories of this instrument date back. A whistle is easy to make from scrap materials, which is why the instrument was especially valued among the common people. Closer to XIX century a general standard for the whistle was established - an oblong shape and 6 holes used for playing. The greatest contribution to the development of the instrument was made by the Englishman Robert Clarke: he proposed making the instrument from light metal– tinplate. Thanks to its hoarse and perky sound, the whistle became very popular among the Irish people. Since then, this instrument has become the most recognizable folk instrument.

The principle of playing the whistle is very simple, so much so that even if you have never picked up this instrument, after 2-3 hours of hard training you will be able to play your first melody. The whistle is both a simple and complex instrument. The complexity lies in its sensitivity to breathing, and the simplicity lies in its easy fingering to achieve.

Vargan

This ancient reed instrument has remained virtually unchanged in appearance over the centuries of its existence. From the Old Slavonic “vargi” means “mouth”. It is in the name of the instrument that the method of extracting sounds from the instrument is hidden. Jew's harps are most common among the peoples of the north: Eskimos, Yakuts, Bashkirs, Chukchi, Altaians, Tuvinians and Buryats. With this unusual instrument local residents express their emotions, feelings and moods.

Jew's harps are made of wood, metal, bones and other exotic materials, which influence the sound of the instrument in their own way. The reliability and durability of the jew's harp also depends on the material used.

It is almost impossible to describe the sound of an instrument - it is better to hear its melody once than to read its description 10 times. But we can still confidently say that the melody emanating from playing the harp is velvety, soothing, and thought-provoking. But learning to play the harp is not so easy: in order to extract a melody from the instrument, you need to learn how to control your diaphragm, articulation and breathing. After all, during the playing process it is not the instrument itself that sounds, but the musician’s body.

Glass harmonica

Perhaps one of the rarest musical instruments. It is a structure of glass hemispheres of different diameters strung on a metal rod. The structure is fixed in a resonator box. Play the glass harmonica with slightly moistened fingertips by rubbing or tapping.

The first information about the glass harmonica has been known since the mid-17th century. Then the instrument was a set of 30-40 glasses, which were played by gently touching their edges. While playing, the musicians produced such unusual, exciting sounds that it seemed as if hundreds of glass marbles were falling to the ground.

After the grand tour of the Irishman Richard Puckrich across England in 1744, the instrument became so famous and desirable that others began to learn to play it. famous musicians. Moreover, the great composers of that time, Mozart, Beethoven and Richard Strauss, captivated by the beauty of the sound of the harmonica, wrote the best compositions especially for this instrument.

However, in those days it was believed that the sound of a glass harmonica had a negative effect on the human psyche: it violated state of mind, causes premature birth in pregnant women, leads to mental disorder. In this regard, in some German cities the instrument was banned at the legislative level. And at the beginning of the twentieth century, the art of playing the glass harmonica was forgotten. But everything well forgotten someday returns. This is what happened with this wonderful instrument: Victor Kramer, St. Petersburg director, in Glinka’s opera, presented in Bolshoi Theater, successfully used the glass harmonica, returning it to its rightful place in modern art.

Hang

An amazing musical instrument, one of the newest inventions of our time. Hang was invented in Switzerland in 2000 by Felix Rohner and Sabine Scherer. The creators of the instruments claim that the basis of playing an exotic percussion instrument is the feeling, sensation of the music and the instrument itself. And the owner of the hang must have an ideal ear for music.

The hang consists of a pair of metal hemispheres that together form a disk similar to a flying saucer. The upper part (also the front) of the hanga is called DING; on it there are 7-8 tones enclosed in a musical circle. They are indicated by small depressions, and in order to obtain a certain key of the melody, you need to hit one or another depression.

The lower part of the instrument is called GU. It has a deep hole in which the musician’s fist should be located. The structure of this disc acts as a resonance and modulation of sound.

Bonang

Bonang is an Indonesian percussion instrument. It consists of a set of bronze gongs, which are secured with cords and placed horizontally on a wooden stand. At the top of the central part of each gong there is a bulge - pencha. It is this that makes the sound if you knock on it with a wooden stick with a cotton cloth or rope wrapped around its end. Balls of burnt clay suspended under gongs often act as resonators. Bonang sounds soft and melodious, its sound fades slowly.

Kazoo

The kazoo is an American folk instrument. Used in skiffle style music. It is a small cylinder, tapering towards the end, made of metal or plastic. A metal plug with a membrane made of tissue paper is inserted into the middle of the instrument. Playing the kazoo is very simple: just sing into the kazoo, and the tissue paper will do its job - change the musician’s voice beyond recognition.

Erhu

Erhu is a bowed musical instrument, also known as an ancient Chinese two-string violin that uses metal strings.

Scientists cannot say exactly where and when the first erhu instrument was created, since it is a nomadic instrument, which means that it changed its geographical location along with the nomadic tribes. It has been established that the approximate age of the erhu is 1000 years. The instrument became popular during the Tang Dynasty, which fell between the 7th and 10th centuries AD.

The first erhu were somewhat shorter than modern ones: their length was 50-60 cm, and today it is 81 cm. The instrument consists of a hexagonal or cylindrical body (resonator). The body is made of high quality wood and a snakeskin membrane. The neck of the erhu is where the strings are attached. At the top of the neck there is a curved head with a pair of pegs. Erhu strings are usually metal or animal sinew. The bow is made in a curved shape. The string for the bow is made of horsehair, and the rest is made of bamboo.

The main difference between the Erhu and other violins is that the bow should be attached between two strings. Thus, the bow becomes one and inseparable from the base of the instrument. While playing, the erhu is held in a horizontal position, resting the instrument's leg against one's knee. The bow is played with the right hand, and at this time the strings are pressed with the fingers of the left hand so that they do not touch the neck of the instrument.

Nikelharpa

Nyckelharpa is a Swedish folk musical instrument of the bowed string variety. Due to the fact that its development lasted more than 600 years, the instrument has several modifications. The first mention of the nyckelharpa is on the gate leading to Szczelyunge Church on the island of Gotland: it depicts two musicians playing this instrument. This image was created back in 1350.

The modern modification of the nyckelharpa has 16 strings and about 37 wooden keys that slide under the strings while playing. Each key moves upward along the slide, where, reaching its top, it clamps the string, changing its sound. The player moves a short bow along the strings and presses the keys with his left hand. Nyckelharpa allows you to play melodies in a range of 3 octaves. Its sound is similar to a regular violin, but it sounds with much more resonance.

Ukulele

One of the most interesting musical instruments is the ukulele, a plucked string instrument. The ukulele is a miniature ukulele with 4 strings. It appeared back in 1880 thanks to three Portuguese who arrived in Hawaii in 1879 (so the legend says). In general, the ukulele is a consequence of the development of the Portuguese cavaquinho plucked instrument. Outwardly it resembles a guitar, with the only difference being its smaller shape and the presence of only 4 strings.

There are 4 types of ukulele:

  • soprano – instrument length 53 cm, the most common type;
  • concert instrument - 58 cm in length, slightly larger, sounds louder;
  • tenor - a relatively new model (created in the 20s of the last century) 66 cm long;
  • baritone - the largest model with a length of 76 cm, appeared in the 40s of the last century.

There are also custom ukuleles in which the 8 strings are paired and tuned in unison. The result is a full, surround sound of the instrument.

Harp

Perhaps the most amazing, interesting and melodic instrument is the harp. The harp itself is large, but its sound is so exciting that sometimes you just don’t understand how it can be so amazing. To prevent the instrument from seeming sloppy, its frame is decorated with carvings, making it elegant. Strings of different lengths and thicknesses are pulled onto the frame so that they form a grid.

In ancient times, the harp was considered an instrument of the gods, in middle times - of theologians and monks, then it was considered an aristocratic predilection, and today it is considered a magnificent instrument on which absolutely any melodies can be performed.

The sound of the harp cannot be compared with anything: it is deep, exciting, unearthly. Thanks to the capabilities of the instrument, the harp is an indispensable member of symphony orchestras.

There are many amazing musical instruments in the world. And they all sound special, creating melodies that touch the soul. Each of the tools presented above is certainly worth considering. But still, we should not forget about the violins, guitars, pianos, flutes and other no less beautiful and interesting instruments. After all, they are the basis of human culture and the best way to express feelings and emotions.

Inventors, designers and musicians introduce amazing musical instruments to the world from time to time. Among them, string, wind and keyboard instruments are most often found.

The most amazing string instruments

Stringed instruments have always been one of the most popular, and there are some very unusual ones among them. Let's look at the TOP of the most amazing string instruments. ESCOPETTARA is a guitar made on the basis of a Kalashnikov assault rifle. This guitar is good as an extraordinary gift. She is in first place in the ranking.

Stratocaster is a guitar with seventy-two strings. To create it, freak artist Yoshiko Sato disassembled twelve guitars. Looking at such an unusual guitar, you get the impression that only a multi-armed monster could play it.

Extravagant music maker Ken Butler invented the violin-telephone in 1998. And Canadian guitar maker Linda Manzer worked for two years to create a psychedelic guitar - the “Picasso Guitar”. It is equipped with four necks and forty-two strings. The instrument was commissioned by guitarist Pat Metheny. “Picasso’s Guitar” ranks fourth in the top ten unusual string instruments.


A well-known Japanese company in 1997 created an amazingly simple CASIO DG-10 tool. This is a plastic guitar with plastic strings. The volume of the sound depends on the force of the strings. Even those with zero level of training can play it.


On the sixth line of the rating is a nano-guitar. It was made at Cornell University. This is the smallest musical instrument in the world. This guitar is smaller than the thickness of a human hair, measuring less than two microns. It is cut with a high-precision laser from silicone.

In 1918, engineer Bates invented the harp guitar. It was built in 1936 by an anonymous artist for the Chicago fair. The LONG STRINGED INSTRUMENT is in tenth position in the ranking of unusual string instruments. It does not have a body and consists of stretched strings, the length of which is twenty-one meters. Its inventor is Ellen Fullman. To extract sound, just run your hand covered with rosin over the strings.


You can learn more about expensive musical instruments.

Unusual wind instruments

We can give an example of several extraordinary wind instruments. Alpine horns made of wood have been used for centuries not only in the Alps and Switzerland, but also in many mountainous regions of Europe.


Instruments called “wakrapuku” are made from cattle horns or metal. This wind musical instrument dates back to the pre-Columbian period. In Australia there is an instrument called the didgeridoo. It is made from termite-eaten eucalyptus. The didgeridoo makes a unique buzzing sound. The instrument is about one and a half thousand years old.

Illian bagpipes are present in Irish musical culture. This instrument differs from the Scottish version of the bagpipes in that it does not require blowing into pipes. Instead, musicians operate the bellows with their right elbow while pumping the bag with their left. This is how air is supplied to the seven pipes of the instrument.


Musicians from Armenia, Bulgaria, Greece, Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Southern Serbia, Romania and Turkey are familiar with this type of flute, the kaval.

Another rare wind instrument is the bombarda. She resembles a Gaboy. Her homeland is northern France. A musician playing the bombard must exert considerable effort, so breaks are required every ten seconds. The sound produced is very loud.

The ancient musical instrument Ocarina appeared about twelve thousand years ago in China. Europeans discovered it in the sixteenth century after conquering South and Central America. At first, the Ocarina was considered a children's musical instrument, but after the modern version was created in Italy in the nineteenth century, the instrument received wider development.

The most unusual keyboard instruments

Keyboard musical instruments appeared much later than percussion, strings and wind instruments. Among the unusual ones is the clavichord, invented in the fourteenth century. It was especially popular in the Middle Ages. In the mid-nineteenth century, the clavichord was practically forgotten, but at the beginning of the twentieth the instrument was revived again.


The harpsichord has been known since the end of the fourteenth century. It first appeared in Italy. In the sixties and seventies of the last century, a keyboard instrument such as the Mellotron was popular. It was developed from Chamberlin in England. The Muselaar is a small keyboard string instrument.

The most unusual musical instrument in the world

There are many strange musicians and unusual, sometimes unique, musical instruments in the world. Some tools seem incredible. It’s difficult to choose the most unusual one. Several unique musical instruments can claim this title.


One of them is the “badger”. It represents a musical instrument theremin attached to a stuffed badger. The owner of the badger is David Kramner.

The most unusual is the music house, built by architect David Hanoelt. This house is a musical instrument, operating on the principle of the Byzantine harp. The wind passes through the walls of the house and through the rooms, resulting in melodious pleasant sounds.
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We have previously written about musical instruments that sound unusual and look interesting, but do not become popular. They are, as they say, “famous in certain circles” - for example, among fans of ethnic music or in a subculture.

About the importance of sound and the difference in approaches

Sound is important to build suspense and create atmosphere. Even the most monstrous monsters do not inspire the right level of fear and horror if they remain silent dummies - especially in our culture, where silent films can captivate only as an object of nostalgia.

Moreover, the opposite is also true - sound can turn the most ordinary scenes into scary ones, and realistic characters without disgusting makeup into monsters.

The purpose of traditional musical instruments is to create a harmonious sound that is pleasing to the human ear. But in horror films (and, by the way, horror games), sound and music perform the exact opposite function - it should frighten, cause horror, discomfort and unpleasant sensations.

Therefore, instruments that produce unusual sounds are favored by sound engineers and horror film composers - they allow you to go beyond the tonality that is comfortable for the ear and create unusual and frightening sounds.

There are many relevant samples available in digital sound effects libraries, but they lack variety, are often repetitive, and lack effectiveness. To create a truly uncomfortable atmosphere, composers need to look for new and unexpected combinations of sounds. We have already written about the theremin - a regular “guest” of frightening and stressful soundtracks. But there are other instruments that seem to have been specially created for recording music for horror films.

Waterphone

An instrument used primarily for recording film soundtracks, where it creates an unusual, ethereal or piercingly harsh sound. It was invented in 1968 by Richard A. Waters. It can be heard on the soundtracks to the films “The Matrix” and “Poltergeist.”

The waterphone is a round bowl with monolithic bronze rods of different lengths along the edges. The bowl is filled with water and serves as a resonator. Because of the water, the sound appears to vibrate. The waterphone is usually played with a bow, but sometimes unusual sounds are produced by striking with a rod or a rubber mallet. The sound depends on the length of the rods or the position of the water in the bowl.

The Waterphone allows you to extract microtones (musical intervals smaller than a semitone), which is why the Waterphone sounds so unlike ordinary musical instruments in the standard 12-tone tempered tuning.

Richard Waters himself explained that the popularity of the waterphone among sound designers and sound engineers is due to the fact that “its sound serves as a reflection of the Strange and Unknown: aliens, ghosts, unusual states of consciousness and drug effects, death - the sounds of the waterphone are often used to illustrate everything This".

Only one company in America has the right to produce real waterphones - one instrument costs from $1,100. Interestingly, the waterphone sometimes resembles the song of whales - there have been cases when, using this instrument, researchers managed to attract killer whales.

Here's an example of how the waterphone sounds in one of the songs in the musical Dreaming by Howard Goodall.

Yaybahar

This musical instrument is a recent invention of a Turkish musician named Görkem Şen. It sounds like electronic music from old horror films, although the yaybahar is an acoustic instrument that contains nothing electronic.

The main components of the yaibahara are a long neck (like a guitar) with two strings and membranes (large and small). The membranes are connected to the fingerboard by two long springs that vibrate with each touch. The musician produces sound with a bow, and the vibration of the strings, reflected from the membranes, is intricately refracted, creating an echo effect. You can also hit the membranes like elements of a drum kit.

By the way, Yaybahar quickly found fans - some of them create their own instruments of this kind. For example, in this blog one of the enthusiasts talks in detail about how and from what he made his own yaybahar.

Shen plays his own improvisations on the yaibahara, as well as music written for other instruments - for example, piano works by the French composer Erik Satie. But, most likely, very soon this instrument with its alien sound will be discovered by horror film composers.

The Apprehension Engine

A real factory for the production of sound effects for horror films.

This instrument (or more precisely, a whole system of instruments) was created by guitar master Tony Duggan-Smith (

One of the most unique creations of human hands are musical instruments. For example, with the help of piano, bass guitar, and violin, musicians create complex symphonies, arias, and rock ballads. But now we will not talk about classical instruments that everyone knows, but about the strangest and most alien musical instruments that exist in our world.

For example, there is a house with an area of ​​575 square meters. meters, which is a musical instrument. Or maybe you'll be surprised by an instrument that creates sounds in a truly terrifying way. Intrigued? Well, here we go, the strangest musical instruments in the world...

10. Vegetable orchestra

This orchestra was formed almost 20 years ago by a group of comrades who were interested in experimental music. The group makes their instruments before each performance- made entirely from vegetables such as carrots, eggplant, leeks.

9. Music box

Construction equipment is often very loud and noisy. It was using these qualities that a huge music box was created. More precisely, a 1000-ton construction machine was converted into a music box that could play one famous melody - The Star Spangled Banner - US anthem.

8. Zeusaphone

Imagine music influencing electricity. Known as "Singing Tesla Coils", the device creates sound by changing the type of spark of electricity, which creates a futuristic sounding instrument.

7. Symphony House

Most of the instruments are handheld, but the Symphony House is a little big for that. With an area of ​​575 sq. meters, the whole house is a musical instrument. The largest instrument in the house is a pair of 12-meter horizontal beams encased in wood with copper strings running along them. When the wind strings begin to play, the entire room vibrates, giving the listener the eerie feeling that they are standing in the center of a giant cello.

6. Theremin

Electric musical instrument, created in 1920 by a Soviet inventor Lev Sergeevich Theremin in Petrograd. Playing the theremin involves the musician changing the distance from his hands to the antennas of the instrument, due to which the capacitance of the oscillating circuit and, as a result, the frequency of the sound changes. The vertical straight antenna is responsible for the tone of the sound, the horizontal horseshoe-shaped antenna is responsible for its volume.

5. Unzello

More like the model of the universe proposed by Nicolaus Copernicus in the 16th century, the unzello is a combination of wood, pegs, strings and an amazing custom resonator. Instead of using a traditional cello body to amplify the sound, the uncello uses fishbowl to make sounds while playing the bow on the strings.

4. Nellophone

Musical instrument looks like the tentacles of a jellyfish. To play a nellophone, which is constructed entirely of curved pipes, the performer stands in the center and strikes the pipes with special paddles, thereby producing the sound of the air resonating within them.

3. Fence

Australian John Rose is a man who knows how to play on the fence. He uses a violin bow to create resonant sounds on tightly strung "acoustic" fences, ranging from barbed wire to chain link fences. Some of his most provocative speeches include the game on the border fence between Mexico and the United States, and also between Syria and Israel.

2. Cheese drums

Their creators took a traditional drum kit and replaced all the drums with massive round heads of cheese, placing a microphone next to each to produce more delicate sounds.

For most of us, their sound will be more like the drumsticks of an amateur drummer sitting at the local diner.

1. Toiletofonium

Being a small tuba-like bass musical instrument that plays a leading role in brass and military bands, euphonium not such a strange instrument.

That is, until Fritz Spiegl of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra created the toiletphonium: a fully functioning combination of euphonium and beautifully painted toilet.

We hope that your view of musical creativity has expanded significantly, because as some instruments show us, you can create anywhere and from anything. What is the weirdest instrument in the world you would like to play?