Music can come from anywhere, even from strange and unique instruments that you have probably never heard of before. Ranging from instruments generating music from fire to water, here is a list of the top ten strange musical instruments.
10. Cajon
The Cajon is a Peruvian instrument that is in the shape of a six-sided wooden box, which doubles up as a drum. The Cajon can be played by slapping the rear or front of the box with your hands, mallets or with sticks.
9. Lur
The Lur is a wind instrument with a long, natural blowing horn mostly made of bronze or wood. Lurs are typically found in pairs consisting of a mouthpiece and several pipes. The length of a Lur can range from 1.5 to 2 metres.
8. Didgeridoo
A Didgeridoo is a wind instrument originating from Aboriginal Australia. This is perhaps one of the oldest musical instruments in the world. A Didgeridoo is played like a drone pipe or a trumpet with a unique sound.
7. Nyckelharpa
The Nyckelharpa is a stringed Swedish musical instrument. A modern Nyckelharpa has 16 strings, along with 37 wooden keys arranged to slide under the strings. Each key has a tangent that reaches up and stops a string to make a particular musical sound or to hit a specific note.
6. Theremin
A product from Russia, the Theremin is an electronic instrument that is played without touching. It consists of box-like body with two antennas. The first antenna controls the switch and the second one controls the volume. The distance of the hand from the antennas, which generates an electromagnetic field, controls the pitch and volume.
5. Crwth
A Crwth is a Welsh stringed musical instrument that is played with a bow. This simple box has a fretless fingerboard and six strings. It is carved as a single unit from a block of maple or sycamore.
4. Hydraulophone
The Hydraulophone is an instrument that makes sound from water, where sound is generated hydraulically. The player of a Hydraulophone blocks the flow of water through a particular hole in order to make a particular musical sound or tone.
3. Pyrophone
A Pyrophone is a musical instrument from which sounds are made through explosions. It is also known as a fire or explosion organ. A Pyrophone is fuelled by propane gas, which is supplied to a series of large glass chambers. The Pyrophone is then combusted internally with a flame generator.
2. Stroh Violin
The Stroh Violin is a stringed instrument very similar to a regular violin. To make a louder sound, the Stroh Violin has a conical resonator with corrugations at its edge and is named after it’s designer John Stroh.
1. Tesla Coil
A Tesla Coil is also known as a Zeusaphone. The solid-state Tesla Coil has been modified to produce musical tones by modulating its spark output.
The best part about music is that it can come from anywhere. You probably have never heard of some of these instruments, but they produce the sweetest and most melodious sounds you will ever hear. So if you’re lucky enough to come across then, sit back and enjoy the music.
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