Learning the harp - how to take the first steps
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8 obscure instruments you surely don't know yet
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Many musicians have their personal instrument with which they develop their own style. Of course, there are those of you who have mastered several instruments at once - but there are a few obscure instruments that you probably haven't heard much about either. Creative music doesn't just come from the staples like piano, guitar, or drums. In this article we will introduce you to eight instruments of a very special kind:
Few musicians know these obscure instruments
Good music doesn't always have to start from familiar forms and patterns. Even instruments that don't mean much to you yet can become a significant part of your music. Therefore, you should definitely know about the following obscure instruments:
1) The Hydraulophone
The hydraulophone is a musical instrument based on physical contact with water. All sounds are produced "hydraulically." Therefore, the hydraulophone is not only a great musical instrument, but is also used to measure fluid movement. By directing the flow of water through the instrument's many holes, different sounds and pitches are created. Here, the number of blocked holes affects the tone. Vibrating blades can also be used to produce sounds, depending on the type and structure of the hydraulophone.
To give you a better idea of the musical composition of the hydraulophone, we have selected a video of this lesser-known musical instrument for you. Apart from the sound of the water, this rare instrument produces exciting, diverse, and unique sounds.
2) The sea organ
A true monument and simultaneously one of the rarest instruments is the world-famous sea organ. Thus, it is not necessarily one of the obscure instruments, but many do not know that behind this beautiful structure is also an instrument. It is based on a series of stairs, which makes it a unique coastal formation from a visual point of view. Built in 2005, the Sea Organ, which has been on the Zadar waterfront ever since, has each of its pipes individually crafted and embodying a different tone. Thus, it is the water and the waves that literally set the tone of this unique instrument.
3) The pyrophone
Also belonging to the genre of the organ is the pyrophone. This is also one of the lesser-known instruments, and is powered by propane gas and gasoline, with the sounds produced by the combustion of the respective fuel. The firing of the organ produces its own sounds, which are clearly different in style from the familiar organ sounds. However, the pyrophone is not a classical musical instrument either, of course. Anyone who wants to use this (especially indoors) absolutely must ventilate regularly to deal with the excess CO2.
What looks visually interesting still takes some getting used to from a musical point of view. To give you an idea, we have picked out a short video about the Pyrophon. But this rare instrument is certainly an eye-catcher with its flames!
4) The nyckelharpa
The nyckelharpa, also known as the "keyed fiddle," is a stringed instrument with mechanically shortened strings. With the help of a bow, the strings of the key fiddle are set into vibration, which directly affects the resulting pitch. The functionality of this rare instrument is thus particularly reminiscent of the triple fiddle, even though it is somewhat more complicated to play. Of course, we have also selected a suitable video for this unusual instrument, which shows the difficulty and the tonal possibilities in the best possible way:
5) The Omnichord
The Omnichord is an electronic musical instrument that produces sounds with the pressing of keys. Visually, the rare instrument is somewhat reminiscent of a guitar, which is equipped with elements of a mixer. After being used more regularly in the 1980s due to its automatic accompaniment, the Omnichord is now one of the musical old-timers. Check out the video below—you can't miss the distinct electronic sound of this esoteric instrument.
6) The Friction Harp
The Friction Harp is a unique instrument whose basic structure is reminiscent of the harp. Unlike the classical harp, however, it is not played by plucking. Instead produces sounds with the help of friction. With the help of numerous metal rods of different lengths, each section of the Friction Harp offers different sound patterns. The friction created by pushing causes the individual bars to vibrate and produce unique tones. The Friction Harp has come a long way since its initial incarnation more than 100 years ago.
The most famous version of the so-called friction harp thus goes back to the instrument maker Tom Kaufmann, who built his very own version with horizontal bars. In the video you can listen to the Friction Harp yourself:
7) The Jaw harp
Unlike what you probably imagine, the Jaw harp is made of a simple iron with a length of eight centimeters. Since it works only monotonously, it is rather exotic in the music industry, but this hardly distinguishes the Jaw harp from other rare instruments. It is played with the help of an elastic and percussive tongue, whereby the sound is produced with the help of the open rows of teeth. Even if the principle of this sound production is known, we have picked out a short video about the Jaw harp:
8) The Octobass
The Octobass is probably the largest stringed instrument ever built. Due to its large structure, the rare instrument outshines other specimens of its family and reaches a height of 3.45 meters (about 11.5 ft). Also, the Octobass's massive weight bears mentioning, clocking in at 100 kilograms (220 lbs). Functionally, the instrument differs only slightly from a double bass, but has only three strings. Since its creation in 1850, the instrument was not common, which makes it even more of a rarity today.
Playing an octobass is also not that easy. It can usually only be played in its full range from a stool. You can see in the video below how the low strings sound in combination with other instruments.
Still haven't found what you're looking for? How about the ocarina?
The ocarina, also called the spherical flute or vessel flute, is a small, one-piece wind instrument. Where it comes from, all details about the design and playing style can be found in this article: The ocarina - unique sounds from the vessel flute. In addition, the music store Thomann currently offers its own brand of ocarina flutes, which is inexpensive and come recommended. Ocarinas can be played similar to recorders and are also a fun gift idea for musicians. Here is a small selection:
How such impressive instruments develop
Most of the instruments mentioned have evolved over time from existing structures. Thus, they are the result of further development and specialization, in order to be able to produce completely new sounds distinct from the one's we're all used to. None of the instruments we have presented to you in this article appear in many pieces. This is mainly due to their suitability for a unique and therefore very special style, which is what the developer intended. Thus, they are not intended for the mainstream at all.
Many of the instruments make use of physics to create new sounds in a natural way. In addition to the direct contact with the instrument, air, water, or other liquids can thus also become the actor of the playing. In other words, when it comes to rare instruments, creativity and individuality are paramount.
In the future, too, there will be impressive and unique musical instruments on this basis that you certainly haven't heard before. Already today, all major instruments are divided into many small subgroups, with which you can expect multi-layered sounds. While some of the rarer instruments are based on entirely new approaches and techniques, many are a specific evolution of existing approaches. This is how new instruments can be played in the future.
Connect with musicians from around the world now!
Do you know other rare instruments, or would you like to find musicians who have already had their own experiences with them? Here at mukken, many exciting musicians and bands are waiting for you. So it's easy for you to learn more about the rarest instruments, and at the same time establish contacts with other musicians. And if you prefer to learn something new about unique instruments, you can find out everything about the ocarina here. You play the guitar? Then read more about learning guitar here or read this article about learning piano.
Originally published on February 6, 2023, updated on March 21, 2023
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