Have You Heard of These 5 Unusual Musical Instruments?

The history of Western popular music is characterized by a collection of broadly familiar sounds and forms. Iconic key instruments like the piano, guitar, drums, violin, and trumpet are instantly recognizable. While many more instruments, such as the cello, are well known, their signature sounds may be harder for some to place. Some instruments are so obscure that even if you have heard them, you likely haven’t heard of them. Expand your musical knowledge and read on to find out about five instruments that you may not yet know about.

The Nyckelharpa, or “key harp,” is a traditional Swedish instrument that has existed in some form or another for over 600 years. Sometimes referred to as the Swedish fiddle, it resembles a combination of a bowed string instrument, like a violin, and the keyboard of a piano, organ, or accordion. 

The oldest surviving Nyckelharpa dates back to the 16th century, but church paintings from the 14th century in Denmark, Sweden, Italy, and Germany appear to show the instrument. The earliest known evidence of the Nyckelharpa is a relief on the gates of Källunge Church gates on the Swedish island of Gotland dating to around about 1350.

The Källunge relief shows two Nyckelharpa players. Today there are an estimated 10,000 players in Sweden out of a population of 10.5 million. Crafted only by specialist luthiers, the Nyckelharpa is one of the rarest instruments in the world. 

Theremin

The Theremin, originally known as the “Etherphone”, was one of the world’s first electronic instruments. Designed by Leon Theremin in 1920 and patented in 1928, the Theremin was originally a product of Soviet research into proximity sensors. 

The theremin is unusual because it uses the player’s (thereminist’s) hand movements in the air to interact with electromagnetic fields and shape the sound. It consists of two antennas, one vertical that controls pitch and one horizontal loop antenna that controls volume. The closer the right hand is to the vertical antenna the higher the pitch and the further the left hand is from the loop antenna, the lower the volume. 

The resulting sound is a surprisingly versatile continuous electronic hum associated with a wide range of styles, from Hollywood science fiction like The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) to surf rock hit “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys (1966). 

The banjolele or “bano ukulele” combines the distinctive sound of a banjo with the playability of a ukulele. It features a small banjo-style body with a four-string fretted ukulele neck. Similar in size, length, and scale to a soprano ukulele, the tone of the banjolele can be adjusted by loosening or tightening the banjo head drum – like a banjo. 

Invented in 1917 by John A. Bolander and Alvin D. Keech, the banjolele was popularized by British comedian and singer-songwriter George Formby. Though best known for his 1936 hit “When I’m Cleaning Windows,” Formby starred in multiple films in the 1930s, toured factories, theatres, and music halls, and visited British troops during World War II, bringing the instrument to the attention of a wide audience. 

While the banjolele is not as popular today as it was in its 1930s heyday, its versatility, and bright, distinctive sound make it a popular choice in old-time string and bluegrass bands.

Vibraphone

The vibraphone, also known as the “vibraharp” is one of the most distinctive and versatile percussion instruments. Its unique sound comes from a set of tuned steel bars suspended over resonator tubes. When the motor is turned on, the tubes rotate, creating a strong vibrato, or tremolo effect. 

The vibraphonist uses soft mallets to strike the bars. Similar to a piano, the vibraphone has a sustain pedal. When the pedal is up, the bars produce a muted sound; when it is pressed down, the bars sustain a note for several seconds until muted again with the pedal. 

Although Herman Winterhoff invented the vibraphone in 1916 the instrument came into its own thanks to jazz vibraphone pioneer Lionel Hampton through his collaborations with the likes of Benny Goodman and Teddy Wilson. The vibraphone’s iconic sound was famously introduced to the wider public in a legendary scene in the popular 1948 Hollywood film “A Song Is Born.”

The glass armonica (also known as a glass harmonica), a type of crystallophone, was invented by American polymath and founding father of the United States, Benjamin Franklin in 1761. Inspired after seeing his friend Edward Deleval play a tune on a set of wine glasses at the University of Cambridge, Franklin had a brilliant idea. He enlisted the help of London glass blower, Charles James, and the glass armonica was born. 

While instruments that produce sound from glass have a long history, Franklin’s glass armonica was radically new. His treadle-operated creation featured 37 glass bowls of varying thickness and size, mounted on an iron spindle and driven by a foot pedal. The sound was produced by touching the rims of the spinning bowls with moistened fingertips. 

Of all his inventions, Benjamin Franklin claimed that his glass armonica brought him the most satisfaction. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote his ethereal “Adagio for Glass Harmonica” for the instrument in 1791. Despite its celestial tones and haunting beauty, today, the glass armonica remains largely forgotten.