It won’t be wrong to say that there are many mysterious instruments which are highly unknown to us. Musical instruments are simply nothing but devices that create musical sounds. We do listen to the music of many types and different categories. Furthermore, sometimes it is easier to guess the instrument behind a particular kind of music while other times it isn’t.
If it’s the case of the latter, it must surely ring bells for you. What it elucidates is the use of a mysterious instrument. At times, different instruments come into play for the production of certain types of sounds.
Mysterious Musical Instruments
Flute, guitar, drum, and many more are the standard and most heard musical instruments. But, some musical instruments from around the world go unheard. Some of them even look a little strange when used.
There might be some weird musical instruments that we have heard but, we saw it play. Further, in this article, we will be discussing some of the weirdest or the most mysterious musical instruments.
Octobass
Yes, we have kept this mysterious musical instrument at the top of our list. First things first, the name itself sounds quite weird for the musical world. But, this instrument has been in the world for more than two-century now.
Octobass is a large and bowed string musical instrument. In terms of appearance, it looks like a small-version violin. It was the French luthier Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume who made this instrument way back in 1850 in Paris.
Octobass has only three strings and produces double bass of music when used. The musicians playing the instrument, use a system of levers and pedals. In fact, the task of the levers in Octobass is to engage metal clamps that lie just above the neck of the instrument.
It is strange to see a musician playing such a big instrument with hands. Yes, the elaborated foot pedals may help a bit still but it continues to remain mysterious.
Read more about it at https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/latest/weirdest-musical-instruments/pyrophone-organ/.
Pyrophone Organ
A Pyrophone is synonymous with pyrophone organ, fire organ, explosion organ, fire calliope, and explosion calliope. The feature of this weird musical instrument goes as per its name. Sound for the notes generates in the instrument through explosions or a similar kind of rapid combustion or heating.
The origin of this mysterious musical instrument goes way back to the 18th Century. A physicist and a musician, Georges Frederic Eugene Kastner invented this instrument. He was the son of a famous composer of that time, Jean-Georges Kastner.
This instrument runs through combustion. As a result, the musician will have to fire a certain part of the instrument. Interestingly, this weird instrument can cause no harm because of its peculiar design. The instrument can run on propane and gasoline. As a result, it makes the sound of explosion impressive.
The Great Stalacpipe Organ
The name itself is quite uncommon and unheard to many. Some call this instrument as one of the greatest and mysterious musical instruments ever invented. The Great Stalacpipe Organ is an electrical instrument that operates through a lithophone. In fact, this weird instrument is located in an underground cave in Virginia.
This instrument works through a console that produces the tapping of ancient-based stalactites. There are some rubber mallets in the instrument. The rubber mallets join to a console that looks similar to a traditional organ.
This instrument was first designed and implemented way back in 1956. It took over three years by Leland W. Sprinkle to design it. The Luray Caverns gift shop sold this instrument in large numbers during first three decades of its introduction.
Stroh Violin
This is not the violin that we see at any music concerts or programs. The Stroh Violin also called as Stroviol is a violin which has other instruments attached to it. It is a stringed musical instrument which operates mechanically by a metal resonator and a horn attached to it.
This violin has two horns, one at the end of the fingerboard and there is another smaller horn that allows the musician hear its sound. In fact, the Stroh Violin is much louder than the wooden violin. This primary motives behind its introduction were of phonographic recordings.
John Matthias Augustus invented this instrument way back on May 4, 1899 .
Cimbalom or Concert Cimbalom
Cimbalom is more like a chordophone that is composed of a large, trapezoidal box on the legs. There are metal strings that are stretched across the top of the instrument and a dampening pedal below it.
The Cimbalom is played by striking two sticks which are with cotton-wound tips. The sticks should be hit against the strings that are located on the top of the instrument. There are bass strings in this instrument that is over-spun with copper. In fact, the bass strings are arranged in groups of 3 and are tuned in unison.
This weird instrument was first designed and created by V. Josef Schunda. He was the uncle and nephew of Jozsef Schunda.
Read more about it at https://www.thecapitoltheatre.com/blog/detail/20-of-the-weirdest-musical-instruments-you-need-to-see-to-believe.
Glass Harmonica
The word Harmonica comes from a very common musical instrument “harmonium”. Glass Harmonica is known by various names such as glass armonica, bowl organ, glass harmonium, or hydrocrystalophone.
Glass Harmonica is played using a series of glass bowls that are positioned as per their size. The glass arrangement of this instrument helps produce musical tones by friction. Music that is produced through any kind of friction is known as friction idiophones.
This musical instrument was introduced and invented by Benjamin Franklin. Interestingly, he introduced the mechanical version of the instrument way back in 1761. Later, the instrument was further, re-organized and re-designed.
Read more about it at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_harmonica#:~:text=The%20glass%20harmonica%2C%20also%20known,in%20size%20to%20produce%20musical.
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