Buzz
While we’ve introduced you to a variety of peculiar musical instruments, there’s always something new to explore. Below are some unique instruments you’re unlikely to see in a typical high school orchestra—unless you decide to bring them to the spotlight yourself!
1. Hydraulophone
A hydraulophone is a water-powered organ that doubles as a fountain when not in use. By blocking one or more water jets, the water is redirected through a precisely designed pipe, creating music. These instruments are often featured in public fountain displays. Pictured here is the Teluscape, a hydraulophone located at the Ontario Science Center. Listen to the Teluscape’s water organ in action in this video. Image by Flickr user sousveiller.
2. Cajón
The cajón, originally created by African slaves in Peru, is a percussion instrument shaped like a wooden box. It features a sound hole on one side and a thinner wooden surface (often plywood) on the other. Players produce sound by slapping the thin side, though striking other parts of the box creates different tones. You can either have a cajón custom built or build your own. Listen to a demonstration of this instrument at YouTube. Image by Wikipedia user
3. Lur
The lur, a wooden Viking wind instrument from the Middle Ages, was used as a trumpet to signal war calls. Crafted from wood and bark, it bears a resemblance to a vuvuzela. You can listen to the modern lur being played here and watch a performance in the final minute of another video.
4. Friction Harp
A friction harp is played not by plucking its strings but by rubbing them with rosined gloves. The friction harp pictured here was constructed by John Deagan in the 1920s and utilizes hollow pipes to produce its unique sound.
Tom Kaufman constructed his own friction harp using solid aluminum rods. Unlike traditional harps, Kaufman’s version is played horizontally. You can listen to its unique sound in performance videos available on his website.
5. Branching Corrugahorn
The branching corrugahorn is an innovative instrument crafted from flexible corrugated tubing, similar to what you might find in a hospital’s pulmonary care unit or a mechanic’s workshop. These tubes are ideal because they can be bent and stretched without damage. As a musical instrument, sound is produced when air flows over the internal ridges. The varying lengths of the branches create different tones. Developed by Bart Hopkin, you can hear him play the branching corrugahorn here.
6. Nyckelharpa
The nyckelharpa is a traditional Swedish instrument featuring 16 strings and 37 keys. The keys slide beneath the strings to dampen or fret them, while the strings are bowed to produce sound. The earliest depiction of a nyckelharpa dates back to 1350 C.E., and the oldest surviving instrument was made in 1526 C.E. Pictured here is nyckelharpa musician Bronwyn Bird.
7. Zeusaphone
A Zeusaphone is an instrument that generates music using Tesla coils, sometimes referred to as a Thoremin. Both names are playful puns, combining mythological gods' names with earlier instruments (Sousaphone and theremin). The term Zeusaphone is trademarked by a company that once sold and rented singing Tesla coils, though their website is no longer active. The most famous Tesla coil band, ArcAttack, uses two custom-built Tesla coils to produce electrical arcs up to twelve feet long. They’ve even incorporated performers wearing Faraday suits into their shows. Explore their music on the band’s website.
8. Pyrophone
The pyrophone, meaning "fire sound," is an instrument consisting of pipes similar to an organ or calliope. However, sound is produced through combustion, typically using propane or gasoline. Essentially, it’s the fiery counterpart to the hydraulophone. Early versions from the 18th and 19th centuries resembled pipe organs but functioned like steam calliopes powered by internal combustion. Modern pyrophones are often DIY experiments in explosive sound, as seen in this video. Nathan Stodola created the pyrophone shown here, naming it the Thermoacoustic Organ or Fire Organ. Propane provides the heat, while liquid nitrogen cools the pipes, allowing quicker reuse. Watch Stodola’s Fire Organ in action in this video.
If your favorite unusual instrument isn’t listed here, you might find it in posts like 8 Weird and Wonderful Musical Instruments, 8 Strange and Different Musical Instruments, Mother Nature's Music, You play a what?, or On Music: 5 Peculiar Instruments.
