Strike a Chord: Top 12 Fascinating Fun Facts About Musical Instruments You Never Knew!

1. Hydraulis: The Water-Powered Church Organ Ancestor

Before you drop the bass, don't forget to raise the pressure: The hydraulis, a fancy ancient ancestor of the church organ, was invented in the 3rd century BCE by Greek scientist Ctesibius, rocking early music scenes with an eclectic mix of bird imitations and Vocal Memnon solos, all powered by innovative H2O-driven air pressure technology. As the world's first keyboard instrument, it can still be admired – in replica form – harmoniously hydrating history at Greece's Archaeological Museum of Dion.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Theremins: Ghostly Hands-Free Instrument

Did you hear about the eerie instrument that ghosts love to play, spooking audiences with its ethereal wails? No phantom of the opera here, just the fascinating world of theremins: a peculiar electronic musical instrument invented by Leon Theremin in 1928, played without any physical contact but with the mere wave of hands around two metal antennas that control pitch and volume. It found its haunting voice in film soundtracks and classical music, and spooked its way back into the scene with modern musicians – all the while debunking the myth of being the only no-touch musical wonder, as it shares this spectral feature with other instruments like the arpa laser and airdrums. Boo!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Discover the fascinating origin of the piano's name, from its elaborate Italian beginnings as "clavicembalo col piano e forte" to the simpler and widely-known term we use today. Uncover how this 1700s invention by Bartolomeo Cristofori took the music world by storm with its unique ability to create soft and loud melodies! 🎹🎶

=> Fun Facts about The-Piano

3. Moby Dick Piano: The 5.7-Meter Keyboard Giant

For those who believe size doesn't matter, feast your eyes on the "Moby Dick" of pianos: New Zealand piano builder Adrian Mann crafted a massive 5.7-meter-long piano, boasting a deeper bass and extra resonance from its 20ft long wires, dazzling concert pianists who've tickled its ivories at Mann's Dunedin workshop.
Source => theguardian.com

4. Lur: Ancient Viking Communication Horn

Before Vikings spent their time raiding and pillaging, they were quite the horn-tooters: The Lur, a natural wood blowing horn without finger holes, not only played its part in battle and ceremonies, but also served as a long-distance communication device. Handcrafted in Northern Europe from two pieces of willow wood bound together with resin and hemp, each Lur was truly one-of-a-kind in length and shape.
Source => thevikingdragon.com

5. Apprehension Engine: Freddy Krueger's Nightmare Soundtrack

If you've ever wondered what Freddy Krueger's playlist might sound like, look no further: The Apprehension Engine, invented by film composer Mark Korven, is an acoustic instrument specifically designed to produce spine-chilling horror sounds. With its strings, bars, wheels, and bows, this diabolical wooden box has spooked the pants off moviegoers in Robert Eggers' The Witch—a film praised by none other than Stephen King himself. Snubbing the usual digital samples, Mark Korven's brainchild has evolved into a V2+ model, ominously armed with a "Hurdy Gurdy mechanism" and dubbed by Brian Eno as the most terrifying musical instrument of all time. So, hold on to your socks, folks, things are about to get spooky.
Source => openculture.com

6. Stalacpipe Organ: The World's Largest Cave Concert

You know those cave parties with stalactite chandeliers kids dream of having? Well, Leland W. Sprinkle took it up a few thousand notches with the ultimate cavernous DJ booth: The Great Stalacpipe Organ, located within Luray Caverns in Virginia, USA, is the world's largest instrument, covering 3.5 acres and played by tapping on 37 naturally formed stalactites. This electrically actuated lithophone was designed and implemented by Sprinkle over three years, starting in 1956, with each stalactite carefully shaved and wired to produce specific notes when its mallet is activated by a custom keyboard console.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Saxhorns: Adolphe Sax's Brass Family Before the Saxophone

Before saxophones were a thing, Mr. Adolphe Sax dabbled in mythical brass creatures – conjuring a saxhorn army that seduced the likes of Hector Berlioz into submission: Adolphe Sax, saxophone inventor extraordinaire, also crafted a family of brass instruments called saxhorns which impressed composer Berlioz so much that he arranged a piece solely for these melodious marvels; these saxhorns soon became the cornerstone for the modern euphonium and the darling of the British brass band movement.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. Rainsticks: Prickle-Free Cactus Serenade

Ever wish your cactus could serenade you during a thunderstorm, but don't want to get pricked by its sharp spines? Turns out there's a solution: rainsticks, a melody-making marvel found in South America, Southeast Asia, Australia, and Africa, are usually made from dried cactus. These hollow tubes are filled with pebbles, and when upended, they mimic the soothing sound of rain trickling down, all without the fear of getting thorns in your side!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

9. Termites' Didgeridoo: The 40,000-year-old Australian Wind Instrument

Before termites were busy munching away on our homes, they were jamming out in the land down under by creating the ultimate party instruments: The didgeridoo is a wind instrument dating back 40,000 years, played by the Aboriginal people of northern Australia. Made from eucalyptus branches hollowed out by the tireless termites and then decorated with meaningful symbols, the didgeridoo was skillfully crafted and played using circular breathing by men, women, and children alike, keeping the tradition alive even in modern times.
Source => lammuseum.wfu.edu

10. Bones: One-Handed Tap Dancing Ancestors

Move over, seasoned tap dancers: these ancient instruments can give you a run for your money! Meet the bones – a pair of animal bones or wooden sticks played with rhythm and precision, and boasting a rich history harking back to ancient China, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Masterfully incorporated into traditional Irish, Scottish, blues, bluegrass, zydeco, French-Canadian, and Cape Breton music by Irish and European immigrants, these bone-shaking wonders of percussion deliver an array of captivating sounds - all with a single hand, making marvelous music and leaving room for an emphatic round of applause!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

11. Vienna Vegetable Orchestra: Farm-to-Table Musical Marvel

Peas, carrots, and rock and roll: The Vienna Vegetable Orchestra has been jamming on the produce aisle for over 21 years, with nearly 300 concerts worldwide, and sprouting spinoffs in London and Long Island. This Guinness World Record-holding, biodegradable ensemble crafts drums, flutes, and xylophones from freshly picked veggies, which are transformed into savory soups for audience consumption after a mere six hours of musical merriment.
Source => bbc.com

12. Ben Franklin's Armonica: Spinning Glass Bowl Symphony

Who knew that Ben Franklin couldn't resist tickling some fancy glassware in a quest for musical harmony? The founding father fused his love for the whimsical and the scientific in a thrilling symphony of bowls: Ben Franklin invented the armonica, a one-of-a-kind instrument with 36 concentric glass bowls that spun when operated by a foot pedal. Tickling the spinning glass with wet fingers resulted in mesmerizing melodies, capturing the hearts (and ears) of Mozart, Beethoven, and even Austrian royalty.
Source => pbs.org