Five Intriguingly Unique Musical Instruments

Australian Blowpipe: Didgeridoo

This musical instrument originated from the indigenous peoples coming from the northern part of Australia. It is called a “didgeridoo”. It was first created using the trunk of a eucalyptus tree which had had its inner plant cells completely eaten by the ants, so that it would create a mysterious buzzing sound when blowing through it. Most musical scholars believe that this is the most ancient musical instrument. Its origin can be tracked back to nearly 40,000 years ago.

When blowing through this instrument, one trembles the lips and mouth in order to make the traditional sounds. Its sound brings to mind an in-depth resonance of the earth if it is played properly. Modern research has revealed that blowing through this instrument can help in the treatment of snoring and shortness of breathe, as it is found to be very useful when used to exercise the related respiratory muscles.

Glass Piano

This odd musical instrument was invented by Benjamin Franklin in 1761. He once declared: “In all my inventions, this glass piano satisfied me a lot.” He had the idea to invent this instrument when he found that friction at the mouth of the glass bottle with water inside it could create some unusual musical sounds. Franklin then took advantage of this principle by inventing a glass bottle that could be rotated by his legs while he used moist hands to "play" the bottles, creating unique musical sounds. It is alleged that Mozart liked this type of instrument so much that he specifically composed two songs for the glass piano.

Tsabouna

This instrument was invented by Greek shepherds about 2000 years ago and is made with goat's skin. It shrinks to become a flat mat when it is not inflated, but when blowing through it, it will expand to its full size. It has a short tube used to play with the mouth, while the other part is a wider tube with holes for the fingers. Unique melodies and musical tones are created when playing this traditional instrument.

Hand Drum

Eight years ago, the Swiss invented this unusual instrument whose outer appearance somehow resembles a strange UFO flying saucer. It is made of metal and the sound is created when the fingers and palms are used to hit percussively against the instrument. Its tone can change in accordance with the force of the hands. Some have said that this instrument can sound like an additional performer on the stage.

Bonang

This is one of the legendary Java musical instruments said to have been invented by the Sang Hyang guru 230 years ago. This instrument is played by hitting two rows of alternately arranged and tuned drums with each drum creating the different musical notes. The sound of these drums are somewhat similar to bells or chimes.