Your favorite unusual instrument!

[SonicMan46]

I guess I'd have to take the Hammered Duclimer and its relatives the Cimbalom and Santur, but that's what I play.

Well, in my 'neck of the woods' (i.e. Piedmont/Moutain North Carolina), the 'hammered dulcimer' would not be considered an 'unusual instrument' - plenty of music here & in adjacent mountain states in which this instrument is intergral to much music making - but, for those who do not know this instrument, consider an emergent introduction! 

[jowcol]

I have a zither that I bought a few years ago, though I'm not sure I even know where it is now. All the strings were out of tune and I had no idea how to tune it, either. Oh well. I don't think it was supposed to be chromatic... any instrument that isn't chromatic is useless to me (besides the obvious, percussion).

Chromatic hammered dulcimers are avaialable-- mine has a three octave range, but the placement of some of the strings is very funky, so one tends to use them for accidentals, but cannot shift key as freely.

I'm also fond of the Indian Tambura-- the one I have is pretty tempramental.  It only has 4 strings, and you don't fret it, but play a 1-5-5-1' drone.  The magic is in the threads you place under the strings in a "sweet spot" on the bridge that makes the eerie buzz people associate with Indian music.

[greg]

Chromatic hammered dulcimers are avaialable-- mine has a three octave range, but the placement of some of the strings is very funky, so one tends to use them for accidentals, but cannot shift key as freely.

interesting. I did a search.

http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/bRwaVanPTDE
http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/s9HnRZlMiKQ
What a beautiful sound...... Imagine an orchestra where the strings are replaced by nyckelharpas and the harps are replaced by hammered dulcimers.

Check out this video. Simply incredible!
http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/09vfa4vuHFY&feature=related


The koto has a nice sound, but it's too big!
http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/75uAD-XYs6U

[some guy]

Enough with the usual instruments already!

Let's get back to the gravikords, the whirlies, the pyrophones. Let's talk about orbitones and spoon harps and bellowphones fer cryin' out loud!!

But enough about me. My favorite unusual instrument is probably the turntable. And the more usual that one gets, as an instrument, the happier I'll be.

Ruined pianos are nice, too.

[Grazioso]

Ok, these aren't so unusual that you'd see a picture of a hillbilly chick playing them with her breasts, but for my money, you don't hear enough of these wonderful instruments in classical music:

alto flute:


bass flute:

[some guy]

Why stop there, Grazioso?



which, from right to left, are a contrabass flute, a sub contrabass flute, and a double contrabass flute.

Or this, a hyperbass flute (an octave below the double contrabass flute).



Sadly, I could only find this one crappy picture of one little part of that instrument. (There's only one of that instrument; you'd think they could take a picture of the whole thing!)

[Ciel_Rouge]

And here is what it sounds like - absolutely amazing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1fffxjO2o8

And how about Japanese koto:



And Vivaldi's Four Seasons played on the koto (it has wonderful bass sound as well):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbNFirBhAxc

[Ric]

This is a typical spanish instrument. It has not a lot of possibilities on harmony, but on the other hand it is a very easy instrument to play.

This post is obviously a joke, but the instrument is real in many villages of Spain. Playing with enough ability, his possibilities can surprise.

[jochanaan]

alto flute:

That looks more like a bass flute... Altos come either straight or with a tighter curve.  (I played a straight one once, and I wish I could afford to buy one.)

which, from right to left, are a contrabass flute, a sub contrabass flute, and a double contrabass flute.

Or this, a hyperbass flute (an octave below the double contrabass flute).

How much AIR do those things take? *gasp* I'd think you'd need lungs the size of a cathedral sanctuary!

I have heard a contrabass flute on recordings.

[some guy]

How much AIR do those things take? *gasp*

A lot. I've read that those huge flutes take more AIR than any other instrument around. Do a few months training in the Andes, you'll be good to go!

[Grazioso]

Why stop there, Grazioso?

Well, I figure the alto and bass flutes can actually be played, whereas the others look like they need an entire team of musicians and a moving van

[Wanderer]

I guess I'd have to take the Hammered Duclimer and its relatives the Cimbalom and Santur ...

...or the Greek σαντούρι. One of my favourites, as well.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTlAJn_0j6A&feature=related

Also, the κανονάκι:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLcq1ROvM0E

[jochanaan]

A lot. I've read that those huge flutes take more AIR than any other instrument around. Do a few months training in the Andes, you'll be good to go!

I suspect I could manage the contrabass, maybe even the sub-contrabass, but that hyperbass--well, I might manage about a second and a half of tone... As for the Andes, I'm halfway there, living in or near the Mile High City for a quarter-century.

[greg]

What about the brown noise generator?
Anyone wanna give it a shot?


http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/hc2DbWGZmN0
It's verymelodic. Here, being performed, is the first prelude from Bach's Well Tempered Clavier.
Enjoy! 



(and bring some toilet paper)

[Ciel_Rouge]

It is not an instrument. And it is not funny. Posting potentially harmful material without warning does not make me think very well about you. Furthermore, using sound as a weapon by the law enforcement organizations and potentially causing permanent damage to the ears of an innocent person who might happen to be a classical music fan is just appalling and plainly inhumane and just... wrong.

[greg]

It is not an instrument. And it is not funny. Posting potentially harmful material without warning does not make me think very well about you. Furthermore, using sound as a weapon by the law enforcement organizations and potentially causing permanent damage to the ears of an innocent person who might happen to be a classical music fan is just appalling and plainly inhumane and just... wrong.

lol! I didn't listen to it myself. I'm too chicken.
Some people said it had no effect on them, but the majority said it made their stomach rumble and ache- a lot of them farted, and well.... too many other side effects to list, most probably made up.

[Ciel_Rouge]

Sure, but what does it have to do with unusual musical instruments? And why do you want to humiliate classical fans all over the world? Did you consider that someone might see it at work? So again: not funny at all and it should be removed by the almighty board administrators!

[Kullervo]

Sure, but what does it have to do with unusual musical instruments? And why do you want to humiliate classical fans all over the world? Did you consider that someone might see it at work? So again: not funny at all and it should be removed by the almighty board administrators!

Oh come on, there's no proof that it's anything more than a ru—oh god! Uh... I'vegotsomethingshereigottagobye!

[Ugh!]

Wow, Eugene, that's some good times there!

Here's a video for you, M Forever:

http://www.hemmeligtempo.no/

arrived at by typing waffel w2 in the google prompt.

And this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of_rAhmWtQk

Both clips are way too short, especially the first one, but it's enough to show that the kids in Norway are just as cool as their fathers and grandfathers were (electronic/electroacoustic music being 60 years old, after all).

He he, glad you liked it.

Here's our more recent installation featuring a rather unusual band with unusual instruments:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD6j6dxS2mM

[mikkeljs]

Daxophone!

if you ask me again in 10 years from now, then I would still say the Daxophone. It deserves a unique and common place in the traditional symphony orchestra.