- Global Voices - https://globalvoices.org -

Musical instruments from around the world

Categories: East Asia, Eastern & Central Europe, Latin America, Oceania, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Russia, Singapore, Arts & Culture, Citizen Media, Music

Taras Kalapun
Taras Kalapun's [1] Beginning of a Music [2]

A Japanese instrument maker [3] with his trumpet made from a bell pepper and a cucumber [4] has been making its rounds on the internet, so I'll bring a few other interesting instruments from elsewhere in the world. YouTube user 13strings (account currently closed) made an open call: to have everyone show their own home-made instruments on YouTube, [5] and replies have rolled in including the following three: a whole orchestra made from recycled cans and plastic soda-bottles, how to make didgeridoos, a bottle wind and water organ. From another place in the world, an instrument that may not be home made but certainly has a distinctive sound: the hurdy gurdy.

From Brazil, jamilgiudice [6] has at least 5 different instruments made from recycled soft drink cans and bottles.

From Australia, gwdidg [7] shows us how aborigines harvest from termite hollowed-out gum trees what is possibly the world's oldest wind instrument, the didgeridoo [8]:

From Singapore, einrahseinraw [9] blows into tuned bottles, takes pictures of himself and proceeds to mix them up to play Toccata et Fugue in D Minor by Bach:

And to wrap things up, thanks to avinograd [10] from Russia comes a beautifully rhythmic traditional folk song played in an instrument I had never seen in my life, the hurdy gurdy [11] or gironde: