folk musician playing the hurdy gurdy
Beethoven's Skull
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When you think of classical music, you probably picture violins, pianos, and trumpets. But did you know some composers have used super weird instruments to create their masterpieces? Classical music has seen some seriously unusual sounds!

1. The Theremin

The theremin is like something out of a science fiction movie and was one of the first electronic instruments ever invented, back in 1920. Instead of pressing keys or strings, you control it by waving your hands in the air around two metal antennas. This creates an eerie, ghost-like sound that composers like Dmitri Shostakovich and Edgard Varèse have used in their music. You might recognize its spooky sound from horror movies, too!

2. The Glass Harmonica

Making music on spinning glass bowls filled with water? That’s the idea behind the glass harmonica, invented by none other than Benjamin Franklin. The instrument creates an ethereal, otherworldly sound that composers like Mozart and Beethoven loved. Others believed it could drive people insane because of its haunting tone. Watch this odd instrument here: Mozart’s Adagio for Glass Armonica, K. 356.

3. The Octobass

If you think the double bass is big, meet its gigantic cousin—the octobass! Standing over 11 feet tall, it produces such deep, growling sounds that you can feel them more than hear them, and the bassist needs a step ladder just to reach the strings! Composers like Hector Berlioz dreamed of using it to add rumbling bass to their music, but only a few were ever made because it’s so huge. Watch the octobass in action here in Faure’s Après un Rêve.

4. The Musical Saw

You read that right—musicians can use an actual saw to make music! By bending a saw blade and running a bow across it, musicians can create an eerie sound similar to a human voice. It’s been used in classical pieces, film scores, and even circus music. Classical composers like Olivier Messiaen experimented with it, and it can be heard in spooky movie soundtracks. Listen here for a musical saw performance of Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod.

5. The Serpent

Before tubas and trombones, there was the serpent! This strange, snake-shaped brass instrument looks like something out of a fantasy story. It was used in church music and early orchestras to add a deep, snarly sound to the bass section. Check out this fun duet to see and hear it for yourself! Berlioz originally wrote a serpent part in his Symphonie Fantastique, and Beethoven himself wrote for it, but it’s so tricky to play that it eventually faded out of use.

6. The Heckelphone

Ever heard of the heckelphone? This rare woodwind instrument is like an oboe but deeper and richer. It was designed in the early 20th century and used by composers like Richard Strauss to create mysterious and dramatic tones. Because it’s so rare, only a handful of people in the world can play it well.

7. The Typophone

Leroy Anderson might have been the first to add the sound of a typewriter to his music (listen to his “The Typewriter” here). The typophone creates a fun, click-clack rhythm that has become a favorite in comedic or playful classical pieces.

8. The Ondes Martenot

This early electronic instrument, invented in the 1920s, has been used by composers like Olivier Messiaen to create eerie, otherworldly effects in orchestral music. It looks like a mix between a piano and a radio, with keys and a sliding ribbon to change the pitch. Listen for it in Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie.

9. The Zeusaphone

The Zeusaphone, also called the Singing Tesla Coil, turns electricity into music. By modulating electrical discharges, it creates music by literally shooting lightning bolts to the beat. Though not a traditional classical instrument, it’s been used in performances to create electrifying effects. Check out this Zeusaphone version of Toccata and Fugue by Bach!

10. The Hurdy Gurdy

This ancient instrument produces sound by turning a crank, which rubs a wheel against strings while buttons control the pitch. It creates a droning, bagpipe-like sound that was popular in medieval and Renaissance music. Classical composers Joseph Haydn and Béla Bartók wrote specifically for the hurdy gurdy in their works. If you want to hear this incredible instrument in action, enjoy this Bach Prelude or a Nocturne by Chopin.

That wraps it up for this week! Thanks for reading!

P.S. We love to share fun gift ideas for the music lovers in your life. Today’s recommendation is this cool guitar table lamp!

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