IN THE WORLD
SHREYA BOSE
THE STRANGEST MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
IN THE WORLD
It is astounding enough to know that the Hawaiian people have an ancient practice in which a leaf is made to whistle . In other words , they play a leaf much like someone you or someone you know would play a clarinet . However , turns out that there are far more interesting , curious and sometimes strange devices that serve as instruments . Take a peek at the list below to get your jaw dropping .
THE 12 NECK GUITAR
Yes , that is a thing . Japanese artist Yoshihiko Satoh combines massproduced guitars in order to “ unleash the energy residing in their function and shape ”. That has led to him turning them into these incredible sculptures that could easily replace paintings on walls . They might be a tad difficult to play , but no doubt that if it could be managed , the sounds they produce would be unmatched . One should possibly try to get Cheap Trick ’ s Rick Nielson to try one of these , given that his instrument is a custom 1981 Hamer that includes a 12 string , a 6 string , a 6 string with a whammy , another 6 string and a fretless 6 string . Five necks . Can twelve be all that difficult for him ?
THEREMIN
Named after its creator , Leon Theremin , this instrument stands out for the strangest of reasons – you play it without touching it . The thereminist waves their hands in air ( in very specific ways , though to the uninitiated , it might look like they are trying to summon a demon ), causing an eerie tone to be spun out of nothing ( or so it appears ). Two antennas and the thereminist ’ s hands ’ distance from each determined the quality and pitch of the sound . The distance from one antenna determines frequency ( pitch ), and the distance from the other controls amplitude ( volume ). Higher notes are played by moving the hand closer to the pitch antenna . Louder notes are played by moving the hand away from the volume antenna .
The theremin has been featured in soundtracks of movies like Miklós Rózsa ’ s Spellbound , The Lost Weekend , and Bernard Herrmann ’ s The Day the Earth Stood Still , theme songs for television shows such as Midsomer Murders . Its sound is exceptionally suited for eerie , ominous or anticipatory scenarios ( Dr . Hannibal Lecter playing the thing in the 1999 eponymous novel )
THE VEGETABLE ORCHESTRA
An entire musical group from Austria that plays their music on instruments made out of fresh vegetables . The ensemble consists of musicians , visual artists , architects , designers , media artists , writers and sound poets who play with pumpkins , peppers , carrots , turnips , broccoli and a very healthy selection of organic produce . The Orchestra is far from a gimmick , having been in operation for seventeen years . The musicians have to be not only skilled at being able to extract sound out of greens , but also at picking the right vegetables from the market before every performance ( unlike other musicians ’ their instruments tend to rot ), shape them appropriately so that they function as an instrument and practise for hours . Try catching up with their performances on Youtube , and if someone ever tells you that its not polite to play with your food , show it to them too .
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