Fascination with unsual instruments

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I've always had something for uncommon musical instruments. My uncommon musical instruments are Melodica, Ukulele, Harmonica, Keytar (combo of guitar and keyboard) and now recently I ordered an Ocarina (it hasn't arrived yet). I guess I just don't like going mainstream so much and am attracted to new things. Plus the comments I get when I first play them are great! anyone can relate?

I play the accordion... a lot. It's not as far out as some you mention, but still... At any rate, there is something about it that is very pleasant for the AS mind.

G

Please, those instruments are so mainstream.

Check out the glass harmonica:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQemvyyJ--g[/youtube]

And the blaser beam:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPimk6y1-JI[/youtube]

Donkey rattle.

Have you ever tried a theremin?

Craig Huxley also put out a whole album entitled "Howliday Favorites Sung in Dog" consisting of electronically manipulated dog barks fashioned into familiar Christmas melodies like: "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear"medleyed with "We Wish You A Merry Christmas".


Woody Phillips has done albums of music performed entirely with carpentry tools. He did one of classical symphonic music, and another of Christmas music.

Where Woody Phillips used "accoustic" tools like anvils and hand saws- an ad hoc outfit called "the Texas Chainsaw Orchestra" used gas powered chainsaws to perform such classics as the "the Sabre Dance" by Khataturian, and the "Chaingang" song by Ben E. King- also on CD in 1990's.

Then there is another universe of normal instruments being used in abnormal ways. The Blue Note electric guitar virtuoso Stanley Jordan pioneered the use of the "hammer on" technique of playing the electric guitar. Instead of strumming/picking the guitar as if it were an accoustic he puts both hands on the fretboard. His finger tips both mark off the notes AND play the notes resulting in a two layered complex harpsichord like sound very unlike a normal rock guitar.

Then there is Tuvan throat singing. Not even going into that now.

I have an appreciation for the Hardingfele, though I don't know if it really counts as 'unusual.'

Hardanger fiddle

Well it's more unusual than a ukelele. Everyone knows what a ukelele is, and every freaking beggar in Jakarta seems to have one.

As well as nearly every lesbian I know. The ukelele is coming into style, apparently.

I used to have an obsession with the theremin when I was younger. Never got to try or own one though.

I like to jam on the didgeridoo every so often. It's great for meditation, it really draws you in.

I came here to ask this! One of my friends has one and it's the sweetest thing ever. Observe:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5qf9O6c20o[/youtube]

That's wrong. You obviously know what a Ukulele is because you're a musician but "normal" people who aren't educated in music know less. And I don't live in Jakarta or Hawaii. Where I live Ukulele is scarce and unknown, nobody has that. I even ordered mine from ebay because at the time no music shop sold it here (They had the 5$ plastic toys).

I'm a musician? I've made a few troll songs, and I've sang a few things for an experimental-electronic-rock pony duo, and I can sort of play the piano, but I wouldn't really call myself a musician, I just like music. Anyway Ukeleles are fairly well known because it's sort of the icon of Hawaiian music in American Culture, they aren't easy to find in the US, but pretty much everyone I know has heard of them and knows at least that they are sort of like a guitar and used to make Hawaiian Music. I think more Americans know what a Ukelele is than a Cello. Since American culture is dominant on the internet it can be assumed that obscurity should be measured relative to an American audience. I say the Slider Guitar is a more obscure Hawaiian instrument.

Anyway, back to the original post, harmonicas, while definitely weird, aren't really obscure at all, melodicas are fairly obscure and I only discovered them because a musician I know apparently plays one, keytars are really more well known in a gag sort of way, and ocarinas are fairly obscure, but less obscure than a melodica, and the Legend of Zelda has raised their awareness by a ton.

Granted.... but I'm a musician

It's not about knowing what the instrument is. I know what is a harp right? how many actualy people play it? less than how many people know what it is that's for sure. I actually play all those instruments. Most people I know would pick guitar or maybe piano. I doubt there're formal teachers in the conservatorium where I live for harmonica, ocarina or uke.

I can relate to that, I wish I would have the money to buy such though.