12 Weird Instruments That Sound Amazing

a didgeridoo is one weird instrument featured in this article

By Syndenn Sweet | June 25, 2026

What comes to mind when you think of “weird” instruments? Here are a dozen weird and unusual musical inventions from around the world that have helped pave the way to making modern music. These instruments are part of ancient world folk traditions or came about through bizarre accidental discovery — you’ll learn how incredibly “weird” it can get.

How many instruments have you heard of on this list? And how many would you like to give a try after we count down to number one? Let’s begin.

12. Erhu, China

This instrument is also called the Chinese violin and is over 1,000 years old. However, unlike its western cousin, it has a “trapped” bow that’s woven between two strings. It creates a beautifully haunting sound that emulates the human voice. In fact, you don’t even need to use the fingerboard to create pitch — just your fingers and a light touch. This is a weird instrument because the body is often covered in python skin.

Weird fun fact: The erhu’s musical notation differs from the western staff. It uses a numbered system called Jianpu, where #1 through #7 represent the scale — kind of like guitar tabs.

Here’s a beautiful performance on an erhu by artist Aaron Li:

11. Timpani, Middle East

At first glance, you would think that striking the center of these giant drums would produce the biggest sound. But timpani are very different from your standard single tension pitch drum. Make sure you strike toward the edge of the head for maximum sound. Using a foot pedal, you can bend the pitch of these giant copper bowls (kettles), which have a complex internal system that allows the head of the drum to loosen or tighten to create a melodic pitch. Timpani typically come in a pack (aww … they’re a family), and each one covers about half an octave.

This is a weird instrument because it creates a “pitch illusion”: Although multiple frequencies are sounding simultaneously, the brain perceives a strong, focused fundamental note. This unique combination of pitch, power and resonance is what gives timpani their unique presence in all types of music.

Weird fun fact: The mechanical pedal mechanism nested on the inside of the kettle is called “the spider” due to its eight-legged appearance underneath the head. Also, single timpani can weigh up to 140 pounds. Maybe do some light stretching before transport?

Watch this amazing performance on the timpani by Daan Wilms:

10. Hammered Dulcimer, Middle East

LOOK! It’s a piano ... it’s a drum ... no ... it’s a hammered dulcimer. This instrument uses the blend of mallets or mechanical hammers to hit specific strings to create a melody. It’s a weird instrument because it features pairs of strings for each note, creating a warped or dreamlike sound. Plus, you can’t mute the strings, which creates an ethereal chorus-like effect for the whole tune.

Weird fun fact: The hammered dulcimer can have anywhere from 40 to 120 strings! Can you imagine trying to tune it before a gig?

Here’s a whimsical performance by The Lady Victoria:

9. Contrabass Balalaika, Russia

Too big to hold in just your hands but small enough to play like an upright bass, this distinctively shaped instrument packs a sonic punch. Featuring a flat front, curved back and unmistakable triangular body, the contrabass balalaika has a limited range of sound despite its massive size, featuring only three heavy strings (typically tuned to E-A-D).

This is a weird instrument because it has one central circular sound hole like a guitar, unlike the two F holes that are typically on an upright bass. Its punchy low end delivers just the right frequency for a large orchestral ensemble.

Weird fun fact: Because the strings are thick and many players don’t use their fingers for picking, you might see a musician opting for a pick made of leather or even a discarded boot heel. If it works, it works, right?

Here’s a fantastic example of the tone produced by a contrabass balalaika:

8. Hurdy-Gurdy, Europe

Have you ever wanted to start your own experimental drone or ambient music project? Get your hands on a hurdy-gurdy and you’re well on your way! This instrument is essentially a mechanical violin utilizing a keyboard instead of fingers to change the pitch.

This is a weird instrument because rather than using a bow across the strings to produce sound, it uses a rosined wooden wheel turned by a crank to vibrate the strings. It also features dedicated constant droning while the wheel is being turned, emulating a bagpipe. It’s truly a feast for your eyes and your ears.

Weird fun fact: To keep the strings from screeching against the raw wooden wheel, the section of the string that touches the wheel must be wrapped in cotton and coated in rosin.

Here is artist Andrey Vinogradov playing a medieval tune:

7. Khaen, Thailand & Laos

This instrument is considered a free-reed mouth organ and will transport you straight into a dream. Widely considered a precursor to the accordion, concertina and harmonica, it consists of 16 to 18 bamboo pipes of varying lengths, each embedded with tiny brass reeds. Instead of blowing into one specific hole, you blow into a central chamber with the bamboo reeds extending from the top and the bottom. Holes on the central block allow you to control the pattern of chords you play.

This is a weird instrument because as you play, the air travels through all the pipes at once. To create a melody, you have to start by covering all the holes, and one by one, in different sequence, you’ll glide between notes, creating a mesmerizing synth-like drone.

Weird fun fact: Unlike other woodwinds, you’ll be able to play the khaen on both the inhale and exhale. Let’s start a band!

Here is a beautiful performance by khaen master Nouthong Phimvilayphone:

6. Kora, West Africa

This is kind of the platypus of instruments. The kora doesn’t really fit into one single instrument family. It’s a traditional world instrument that incorporates components of a harp, a lute and an unintentional tambourine. The kora is constructed from a calabash gourd cut in half, leather cowhide and two parallel rows of strings (21 strings total) that protrude outward along a fretted neck. You hold it like a kalimba (face up towards you).

This is a weird instrument because it loves humidity! The warmer and wetter the weather, the easier it is for the kora to slay in tune longer.

Weird fun fact: Modern players often replace hide strings with fishing line because line holds tune better (especially in the humid weather).

Here’s a traditional song performed on the kora by Salieu Suso:

5. Didgeridoo, Australia

Don’t hold your breath because the didgeridoo (a.k.a. Yirdaki) is considered the world’s oldest wind instrument. It’s typically made of hardwoods, especially the various types of eucalyptus that are native to northern and central Australia. With ancient origins, this instrument was used for ceremonies and rites of passage, and not everyone was allowed to play it. In modern times, the didgeridoo has traveled across the world and is widely celebrated.

This is a weird instrument because in some communities it’s considered a medical treatment for weak airways. The technique of circular breathing (and a lot of practice) helps strengthen your soft pallet and can help reduce snoring or obstructive sleep apnea.

Weird fun fact: Traditional didgeridoos aren’t hollowed out by humans — they’re made from hungry eucalyptus termites that bore out the middle of the live tree.

Here’s an inspired rhythmic performance by aboriginal Australian artist Lewis Burns:

4. Bowed Psaltery, Germany

This is the little sister to the traditional plucked psaltery (which dates back thousands of years), but the modern bowed psaltery was designed with the wealthy woman in mind. The unique triangular shape allows you to play this instrument like a violin, but with the string structure of a piano.

This is a weird instrument because fashion had a hand in its design. Why would you pluck a heavy lap harp that competes with your fashionable dress when you can bow a slender acute triangle harp instead?

Weird fun fact: The bowed psaltery went on to inspire the ukelin, which is a mixture of a bowed psaltery and a ukulele. At this rate you’re going to need an extra set of hands to pluck and bow at the same time!

Here’s a great example of how the bowed psaltery was designed to be held and played:

3.Ehecachichtli a.k.a. Aztec Death Whistle, Mexico

Often shaped like a human skull, the Ehecachichtli was designed as a psychological warfare tactic or a ceremonial tool as a guide for the dead, and it’s played with a simple blow. Many of these whistles have been found in graves and temples that honor Ehecatl, the Aztec wind god.

This is a weird instrument because it’s small and incredibly creepy. When you blow into the mouthpiece, it emulates the sound of a screaming woman. (Uh, what?!) Hundreds of Aztec warriors would simultaneously blow into these whistles to induce absolute fear and terror, with the aim of breaking the spirits of their enemies.

Weird fun fact: The skull-shaped appearance of this whistle specifically honors Mictlantecuhtli, the Aztec god of death.

Here’s a fantastic example of how the Aztec death whistle sounds:

2. Glass Armonica, England

This instrument was an evolution of musical glasses, you know, where you wet your finger and rub it along the glass rim to create a ringing sound? After being inspired by singing glasses played at a concert, Benjamin Franklin invented a mechanical version of them in 1761. Graduating from the drinking glasses in size and in chromatic scale, he nested crystal bowls together, suspending them over a trough of water that wetted the bowls, optimizing the sound clarity. A musician sits at the instrument, and like a bicyclist, pumps the treadle mechanism with their feet to spin the glass.

The glass armonica is a weird instrument because when it was new, it was branded as the “world’s most dangerous musical instrument.” Doctors of the time claimed that its high-pitched tones overstimulated the human brain, causing nervous breakdowns, hallucinations and madness. This claim was eventually debunked because it was discovered that early iterations of the glass armonica utilized lead crystal, which likely poisoned musicians who had prolonged skin contact with the instrument.

Weird fun fact: Several famous composers have created music for the glass armonica, including Mozart and Beethoven.

Listen to a musician play a Mozart piece on the glass armonica. See how she uses her feet to spin it?

1. Theremin, Russia

The theremin was one of the world’s first mass-produced electronic musical instruments — and the first to be played completely without physical contact. You control the sound by moving your hands around a vertical antenna to raise or lower the tone and up or down over a looped antenna to control the volume. It looks like you’re playing air but you’re really manipulating electromagnetic fields!

Created by Leon Theremin in 1920, he originally called it the aetherophone or Thereminvox. This is a weird instrument because Leon invented this device while trying to build a machine that measured the density of gas. He noticed the machine admitted a strange, pitched warbling tone when he moved his hand near the antenna.

Weird fun fact: YOU complete the circuit! Because this instrument uses two metal antennae, your hands and body act as half a capacitor, with your movements altering the capacitance of the electromagnetic field.

Watch artist Mouyao play the English ballad “Scarborough Fair,” showing us how lovely the theremin can sound:

Music is something that connects all of us, and the musical tools that we use have been in a constant state of imagination and evolution since the dawn of time. Music is one way we express ourselves. Whether you are the musician or the listener, music helps us preserve the human condition and keeps stories of the past alive. These unusual instruments only begin to scratch the surface of what’s available to you to begin creating your own unique sounds. Do any of these instruments inspire you to start making music?

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Learn More About Unique Musical Instruments

Whether you’re a student, educator, or simply someone who's curious about musical instruments, you can learn more about the music products industry with NAMM. A member association representing the companies and professionals that develop musical instruments, gear and technology, NAMM hosts The NAMM Show each January, where music product manufacturers reveal their latest innovations. Learn more about The NAMM Show and explore the benefits of NAMM membership.

About the Author

Syndenn Sweet is a prominent Tucson, Arizona-based luthier, multi-instrumentalist and visual artist and poet. She is a fixture in her regional music scene as a singer-songwriter, former vice president of the board of directors for the Tucson Folk Festival, and owner of Hanner House Records. Syndenn became the first woman hired as a luthier at Bookmans Entertainment Exchange, where she specializes in restoring stringed instruments, particularly accordions, orchestral and world instruments. Her contributions to the music trade earned her national recognition by NAMM, where she was featured in the prestigious NAMM Oral History Program. NAMM highlighted her achievements as a female pioneer in instrument repair and her dedication to preserving the craft of lutherie.