Who says music can only be made with traditional instruments like guitars, pianos, flutes, and trumpets? The musicians in this slideshow below sure wouldn't. They've managed to produce sounds from ball bearings, ping pong balls, modified video game consoles, vegetables, fish, footwear, and typewriters.
While the music made with these unusual instruments may not appear at the concert hall nearest you, their existence proves that music and imagination are two universal, innate human qualities.
20 Unusual Musical Instruments
20
Instruments Made of Car Parts
Car Music Project for Ford
19
iPhone Cover Bands
The Mentalists Take On "Kids" by MGMT
18
Cellular Symphonies
Stanford's Mobile Phone Orchestra Turns PDAs Into Chamber Instruments
17
Musical Fish
Researchers Develop Audio Aquarium for the Blind
16
Music from MacBooks and Salad Bowls
The Stanford Laptop Orchestra
15
Raves for Nerds
The Blip Festival Uses Nintendo and Atari Instruments
14
Gas Mask Kazoos
Creepy and Downright Diabolical Music From The Chemical Wartet
13
Carrot Clarinets
Vegetable Instruments for DIY Eco-Friendly Music-Making
12
Chip Music
Music with Old Videogame Consoles
11
Musical Junk
Ugly Noisemakers
10
Robotic Music with Ping Pong Balls & Wine Glasses
Absolut Quartet
9
Electroplankton
Musical Touch Screen Gadget as Art
8
Music From Ball Bearings
Bizarre BeatBaring Demo Proves Music Can Be Made With Anything
7
Streets That Make Music
Honda's Avenue K in California
6
Interactive Musical Pencils
Drawdio Turns Doodles Into Sound
5
Chiptune Christmas Songs
‘8 Bit Jesus' is Nerdtastic
4
Music from Fidgety Finger-Tapping
The 'Jam' Changes Nervousness to Notes
3
Musical Garbage Cans
Xylophone Bin by Dominic Wilcox
2
Music from Recycled Footwear
‘Symphony for 54 Shoes'
1
Making Music With Typewriters
TypoSonic
Related Ideas
Vegetable-Themed Playful Personality Quizzes
What Vegetable Are You? is a Quiz by Sophie Liu
Retro-Futuristic DJ Consoles
The Conceptual teenage engineering OP-J DJ Console is Advanced
Musical Instrument Pet Feeders
The 'Pet Piano' Smart Feeder Rewards Pets for Playing
Industrial Handheld Gaming Consoles
The Conceptual PocketMan P1 Has Exposed Components
Vintage-Inspired Digital Audio Players
The Conceptual 'Pony Project' Hi-Res Player is Retro
Metallic Architectural Record Players
The Conceptual 'RYTM' Record Player is Harmonious
Modular Physical Media Players
This Winamp Media Player Device by Eslam Mod is Digitally-Inspired
Projector-Equipped Handheld Gaming Consoles
This Nintendo Game Boy Concept is 90s-Inspired
Playfully Retro CD Players
Semetor Introduces the Dynamic K8 CD Player at IFA 2024
Child-Friendly Medication Dispensers
The 'Singing Bottle' Concept by Fengrui Wang is Interactive
Mobile Music Analysis Devices
The 'Analist' Music Analysis Device by Hélène Bert is Helpful
AI Music Production Tools
aimusic.one Uses Technology to Create Unique Songs in Minutes
Beer-Branded Music Sharing Devices
The Conceptual 'Hei-Five' Connects Strangers Over Music
Social-Centric Wireless Earbud Concepts
Kusi Boateng-Arthur Introduces the Social Earbud Concept
AI-Powered Music Tools
Udio Removes the Barrier to Entry For Those Interested in Making Music
Adorable Exclusive Music Accessories
Fender and Sanrio Works Together no a Special Collection
Nostalgic Retro Music Capsules
KICKBACK Blends Retro Design with the DIY Mixtape Kit
Fashionable Portable Speakers
The Nothing Sound is a Portable Speaker Concept by Hao Ping Chang
Radical Majestic Instrument Structures
Whipsaw's Ravenchord is a Reimagined Grand Piano
Redefined AI Music Creation
MusicFX is Capable of Generating Complex Musical Compositions.
AI Beer Vending Machines
Panhead Custom Ales Created a Machine That Gives Beer to Guitarists
Electronic Plush Toys
The Furblet Mini Toys Have Over 45 Fun Tunes, Sounds, and Furbish Phrases
Introductory STEM Toy Sets
The Zig & Go from Djeco Combines Music and Forces in an Educational Toy
Repurposed Vintage Apple Computers
Aquariums, lamps, and clocks made out of Apple iMac Computers
Retro Vinyl Record-Inspired Lamps
Artyom Alimpjvev Designs the Minimal Gramophone Lamp
Handheld Gaming Console Concepts
Alex Casabo Designs the Playfusion Console Concept
AI-Powered Music Systems
The 'SPIN' AI Music Synthesizer by Arvind Sanjeev is Customizable
Engaging Musical Humanoid Toys
The 'musicBOT' Toy Robot Concept Plays Music in an Interactive Way
Retro Cassette Brick Puzzles
The LEGO Sony Walkman is Designed by Srta.JirafaEnfadada
Dynamic Miniature Music Stages
Love Hultén Joins Way Out West on the Future Fan Stage
Sex Toy-Resembling Wooden Tools
Craig Green Designs the Unique Jumbo Wooden Tools
90s-Inspired Music Players
Bang & Olufsen Release the Vintage Beosound 9000 CD Player
Washing Machine-Inspired Speaker Concepts
Hari 3D Designs a Speaker Resembling a Home Appliance
Origami-Inspired Lit Table Concepts
Sonakshi Gupta Designs the Dynamic LightUP Concept
Custom AI Music Creation
The AI Music Generator Creates AI-Generated Songs Using Descriptions
Smartphone-Based Musical Instruments
The Artinoise 'ZEFIRO' Plugs into a Device's USB-C Port
Personalized Music Tracking Tools
Chart Your Music Lets Users Curate and Track Custom Music Charts
80s-Inspired 16-Bit Display Devices
Ahmed Esmael Designs a New Range of Retro Device Concepts
Album-Inspired Turntables
Heinz Lichtenegger Designs the Dark Side of the Moon Turntable
Contemporary Vertical Turntables
ToVerse Unveils a New Dynamic Streaming Turntable Design
AI-Fueled Music Mixer Concepts
Haechan Ryu Designs the Happy Music Mixer 07 Concept
Insect Orchestra Concerts
The Cicada Symphony Orkinstra by Orkin Samples Sounds from Insects
AI Music Producers
AI Song Creates Unique Tunes Tailored to User Preferences
Bamboo Smart Travel Guitars
Natasha's Travel Guitar is Inspired by the Yamaha Silent Guitars
Foldable Gaming Consoles
This Game Boy Flip Concept Pushes the Boundaries of Handheld Gadgets
AR Piano Previews
Roland AR Helps Shoppers Find the Right Piano with Augmented Reality
Fuzzy Musical Collectibles
Furblets are Interactive Toys That Introduce Furby to a New Generation
Game-Themed Retro Keyboards
Higround and Minecraft Launch a New Collaborative Keyboard Collection
Mid-Century Record Consoles
Wrensilva Unveils a New Catalog of Furniture for Stereo Systems
Encouraging Virtual Guitar Pedals
The UwU Virtual pet Buffer is an Adorable Guitar Pedal
Text-to-Audio Music-Making Tools
Adobe Introduces its New Instant Project Music GenAI Tool
Corn-Based Music Albums
Roots Remastered is a First-of-Its-Kind Country Album Made from Corn
Water Movement Sculptural Instruments
The Inner Waves Installation is a Musical Light Show
Retro-Style Travel Guitars
The VOX APC-1 Travel Guitar Blends Modern and Vintage Aspects
AI Music-Making Tools
Fryderyk Uses AI To Help in the Music Creation Process
Retro 3D-Printed Bags
Coperni's CD-PLAYER Swipe Bag Resembles a Portable Music Player
AI-Powered Music Creation
Soundry AI Offers Sample Packs and Text-to-Sound for Musicians
Pelata Wooden Toy Collections
Finnish Design Shop Unveils the Pelata Collection of Toys
AI Music Studios
OnePlus AI Music Studio Composes with Prompts
Quirky Strummable Synths
This Reimagined Electronic Synth is a Throwback to the 1980s
Color-Changing Eccentric Turntables
Brian Eno Designs the Turntable II with Unpredictable Patterns
Plant-Powered MIDI Sound Sculptures
The Love Hultén 'Tegel' Turns Plant Signals into MIDI Tones
Bird-Inspired Earbud Concepts
The Tweettunes is a Unique Concept Inspired by a Bird
Hand-Sensing Musical Instruments
The ROLI Airwave Uses Hand Tracking and AI
Upcycled Material Musical Instruments
The Yamaha Upcycling Guitar Concept Models are Sustainable
Portable Miniature Soundboards
The SEQTRAK Device by Yamaha Creates Music on the Go
Interactive Music Photo Frames
The WICKED x Samsung Music Frame Features Three Photographs
Low-Cost Electric Harp Instruments
The 'Harp E' Electro Acoustic Harp is Affordable for Students
Musician-Themed Online Games
Fortnite Festival Lets Players Get in on the Concert Action
Pocket-Sized Beat Makers
The Stylophone BEAT is Fun, Interactive and Inexpensive
Medieval-Era Sound Boards
The teenage engineering EP-1320 Medieval Has Hundreds of Sounds
DIY Microphone Amplifiers
Pringles Created a Limited-Edition Microphone Amplifier for Gamers
Transparent Vinyl Player Concepts
Vadzim Sadouski Designs a Clear Music Design Concept
Virtual Vinyl Players
Turntable: Music Explorer Merges Vinyl Charm with Modern Technology
Digital Visualized Feedback Instruments
The 'Vibra' Instrument Supports Hard of Hearing Users
Music Festival Fabric Installations
Do Lab Created a Range of Fabric Mushrooms at Coachella
Gamer Music Libraries
The Nintendo Music App Shares Fan-Favorite Nintendo Soundtracks
Cat-Friendly Conceptual Playful Furniture
Yamaha Presents the Neko-Yama and Other Designs
Instrument-Inspired Wall Lamps
The Louis Collection by Sara Schoenberger Honors a Jazz Musician
Reimagined Pop-Culture Music Genres
Disney's A Whole New Sound Imagines Classics in New Genres
Feline-Friendly Music Accessories
Yamaha Design Lab Creates a Special Cat Music Box
AI Music Generators
Riff Produces Royalty-Free Music for Content Creators
Seamless AI Song-Making
Starmony Let's Anyone Make Music in Minutes
Conversation-Muting Audio Robots
These Miniature Robots Can Function As Microphone Arrays
Affordable Music-Making Devices
SummerTones Designs the EASYPLAY 1s for Music Production
Multifunctional Compact Music Players
NINM Lab's PLAYDISC is a Multifunctional Music Device
AI-Powered Dynamic Guitars
The LAVA Music Team Presents the LAVA GENIE Instrument
Singing Competition Audio Electronics
The Voice Electronics Take After the Hit ITV Studios Show
Music-Playing Photo Frames
Samsung's Music Frame Blends Seamlessly into the Home
Music-Based AI Frameworks
YouTube and Universal Music Group Collaborate on New AI Music Guidelines
Interactive Music Fitness Tools
Music Boxing Training Machine is Supercharging Workouts with Music
Colorful Bear Bluetooth Speakers
MoMA Joins Medicom Toy Corporation on the Audio Color Block 400%
Beer-Dispensing Guitar Machines
The 'Slay to Pay' Vending Machine is Activated by a Guitar Game
Playful Music Production Systems
Blipblox's myTRACKS Groovebox is a Complete Music Studio
Ancient Chinese Poetry Vinyls
The Musipple Vinyl Player Concept Honors Ancient History
AI Music Composition Tools
Sunoify Represents a New Era of Online Music Creation
Minimalist Lantern-Like Music Boxes
The REUGE 'Onkõ' Combines Design, Music and Mechanics
Content Creator-Friendly Music Libraries
RADAAR's Audio Library Can Enhance Content
Bean-Shaped Vibrant Chalks
Areaware Presents the Colorful New Bean Chalks for Imaginative Drawing
AI Singing Tools
AI Singing Let's Anyone Become a Musician or Composer in a Few Simple Steps
Guitar-Holding Benches
Yamaha Design Lab Created This Unique Place to Sit
General Store-Inspired Consoles
Lisa Sacco Presents the New Haptic Wood Console Table
AI-Generated Song Tools
AISong Can Compose Lyrics, Melodies, and Rhythms Tailored to Preferences
AI Karaoke Apps
Wondera Lets Users Create Their Own AI Karaoke Voice
Singer-Honoring Portable Speakers
Teenage Engineering and John Lennon Drop a New OB-4 Speaker
Functional Gaming Toys
Nintendo's Latest Gashapon Toys Can be Added as Controller Parts
Trendy In-Game Music Hubs
Roblox Launches the New Roblox Music Hub for Music Discovery
Gothic Wooden Desk Lamps
The Gothic Table Lamp is a DIY Project and Interacts with Music
Immersive Rhythmic Concert Games
Epic Games Added Guitar Controller Support to 'Fortnite Festival'
Portable Digital Instruments
The Uno Synth Pro X Features a Plethora of Audio Effects
Slim Portable Audio Turntables
Benjamin Großjohann Designs the Sleek New Coturn CT-01
Movement-Evoking Audio Visualizers
Dadk Jung Designs the FAV-LE22 Fluid Audio Visualizer
Cardboard Box-Transformed Furniture
Max Lamb Presents the Box Exhibition at Gallery Fumi
Medieval-Inspired Electronic Instruments
The EP-1320 Medieval Sample is Backed with Unique Sounds
Royalty Free Piano Music
This Site Offers Beautiful Music For Various Industries to Use
Music-Focused Social Media
Musicboard is a Place for Music Lovers to Unite
Sound Transforming Mobile Apps
The Outsidify App by Bastl Captures and Alters Sound on the Phone
Music Analysis Compact Devices
Hélène Bert Creates the Analist Music Tool to Understand Music
Seamless Music-Creation Tools
Klimper is Easy to Use for Seamless Track Creation
AI Music-making App
Suno Plans to Be the Go-to App for All-Things Audio
Perorated Brickwork Music Centers
Atelier Oï Designs the Gong Music Center in Cambodia
Musically Inspired Cocktail Menus
Hacha’s Cymatics Menu Influences Flavor with Sound Waves & More
Multi-Subject Learning Apps
Duolingo is Expected to Reveal Duolingo Music at Duocon 2023
Tranquil Ambient Speaker Machines
The Ambient Machine Cornelius Edition Boasts Customization
Digital Audio Speaker Displays
found/Founded Introduces the Vibrary Digital LP Player
Diverse Ringtone Collections
Ringtone Maker & Wallpaper is a Nostalgic Library to Music for Phones
Musician-Connecting Platforms
BandMatch Helps People Discover Nearby Musicians to Create Bands
Virtual Music Video Generators
Banger.Show Creates Beautiful Videos in Minutes
Band Name Generators
This Tool Uses Keywords to Help Musicians Craft Their Band Name
Inflatable-Orb Stage Set Designs
BIG Designs the Stage Set for WhoMadeWho's World Tour
Unconventional Gardening Kits
The Freaky Veg Kit Grows Purple Carrots and Dark Opal Tomatoes
Weekly Personalized Music Curation
NewMusic Delivers New Tracks to Your Inbox Every Week
Royalty-Generating Nature Sounds
Sounds Right Generates Royalties from Nature's Music
Game-Specific Adaptive Music
PlusMusic Enhances Gaming Immersion with Personalized Music
VR Trombone Experiences
Trombonest Presents Musical Mixed Reality for Any Skill Level
Playful Dynamic Furniture Capsule
Another Human Presents the New Galliforms Collection
Orchestral-Themed Lighting Series
Milan Iluminación Unveils the Symphony Collection of Lights
Stanalone 61-Key Synthesizers
Arturia Designs the AstroLab with 10 Synthesis Engines
Musical Productivity Apps
FocusBeats Plays Music For 25 Minutes of Work and a 5 Minute Break
Medical Equipment-Inspired Lamps
Kairi Eguchi Designs the POND Lamp Inspired by the Pus Tray