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
Vintage-Inspired Digital Audio Players
The Conceptual 'Pony Project' Hi-Res Player is Retro
Modular Physical Media Players
This Winamp Media Player Device by Eslam Mod is Digitally-Inspired
Cyberpunk DJ Console Concepts
The Image Creates the MIDI Controller Concept
Artist-Designed Instruments
Tame Impala's Orchid is a Synthesizer for Creative Exploration
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
Memphis-Inspired Vinyl Turntables
Jexter Lim Designs the Brick Turntable Inspired by Memphis
Adorable Exclusive Music Accessories
Fender and Sanrio Works Together no a Special Collection
Mobile Music Analysis Devices
The 'Analist' Music Analysis Device by Hélène Bert is Helpful
80s-Inspired E-Ink Gaming Consoles
The 'Ink Console' Offers a Series of Text-Driven Adventures
Beer-Branded Music Sharing Devices
The Conceptual 'Hei-Five' Connects Strangers Over Music
AI Music Production Tools
aimusic.one Uses Technology to Create Unique Songs in Minutes
AI-Powered Music Tools
Udio Removes the Barrier to Entry For Those Interested in Making Music
Nostalgic Retro Music Capsules
KICKBACK Blends Retro Design with the DIY Mixtape Kit
Immersive Light Art Installations
Olafur Elisson Presents Your Psychoacoustic Light Ensemble
Musical Chicken Bucket Lids
KFC Canada Unveiled a Bucket Lid that Play Christmas Carols
Redefined AI Music Creation
MusicFX is Capable of Generating Complex Musical Compositions.
Futuristic Imaginative Design Concepts
Toyota Introduces the Unique E-Collection of Products
Electronic Plush Toys
The Furblet Mini Toys Have Over 45 Fun Tunes, Sounds, and Furbish Phrases
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
Digital Drumstick Pets
A Viral 90s Toy Inspired KFC's Handheld Virtual Eduardochi
Virtual Flavor Simulators
Researchers Developed a Device to Stimulate Taste in Virtual Worlds
Handheld Gaming Console Concepts
Alex Casabo Designs the Playfusion Console Concept
Illusory Floating Turntables
The Audio-Technica Hotaru Turntable Has a Floating Upper
Biological Material Game Controllers
A Team of Designers Dream up the BioHybrid Device Controller
Wonderous Art Installations
Olafur Eliasson’s 'Your Psychoacoustic Light Ensemble' is Immersive
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
Cat-Inspired Fuzzy Frames
The Dry Studio Petbrick 65 Keyboard has a Textural Finish
Digital Icon-Inspired Tennis Balls
Wilson and Apple Join Forces to Bring the Digital Wheel to Life
Rolling Pentagonal Speaker Systems
The 'Pentatonic' Foldable Speaker Concept is Adaptable
Dynamic Miniature Music Stages
Love Hultén Joins Way Out West on the Future Fan Stage
Screen-Free Music Toys
Loops Lab Lowers the Barrier of Entry to Music Creation
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
Otamatone Sheet Music Guides
Learn Otamatone with Simple, Numbered Sheet Music Practice
Coffee Ground Music Boxes
The Conceptual 'Snowie' Christmas Music Box is Minimalist
Sound-Absorbing Recycled Materials
Mathilde Wittock Creates the Soundbounce Material
Retro Music Device-Inspired Mirrors
Drought Brings a Touch of Nostalgic with the Coveted iMirror
Interactive Educational Toy Lines
LeapFrog Debuts Its Latest Collection at Toy Fair 2025
80s-Inspired 16-Bit Display Devices
Ahmed Esmael Designs a New Range of Retro Device Concepts
AI-Fueled Music Mixer Concepts
Haechan Ryu Designs the Happy Music Mixer 07 Concept
AI Music Producers
AI Song Creates Unique Tunes Tailored to User Preferences
Sculptural Modern Turntable Concepts
Amuni Studio Creates the Hybrid Turntable Concept
Insect Orchestra Concerts
The Cicada Symphony Orkinstra by Orkin Samples Sounds from Insects
Foldable Gaming Consoles
This Game Boy Flip Concept Pushes the Boundaries of Handheld Gadgets
Smartphone-Based Musical Instruments
The Artinoise 'ZEFIRO' Plugs into a Device's USB-C Port
Music-Oriented Skateboarding Footwear
Vans Unveils its Premium Old Skool Music Collection
Colorful Dynamic Acoustic Playgrounds
Yuri Suzuki Designs the Otonomori Playground in Shanghai
Game-Themed Retro Keyboards
Higround and Minecraft Launch a New Collaborative Keyboard Collection
Mix-and-Match Scented Bracelets
Jelly Bands Simplify Jewelry-Making with Snappable Beads
Mid-Century Record Consoles
Wrensilva Unveils a New Catalog of Furniture for Stereo Systems
Text-to-Audio Music-Making Tools
Adobe Introduces its New Instant Project Music GenAI Tool
Personalized Music Tracking Tools
Chart Your Music Lets Users Curate and Track Custom Music Charts
Water Movement Sculptural Instruments
The Inner Waves Installation is a Musical Light Show
Custom AI Music Creation
The AI Music Generator Creates AI-Generated Songs Using Descriptions
AI Music-Making Tools
Fryderyk Uses AI To Help in the Music Creation Process
Pelata Wooden Toy Collections
Finnish Design Shop Unveils the Pelata Collection of Toys
AI-Powered Music Creation
Soundry AI Offers Sample Packs and Text-to-Sound for Musicians
Mindful Meditative Soundscape Systems
The 'Sonic Heirloom' Offers Digital and Analog Benefits
Color-Changing Eccentric Turntables
Brian Eno Designs the Turntable II with Unpredictable Patterns
Online Music Collaboration Tools
The Lutefish Stream Aims to Resolve Some Challenges for Musicians
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
Interactive Music Photo Frames
The WICKED x Samsung Music Frame Features Three Photographs
Medieval-Era Sound Boards
The teenage engineering EP-1320 Medieval Has Hundreds of Sounds
Transparent Vinyl Player Concepts
Vadzim Sadouski Designs a Clear Music Design Concept
Virtual Vinyl Players
Turntable: Music Explorer Merges Vinyl Charm with Modern Technology
Music Festival Fabric Installations
Do Lab Created a Range of Fabric Mushrooms at Coachella
Geometric Foldable Speaker Concepts
The Pentatonic Speaker is a Foldable Concept
Cat-Friendly Conceptual Playful Furniture
Yamaha Presents the Neko-Yama and Other Designs
AI-Powered Dynamic Guitars
The LAVA Music Team Presents the LAVA GENIE Instrument
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
Affordable Music-Making Devices
SummerTones Designs the EASYPLAY 1s for Music Production
Biologically Shaped Musical Gadgets
The Balls in Concert Ad Brings Testicular Cancer Awareness
Multifunctional Compact Music Players
NINM Lab's PLAYDISC is a Multifunctional Music Device
Gamer Music Libraries
The Nintendo Music App Shares Fan-Favorite Nintendo Soundtracks
Interactive Music Fitness Tools
Music Boxing Training Machine is Supercharging Workouts with Music
Music-Themed Travel Guides
Skyscanner Music Guides Were Created with Exceptional ALIEN
Stealthy Rare Wooden Instruments
Yamaha's Torch T01 is Made with a Sustainable Build
AI Playlist Generators
Youtube Music AI Creates Fresh, Theme-Based Playlists from Any Sentence
Nostalgic Audio Interfaces
CassetteOne Blends Retro Design With Ambient Audio and Playlists
Sleep Music Generators
The Sleeping Music Generator Offers Tailored Soundscapes for Better Sleep
Virtual Idol Game Crossovers
Fortnite Festival and Hatsune Miku Bring Vocaloid to Modern Gaming
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
Playlist-Paired Puzzles
Piecework Puzzles Come with Curated Songs to Match the Vibe
Dynamic Multi-Use Turntables
Korg Launches Three New Turntables with Specialized Features
Music Creation Platforms
Suno Let's Users Create, Share, and Discover Music with Text or Audio
Content Creator-Friendly Music Libraries
RADAAR's Audio Library Can Enhance Content
AI Singing Tools
AI Singing Let's Anyone Become a Musician or Composer in a Few Simple Steps
Colorful Bear Bluetooth Speakers
MoMA Joins Medicom Toy Corporation on the Audio Color Block 400%
Art-Inspired Sample Libraries
Spitfire Audio's 'Impressionism' Inspires Sonic Creativity
Cover Art Generators
The CanCon Album Generator Lets Fans Remix Iconic Canadian Covers
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
Modern Sideways Audio Turntables
Waiting For Ideas Launches the PP-1 Turntable
Modular Music Makers
Users Can Build and Modify Music Easily with Modular Sound Blocks
Functional Gaming Toys
Nintendo's Latest Gashapon Toys Can be Added as Controller Parts
Gothic Wooden Desk Lamps
The Gothic Table Lamp is a DIY Project and Interacts with Music
Color-Coded Music Sheets
ColoredMusicSheet Makes Music Learning Easier With Color-Coded Notes
Immersive Rhythmic Concert Games
Epic Games Added Guitar Controller Support to 'Fortnite Festival'
Web-Based Music Sequencers
MiniTAP Lets You Sequence Music in Real Time From Your Browser
Exclusive Music Instrument Brands
Aeroband Will Be Present at the NAACP Image Awards®
Medieval-Inspired Electronic Instruments
The EP-1320 Medieval Sample is Backed with Unique Sounds
Coffee Ground-Made Music Boxes
Hyunbin Kim Imagines the Musical Snowie Musical Concept
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
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
Perorated Brickwork Music Centers
Atelier Oï Designs the Gong Music Center in Cambodia
AI Music-making App
Suno Plans to Be the Go-to App for All-Things Audio
Android Synthesizer Devices
Oscalate Offers Real-Time Synthesizer and Sequencer for Android
Tranquil Ambient Speaker Machines
The Ambient Machine Cornelius Edition Boasts Customization
Air Balloon-Inspired Lamp Concepts
Kubra Sen Imagines the Creative Air Balloon Lamp Design
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
Typing Sound Effects
Keyboard Sounds Adds Customizable Sound Effects to Your Typing Experience.
Band Name Generators
This Tool Uses Keywords to Help Musicians Craft Their Band Name
Trophy-Inspired Puzzle Bricks
_ironman Designs the LEGO Gramophone Brick Puzzle Set
Unconventional Gardening Kits
The Freaky Veg Kit Grows Purple Carrots and Dark Opal Tomatoes
Royalty-Generating Nature Sounds
Sounds Right Generates Royalties from Nature's Music
Weekly Personalized Music Curation
NewMusic Delivers New Tracks to Your Inbox Every Week
Digital Dartboard Game Systems
The 'Pixeldarts' Electronic Throwing Game Offers Nonstop Fun
Game-Specific Adaptive Music
PlusMusic Enhances Gaming Immersion with Personalized Music
VR Trombone Experiences
Trombonest Presents Musical Mixed Reality for Any Skill Level
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