Music is an integral part of our daily life, and it’s something that provides meaning to our moments. Without musical instruments, all we have are sounds with no soul behind them. There will never be one song without its accompaniment from some musical instrument. Music and musical instruments go together like peanut butter and jelly. Discussing their importance, here are 15 famous musical instruments that you’ve probably heard on countless pop songs over the years.
Guitar
The guitar is an instrument that produces sound through string vibrations. The string vibrates at a specific frequency, resulting in beautiful sounds to our ears. Today it’s one of the most famous musical instruments part of nearly every genre imaginable- from folk music to rock. This should be enough reason for you to decide if this might be your next favourite hobby or profession; with open arms waiting just around the corner, it’s time for you to pick up those plucks and strums.
Keyboard
These are musical instruments that require a keyboard to play music. It has keys on the playing surface that fingers can press to produce different sound combinations. The piano is one such instrument among many others like organs, electronic keyboards, synthesizers, and digital pianos – all vary in size but not sound.
Drums
A drum kit is a collection of drums and other percussion instruments. The kit splits into four parts, including the breakables (sticks), shells (bass drums, toms) extensions, usually the cymbals on top or side. These cymbals create a sound when you hit them; The kit comprises hardware like stands for both your hands and feet to provide more stability while playing. The best part about learning how to play this instrument? The drummer can add life-like effects to any song.
Piano
Bartolomeo Cristofori invented the piano in Italy. The piano comprises a keyboard with small levers that the player presses with their fingers to produce a sound. The word “piano” comes from pianoforte, an Italian term for early 1700s versions of this instrument. Modern pianos come in two basic configurations: grand or upright; there are various styles within each category.
Violin
The violin is one of the most iconic and influential musical instruments in history. It has been a crucial part of many cultures, especially the western culture, where it was initially used as a solo instrument or orchestral filler. Eastern European music, like Turkish folk songs, uses violins for rhythmic accompaniment.
Check Out: Popular Musical Instruments
Saxophone
The saxophone is a woodwind instrument made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece. It has holes in it, which the player closes to create different notes using their lungs or diaphragm. The sound then resonates outwards into an enclosed space. In an auditorium full of people, the beautiful melody of the saxophone makes its way through the listener’s ears only to get absorbed back inside the instrument.
Flute
The flute is a wind instrument that has one or more air chambers fitted with free reeds. Musicians play this instrument by placing their lips over the chamber and blowing into it to create sound. Different cultures give different names for the same type of instrument, like in China, where they call them dizi instead of “flutes.”
Sitar
The sitar has had a significant impact on Indian history and culture. Sitar is often used in Hindustani classical music, which dates back to the 16th century. The musical instrument underwent many changes during this time of transformation before becoming popular worldwide through Ravi Shankar’s work and its use for film soundtracks such as A Passage To India and Gandhi (both from 1982). Today, you can find musicians playing their instruments at weddings across the country.
Tabla
Tabla comes from the exotic land of the subcontinent. The instrument is about a pair of drums, particularly for folk, classical and traditional music. Besides India, it’s common in Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Tabla has two small barrel-shaped drums of different sizes, with specific diameters to play.
Harmonium
The harmonium is a traditional Indian classical instrument. It produces sound on blowing air through reeds tuned to different pitches, thus making musical notes. Did you know that it’s possible to play the harmonium with your feet too? Yes! In this case, one foot must be on both pedals at once, and they will need to press them simultaneously.
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument with a cylindrical bore and flared bell. It has one reed, which produces sound when the musician blows air across it. The Clarinetist plays in many genres of music, including classical and jazz, to bring beauty into what might otherwise be silence.
Accordion
The accordion is a musical instrument that we see in many movies. It has a box-shaped body made up of metal or wood-designed organ pipes, operated by squeezing them into each other. These pipes are then pulled away while drawing air out sharply (squeezing). A person who plays this type of music on such an instrument would be called an “accordionist.”
Which of these famous musical instruments have you used? Let us know in the comments section below.
