Cool Instruments

Since the nineteenth century traditional Western instruments have changed little, but here are a few recent creations that have made their way into mainstream classical music. Two of these you probably know about: the saxophone and the sousaphone both are 20th century invention. The saxophone is, of course the pioneering instrument in jazz and major orchestras also have an auditioned seat for a saxophone player. The sousaphone is a standard instrument in most marching band or military band music,(I am personally hoping that another "phone" might one day have claim to a seat in the orchestra, the iPhone... perhaps it already is with the number of times a cell phone can go off during rehearsal! :). The electric guitar also, aside from being almost the driving instrument of popular music, is beginning to make it's debut even in the symphony orchestra. There are also those that are more obscure. I think of the theremin, an electronic instrument that changes pitch in response to hand gestures, used in Messiaen's Turangalila symphony.

Here's what we're coming up with today, and who says that any of these cannot become mainstream like a flute or a trumpet is considered to be?

10 Interesting Instruments

Believe it or not, Messiaen invented one of these that I think has great potential, the "geophone".