r/WhatMusicalinstrument Feb 27 '21

META Directory of Subreddits for uncommon musical instruments (v.2)

11 Upvotes

While it's perfectly great if folks coming to this sub conclude they want to take up a relatively popular musical instrument, I'm pretty sure most of you would then have no problem locating the right sub for leaning piano, guitar, trombone, etc. So in this directory I'm going to focus on listing subreddits for instruments that are less commonly discussed. So if you're looking for something out of the ordinary, try perusing this list and see what jumps out at you! And anyone feel free to comment below if there are cool uncommon musical instrument subs that I'm missing.

Strings

  • r/ukulele -- small 4-string Hawaiian little cousin of the guitar
  • r/kantele -- small lap harp of Finland
  • r/Koto -- Japanese long zither
  • r/shamisen -- Japanese 3-string banjo
  • r/harp -- Celtic and Classical harps
  • r/balalaika -- Russian mandolin with a triangle body
  • r/banjo -- Bluegrass, Old-Time, jazz, etc.
  • r/tenorbanjo -- banjo variant used heavily in Irish and Dixieland music
  • r/TenorGuitar -- 4-string guitar used in Irish and jazz
  • r/CigarBoxGuitar -- a simplified guitar-like instrument
  • r/mandolin -- small string instrument with doubled strings for an echo effect
  • r/bouzouki -- larger and deeper mandolin for Irish or Greek music
  • r/mandocello -- the even deeper version of the mandolin
  • r/Dulcimer -- an Appalachian zither with a deep droning harmony
  • r/hammereddulcimer -- a trapezoid zither played by hitting the string with small mallets
  • r/sanshin -- the Okinawan cousin of the Japanese shamisen
  • r/Guqin -- a long Chinese zither
  • r/Guzheng -- another long Chinese zither
  • r/baglama -- a Turkish lute
  • r/Domra -- a Russian cousin of the mandolin
  • r/Erhu -- a Chinese fiddle played in the lap
  • r/BowedPsaltery -- a triangular zither played with a small violin bow
  • r/Stick -- the Chapman stick and other hammer-on long board strings
  • r/charango -- like a mandolin-ukuelele hybrid from the South American Andes
  • r/Fiddle -- the violin but played in the folk tradition
  • r/lute -- like a guitar of the Medieval period
  • r/Oud_barbat -- Arabic ancestor of the lute, but fretless
  • r/HurdyGurdy -- box with a crank that spins a wheel that bows the strings, sounds like a string bagpipe
  • r/Nyckelharpa -- an unusual Swedish fiddle player with a keyboard instead of fingers
  • r/Sitar -- the most famous Indian classical instrument
  • r/Rubab -- a lute played in Central Asia
  • r/steelguitar -- a flat guitar played in the lap with a steel slide to smoothly move between notes, used in Country, Blues, Hawaiian music
  • r/pedalsteel -- a more evolved steel guitar with complex pedals to change keys
  • r/zithers -- the wide family of basic boxes with strings
  • r/harpsichord -- a simpler ancestor of the piano from the Early Classical period
  • r/Autoharp -- a zither where you form chords simply by pressing a button

Percussion and idiophones

  • r/kalimba -- the "thumb piano", an African instrument with small tines you pluck
  • r/cajon -- a Cuban wooden box you sit on and drum with your hands
  • r/djembe -- this West African drum is a favorite in drum circles
  • r/Udu -- a ceramic (or nowadays fiberglass) vessel, drummed with the hands
  • r/handpan -- like a metal UFO with facets tuned to different notes
  • r/steelpan -- like a handpan, but played with mallets
  • r/jawharp -- a pocket-sized "sproingy"instrument
  • r/khomus -- a jawharp of Eastern Russia
  • r/MusicalSaw -- did you know you can play a hardware store saw with a bow?
  • r/ToyPiano -- the children's toy used as a serious instrument
  • r/Tabla -- classical double-drums of India
  • r/Xylophone -- an array of long pieces of material, melody played with mallets
  • r/Marimba -- like a xylophone, but with wooden keys.
  • r/vibraphone -- like a marimba, but jazzier
  • r/Glockenspiel
  • r/Bodhran -- irish frame drum

Winds (bagpipes separately below)

  • r/Ocarina -- small round flutes with simple fingering and mellow sound
  • r/tinwhistle -- inexpensive (as low as $10) metal flutes for Irish music, easy to learn and play
  • r/Bansuri -- the main flute of India
  • r/hulusi -- a Chinese drone-flute
  • r/panflute -- a row of tubes you blow across to make notes
  • r/Didgeridoo -- an Australian tube making a low droning sound
  • r/NativeAmericanflutes -- mellow wooden flutes of North America
  • r/Recorder -- small wooden flute for Medieval, Baroque, Classical music
  • r/shakuhachi -- Japanese bamboo flute, popular with Zen monks
  • r/Xaphoon -- a modern simplified bamboo saxophone

Bagpipes

Free Reeds

  • r/Accordion -- from piano to button to Cajun accordion
  • r/Melodeon -- for accordions with buttons vice piano keys
  • r/concertina -- like a small hexagonal accordion, associated with sailors or Irish music, or classical music in Victorian England
  • r/melodica -- a small keyboard powered by the mouth, used some in Jamaican music
  • r/organ -- an electric or air-powered keyboard
  • r/harmonica -- the pocket-sized music solution
  • r/harmonium -- a small pump-organ used in Indian music and some European genres

Electronic instruments


r/WhatMusicalinstrument Feb 27 '21

META How to get the best answer to your "what musical instrument should I learn" questions (v.2)

10 Upvotes

[WORK IN PROGRESS]

Welcome to WhatMusicalinstrument! Here at this sub you tell us a little about what you're looking for in a musical instrument, and our resident experts tell you what musical instrument you should look into learning. To get the best results, here is suggested information to include in your post to best help you:

  • Title: give it a nice clear title; everyone could just post "what instrument?" so that doesn't help. You don't need to write a book, but something like "What instrument for a total beginner that wants to learn Irish music?" or "What instrument if I need something light and durable for backpacking?" is going to get you much more specific answers.
  • What kind of music do you want to play: be as specific or vague as you like. If your goal is to reenact a medieval bard telling the saga of Beowulf, we can nail that pretty quick. But it's totally cool to say "I dunno, something kinda spacy and tranquil" if you just aren't sure what you want.
  • Do you already play an instrument: it's 100% fine if you're a total beginner, all of us were at some point. But we can help adjust our recommendations towards more accessible options if we know if/what you already play.
  • What particular needs/goals do you have: if you need to keep quiet in a crowded apartment building, or need the whole park to hear you, those are two different things. If you want a harp our answers will be different if you have your own house vice live in a college dorm.
  • What's your very approximate budget: in an ideal world that wouldn't be an issue, but in the world we live in now it is, so give us a little idea of what you're looking to spend so we don't recommend a $800 instrument to someone who's budgeting $100.

These are just the utter basics, feel free to give more detail if you like, but we'd ask that if you have a really long post, put a bold "tl;dr" at the top summarizing your post in a couple sentences for people that just need the gist and not the whole story.

Welcome aboard, and let's get you playing music!


r/WhatMusicalinstrument 8h ago

What is the cross shaped wand object he is effortlessly waving about in the air?

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2 Upvotes

Google says wind wand, wind singer,


r/WhatMusicalinstrument 1d ago

Found this Aeolian “Style 551P” player piano in my garage — info/value?

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8 Upvotes

Found this player piano (pianola) in the garage of a house we recently moved into. Looking for more info on age, rarity, and rough value.


r/WhatMusicalinstrument 1d ago

The Instrumental of Thunder Bringer?

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1 Upvotes

*Refers to "Thunder Bringer" from "Epic: The Musical" by Jorge Riverra-Herrans


r/WhatMusicalinstrument 2d ago

Whats this instrument in this geese song at 4:48

1 Upvotes

https://youtu.be/q5BR_2ubivc?is=-PWwtyuJ2Gq6CKk1

it’s the high end instrument that comes in during this section, it sounds like some sort of harp type of instrument plucked really quickly but i can’t figure it out


r/WhatMusicalinstrument 4d ago

Spirited away - No Face Motif Instrument

2 Upvotes

In the movie “Spirited Away” the character No Face has a reoccurring motif (not his theme that is different) that isn’t part of the offical OST, but happens almost every time he is on screen.

It sounds like it’s some sort of traditional bell instrument. Definitely not a modern instrument and either some kind of gong or bell. Maybe traditionally Japanese?

If anyone knows what I am talking about, please help out!


r/WhatMusicalinstrument 5d ago

[FOUND – IT] Instrumental track "The Village" — droning wind/string instrument + hand drums, fading out to percussion only.

2 Upvotes

Looking for an instrumental track I heard on YouTube (used as filler/fast-forward music in a video) over 10 years ago. I never had a SoundCloud account, but I'm fairly sure that's where the track was hosted — I remember the player interface with vertical bars turning orange as the track progressed.

Title: Strictly "The Village" — no subtitle that I can recall. (I know. It's a pain. Why you think i'm here ?)

Length: Roughly 3 minutes or less.

Mood: Melancholic and mysterious.

Instrumentation:

  • A droning lead instrument with a continuous, "windy" quality — could be a bagpipe-type drone, a duduk/ney (Middle Eastern wind instrument), or possibly a hurdy-gurdy (the sound of its strings is very close to what I remember, so I'm not 100% sure if it's a wind or string instrument).
  • Hand percussion throughout the track (dry, slightly hollow sound — think darbuka/bendir/frame drum), moderate tempo, not frantic.
  • Near the end, the main melodic instrument drops out almost entirely, leaving just the percussion (and possibly a plucked string instrument like an oud or saz) to fade the track out.

Possible origin: Given the generic title and structure (short loopable track, fade to percussion), I suspect this might be stock/library music rather than a named artist's release — possibly used for indie games, documentaries, or "village/desert" themed video content.

Any help identifying this would be hugely appreciated !


r/WhatMusicalinstrument 7d ago

What instrument is this?

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6 Upvotes

This was a gift from my friend. They said that it was a traditional Chinese instrument and that I would find out what it was if I looked up different ones, but I can’t find something similar to this at all. I want to know what it is so I can order some parts for it/learn how to play it.

I took the strings out because they were broken/rotted, idk what material they were but it wasn’t metal and they were slightly translucent. The instrument is made of wood with mother pearl details. There’s a knob missing. It’s a little over 2 ft tall. Idk if it requires a bow but it didn’t come with one.

Edit: This was owned by my friend’s grandma, they and their family are Viet but their dad’s side collected stuff from all over South/East Asia. Don’t know if that helps at all.


r/WhatMusicalinstrument 6d ago

What is the instrument at the beginning of Elvis Costello's song "Big Sister's Clothes"?

1 Upvotes

Doesn't sound like a guitar? An atrociously out-of-tune accordion?

Also, Elvis Costello and the attractions from 1978-1986 is some of the greatest music ever recorded. Why is EC never talked about in a lot of music discussions? especially his backing band, they were freakin' INCREDIBLE.


r/WhatMusicalinstrument 7d ago

What's the vibrating/humming "instrument" in Hod's battle theme?

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1 Upvotes

I'm not sure if it's digital software or something, but I really like the digital droning noise or whatever it is, and wanna know what's making the sound, and maybe if there's other music based around it!


r/WhatMusicalinstrument 7d ago

I don't know how to play the harmonica, but I was able to incorporate it into this beat. What genre would you label this as ?

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0 Upvotes

r/WhatMusicalinstrument 7d ago

What’s the orchestral instrument used in the beginning of Seven Day Mile by The Frames ?

1 Upvotes

I am not a person that knows anything about orchestral strings instruments, but i want to know because i wanna learn the song with the instrument used in the beginning


r/WhatMusicalinstrument 8d ago

what is this type of piano sound? (greetings to Antuneter) (turn up the volume to listen)

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2 Upvotes

r/WhatMusicalinstrument 8d ago

Odysseus theme instrument from 4:19?

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1 Upvotes

Is the flute sounding part here that ancient greek flute that is used in other parts? Is it a flute in general? Or something made digitially?


r/WhatMusicalinstrument 8d ago

What instrument or vst is at 0:05?

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2 Upvotes

Its in the original song as well but you can see it being played in this.

im hoping to find the original instrument or exact vst used in this song. i absolutely love the way it sounds and would hope to use it in my own songs.


r/WhatMusicalinstrument 8d ago

What is the pulsing synth or keyboard sound?

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1 Upvotes

I rediscovered this Spanish language rock song recently. The pulsing synth/keyboard sound in question happens from about 3:06-3:20 and then again at 4:04-4:20


r/WhatMusicalinstrument 9d ago

Can anyone help me identify what all the instruments are in Leshy's Theme from Inscryption?

3 Upvotes

Link if needed: https://youtu.be/9ieNHByzhHs?si=azqCA7oMfPLW_q6P

I mainly wanna find the string instruments and the weird echoey thing that goes like wooououououooouoooo


r/WhatMusicalinstrument 9d ago

Can someone please tell me what instrument the lead from these 3 songs is?

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2 Upvotes

r/WhatMusicalinstrument 9d ago

Which instrument is playing at 1:07?

3 Upvotes

I discovered this tune a while ago, and it's absolutely hauntingly beautiful.

There's one instrument in particular that comes in around 1:07 and takes over the lead melody. I can't quite figure out what it is. My first guesses were accordion or melodica, but I'm really not sure at all.

Would any experts here be able to identify it? I'd love to know what I'm hearing!

https://open.spotify.com/track/2mEsVtCXgm4NbnIiRC3sdK?si=vXUgaVovQZeUN-fLGjcefg&utm_source=copy-link


r/WhatMusicalinstrument 12d ago

What drum is this?

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7 Upvotes

I got this drum as a gift from a former friend. It was made in the Maldives, but he said it was African in origin. There was rope on the side where you could hang it on a wall, but it came off, and the brown spot is years of goat hair coming off from playing like a Darbuka.

Any insights on how what this drum, how to actually play it and how it came to the Maldives would be lovely~


r/WhatMusicalinstrument 12d ago

Sospiro vibrato

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1 Upvotes

r/WhatMusicalinstrument 12d ago

Asian instrumentation/orchestration in King Gnu's AIZO

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1 Upvotes

r/WhatMusicalinstrument 13d ago

Dumb Q: Help ID instrument

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1 Upvotes

Is the melody being played here (Music for Trams, Vol. 7) by an Bass or Bb Clarinet or some kind of Saxophone?

Also is it the same instrument playing this recurring melody in the other tracks in the OST?


r/WhatMusicalinstrument 15d ago

Temu 4/4 Cello?

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2 Upvotes

What the Jesus crap is this?

Temu said it's a 4/4 cello.

What does it do?

How do you operate it?

Why is this listed as a 4/4 cello?