Every time someone asks me, as a pianist, “Do you play other instruments too?” I tend to answer “Sure! I can play the organ, harpsichord and even accordion… but only on the keyboard side”. If you’re a pianist like me, apparently there are many more instruments you actually know how to play!
Ondes Martenot
This electronic instrument is a quite new instrument, invented in 1928 by Maurice Martinet. It was not too late for modern composers to write pieces for it (such as Olivier Messiaen, Darius Milhaud and Frank Zappa).
The instrument can be controlled either by playing its six-octave keyboard or by sliding a metal ring worn on the right-hand index finger. The position of the ring depends on the horizontal location along the keyboard. There’s also a control panel on the left side of the instrument that controls the dynamics and contains flip-switches which operates just like an organ (switches between different sound colors and timbres).
Viola Organista
This amazing instrument was designed by Leonardo da Vinci. His drawings have intrigued instrument makers for more than 400 years! However, it wasn’t until a few years ago, when pianist Slawomir Zubrzycki reconstructed the instrument for his own personal use.
When the player presses a key, the string that’s attached to it touches a friction belt, that vibrates the string, like the way a violin produces sounds. Zubrzycki’s instrument contains four bow-wheels that are spinning by the player’s foot-peda
Wheelharp
A similar instrument, that works on the same concept, is the wheelharp. This in a brand new inst