It's amazing to think that creativity is inexhaustible, and it really is. We're always coming up with new things and new ideas – and musical instruments are no exception. Whether it's innovative tweaks on existing instruments, turning household items into synthesizers or something completely new, modern instruments are changing the way music is experienced and created.
Here are five of our favorites:
1. The Microtonal Guitar
via Oh My Geek http://www.ohmygeek.net/2014/04/08/guitarra-microtonal/
Officially named the "adjustable microtonal guitar," this guitar does just what its name suggests: it adjusts pitches through movable frets. This works because "all the frets on the fretboard are movable in the channels under each string," according to designer Tolgahan Cogulu. "Any number of frets can be inserted into or removed from the fretboard," he says. This amazing feature will allow its users to play music based on tunings other than the equal temperament system, such as maqam-based music and microtonal music of contemporary classical Western music.
2. Ototo
via Inhabitat
Ototo's slogan is "make music from anything." This little guy can turn anything from furniture to vegetables to balloons into interactive instruments. It works as a synthesizer, which has 12 tones positioned like a keyboard, and uses sensors to trigger signals to the object of your choice. Ototo is touch sensitive, so the object you choose to connect it to will recognize when you make contact with it to produce an infinite range of cool, fun sounds.
3. Mi.Mu Gloves
via Imogen Heap
Designed by singer-songwriter Imogen Heap and an extremely skilled team of musicians, scientists, artists and technologists, these gloves are made to enhance the way music is performed and composed. It uses motion tracking electronics and algorithms to allow the human body to control the music and visuals. Heap says, "I wanted to play the computer as expressively as I can play the piano."
4. The Eigenharp
This technological monster is pretty much a one-man band, a self-contained performance system. It boasts 120 keys, percussion buttons, built-in sound management capabilities including recording, and playback and looping. Because it runs off a bank of uploaded sampled sounds, its sonic range is potentially infinite. The Eigenharp is played by a combination of a keyboard, tap-pad, and mouthpiece.
5. Hapi Drum
via Bloomberg
This simple, cute little drum can easily be played by anybody, creating an uplifting harmonious palette of sounds by tapping its steel "tongues." Its ringy, hollow tone is created by the different shapes and lengths of its tongues. The Hapi drum is ideal for any jam session and playing percussive beats. The drum is available in five different scales, in the key of D or E. And it's totally user-friendly, designed to play the pentatonic scale, which allows any note combinations to sound beautiful together.
What's your favorite modern instrument?
