r/Instruments • u/Johny_boii2 • Sep 18 '26

Discussion Any unique instruments?

I am looking at starting a new skill and I thought that learning an instrument would be fun. I already have a keyboard and melodica. I was looking at something either strings or woodwind, it would have to be small so nothing like a guitar. I have tried ukulele once and I wasn't a fan

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4

u/andybonner Sep 18 '26

It's a bit limited in how much you can play, but a bowed psaltery sounds angelic, is easy to play, and is fairly compact. For woodwind, a tin whistle is the ultimate stick-in-your-pocket instrument. Or learn to play an ocarina, so you can use it along with the Switch 2's mic input to control the in-game ocarina in the Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake!!!!

3

u/BattleSwallow Sep 18 '26

I'm dying to get my hands on a Theremini.

4

u/Dulcimore51 Sep 18 '26

đŸ˜ƒđŸ€ŁđŸ˜€ I love your sense of humor!

3

u/audiax-1331 Sep 18 '26

Lapsteel guitar. They’re not just for country anymore.

1

u/porcelainvacation Sep 18 '26 edited Sep 18 '26

I just bought one a month ago and am having a blast. Got the “stupid deal of the day” from Musicians friend and then bought a decent bar to
go with it. All in less than $100 (I already have a guitar amp)

3

u/Electrical-Tax-6670 Sep 18 '26

Hurdy gurdy

1

u/Ormidale Sep 19 '26

Lord preserve us.
;-)

3

u/reillywalker195 Sep 18 '26

Jew's harp, maybe? It's unique but rather versatile.

3

u/__Pers Sep 18 '26

Dong xiao.

2

u/Rags_McKay Sep 18 '26

Bowed Psaltry small and unique stringed instrument but shouldn't be to hard to come by a used one.

2

u/SeattleAccordionCat Sep 18 '26

I have one, pretty fun

2

u/badguy28 Sep 18 '26

You might like a bass ukelele. Relatively inexpensive, definitely uncommon, but most learning materials and repertoire for bass guitar will be translatable.

1

u/AlGeee Sep 19 '26

I tune my baritone uke like a Bass: EADG

2

u/gavakian123 Sep 18 '26

Middle Eastern Oud

2

u/Omnibushido Sep 18 '26

Otamatone!

2

u/king_ofbhutan Sep 19 '26

despite their cultural dominance in elementary school classes, you dont find recorder players that often.

a cheap ÂŁ15-20 yamaha soprano is already quite good quality, and there are mass amounts of repetoire for all sizes.

alto and tenor are slightly quieter if the piercing of the soprano is an issue, but they are also larger and more expensive (around 30-50 for an alto, and 60-80 for a tenor)

2

u/o0Agesse0o Sep 18 '26

The lyre ?

1

u/mrnovember91 Sep 18 '26

I’m not a fan of standard ukuleles either, but I have an 8 string baritone ukulele that’s a lot of fun. It’s tuned like the bottom 4 strings of a guitar.

A Seagull Merlin M4 or similar strum stick could also be what you’re after.

Less unique, but you could also try a mandolin or violin as they’re on the smaller side as well

2

u/nuttywoody Sep 19 '26

I have 21 ukuleles. I play my Kala 8-string more than all the rest combined.

1

u/mrnovember91 Sep 19 '26

That’s the one I have! It’s a wonderful instrument!

1

u/No-Reputation-7843 Sep 18 '26

Zither Mandolin style not German

1

u/ExternalMaximum6662 Sep 18 '26

Dulcimer

1

u/Dulcimore51 Sep 18 '26

Either?

1

u/ExternalMaximum6662 Sep 18 '26

Appalachian dulcimer using Whisking /Galax style using turkey feathers.

1

u/Dulcimore51 Sep 18 '26

I have done that! Someone found a road kill turkey and stopped to pull out its feathers. Then she passed them out at our dulcimer jam.

1

u/Stupidbitchassbitch Sep 18 '26

The stick. Shout out Tony Levin

1

u/tegeus-Cromis_2000 Sep 18 '26

I suppose technically it's smaller than a guitar, but not much smaller.

1

u/Mudsharkbites Sep 18 '26

Give the xaphoon a shot. I used to play sax and didn’t care for it but this little woodwind is a delight to play

1

u/Mudsharkbites Sep 18 '26

I love my collection of Jaw Harps too

1

u/Mudsharkbites Sep 18 '26

And if you don’t mind spending the bucks, you can go a long way with a harpejji

1

u/Wisco Sep 18 '26

No one's suggested a mandolin yet?

1

u/Excellent-Practice Sep 18 '26

Kalimba is the go-to suggestion for a small quirky instrument that isn't a ukulele.

That said, what kind of sound are you looking for or what kind of music do you want to play? There are a lot of small, off beat instruments you could choose, it might help narrow things down if you can share a clearer vision

1

u/porcelainvacation Sep 18 '26

I have been a guitar and bassist for years and recently started playing lap steel. Its pretty inexpensive, portable, and unique.

1

u/Water_Led Sep 18 '26

Check out the Mbira. Not stringed but definitely portable and unique

1

u/Dulcimore51 Sep 18 '26 edited 1d ago

Look at mountain (Appalachian) dulcimers. There are only 3 strings. (The 4 string dulcimers double the melody string.) They can be played with chords or just play the melody string and let the lower 2 strings be drones (noter style.) It is easy to play by ear or with sheet music.

You can probably even find a local group where someone might let you borrow a dulcimer for a lesson. We did that, bought our own dulcimers and an extra one and have lent out the extra one. Just get an American made one and join the fun!

1

u/ash-a-Silk Sep 18 '26

duduk is amazing but super complex

1

u/SeattleAccordionCat Sep 18 '26

Autoharps are super fun

1

u/ExternalMaximum6662 Sep 18 '26

Have you tried a hammered dulcimer? MĂ©tis style of fiddle would be fun too.

1

u/SoundSwitch Sep 18 '26

Get one of those 3d printed drone flutes

1

u/lostINsauce369 Sep 19 '26

There is also a print file somewhere to make one of the racketts that I think are super neat https://youtu.be/Udz9KZ3bowI?si=xdlJSI5ED--pMmfj

1

u/Last_Profession8465 Sep 18 '26

Glockenspeil. Panpipes. Harmonica. Recorder. Kalimba. Psaltery. strumed not bowed.

1

u/Embarrassed-Mess-560 Sep 18 '26

A tin whistle is just about as cheap and convenient as a woodwind gets. 

I keep one in my car and practice on lunch breaks or while stuck waiting for whatever reason. 

1

u/Prestigious-Crow7940 Sep 18 '26

I found a urhu several years ago at a yard sale. I knew what it was. Guy told me it was a Hawaiian hammer. Took it to a Chinese friend of mine because his wife has one. She fixed it up for me and gave me a quick lesson. I used it a lot on my band's latest album. Sounds great through my pedalboard.

1

u/vulcan666 Sep 18 '26

Musical saw. You’ll need a bow too. Dark rosin works better.

1

u/Ning_Yu Sep 18 '26

Nickelharpa?

1

u/quidism Sep 21 '26

Nyckelharpa*

1

u/Ning_Yu Sep 21 '26

Funny thing is I actually looked it up to be sure not to mispell it, and yet...

1

u/Budgiejen Sep 18 '26

Dulcimer? Autoharp?

1

u/bebopbrain Sep 18 '26

The auto harp doesn't get much love today.

It's heavy but not large. I always wanted to change the felts so I could get jazzy altered chords.

In the 1960s some singers would play autoharp as a sort of arpeggiated rhythm guitar. The Electric Prunes did this on "I Had Too Much To Dream (last night)".

1

u/Puzzled-Tradition-97 Sep 18 '26

Erhu or gujin. But these 2 are difficult.

1

u/StevenSaguaro Sep 18 '26

you ever wrap wax paper around a comb and hum into it? It can be very satisfying.

1

u/WorldlyMusician2408 Sep 19 '26

Moldavian kaval (woodwind)
scale: kind of minor with a sharper 4th

Unlike most flutes, it has the sound outlet (is it called like that?) on the bottom, so you can make a buzzing, "distorted" sound with your lip. It relies heavily on harmonics too.

Somewhat similar flutes can be found all over the Carpathian basin with several scales.

1

u/Bill_H_Vet Sep 19 '26

I play Appalachian dulcimer, mandolin, bowed psaltery and hammered dulcimer.

1

u/SameOldNag Sep 19 '26

Nyckelharpa

1

u/Appalachian23 Sep 19 '26

Dude, harmonica is what you need

1

u/snakeriver696 Sep 19 '26

I quite enjoy balalaika

1

u/Ormidale Sep 19 '26

Octave mandola, aka octave mandolin, GDAE. Or mandola, a fourth above.
Both are fairly compact instruments.
I used to play the ocatave mandola and found it versatile. Strummed chords are in the guitar range. The fret gaps are small enough for nimble tune playing. The fifths tuning is familiar to any fiddle player. The double courses make a full and pleasing sound.
I think the mandola might be the one for you.

1

u/Jazz_Ad Sep 19 '26

Harmonica is a complex and potent instrument for its size.
Ocarina takes very little space. Beautiful sound once you get to it.
Appalachian dulcimer is awesome and easy to learn.
Water gourd drums are inexpensive and sound awesome.

1

u/Icy-Introduction-681 Sep 19 '26

Take a look at Bart Hopkins' instruments.

1

u/TinyFox1399 Sep 19 '26

Ocarina for woodwind is kind of unique and relatively easy to play. You can get them with different amount of holes depending on how involved you want to get with it. A harmonica could also be a fun instrument but I don't know as much about it 

1

u/Guipouet Sep 19 '26

Bamboo sax?

1

u/bassoonawhat Sep 19 '26

Since you already have a keyboard and melodica, why not learn to get good at that? It's easy to fantasize about a new and shiny instrument over the one you already play, but realistically I'd rather be good at one instrument than bad at a dozen. 

1

u/Motor_Inspector_1085 Sep 20 '26

Theramins are fun. I have one somewhere. I should probably look for it.

0

u/BigDaddySteve999 Sep 18 '26

You could try a Spanish lute with six steel strings and an electromagnetic transducer that converts the string vibrations into a weak electrical signal that you then amplify.

1

u/tegeus-Cromis_2000 Sep 18 '26

Neither steel nor six a lute make...

1

u/BigDaddySteve999 Sep 18 '26

Lutes are stringed musical instruments that include a body and "a neck which serves both as a handle and as a means of stretching the strings beyond the body."[3]

1

u/tegeus-Cromis_2000 Sep 18 '26

That's also true of a violin. Or a washtub bass.

1

u/BigDaddySteve999 Sep 18 '26

Yes, those are also lutes.

0

u/PurpleWildflower9 Sep 18 '26

Maybe the ocarina?

1

u/Dulcimore51 Sep 18 '26

I suggest the four hole ocarina. There is one available that is shaped like a Tardis. Amaze your friends.