experimental musical instruments

I believe there are many people like me who will never learn to play satisfactorily on any conventional instruments, but who still desperately desire to make music.

At one point in history, it was decided that there is only one right way to tune the instrument; that there is only one right rhythm. This approach has produced many beautiful combinations of tunes and rhythms, while leaving everything else behind as noise.

I take the liberty to ignore this perception.

My instruments are made to be untunable. The performer might hit a note by chance, but this is not the aim; neither is there an attempt to play any tunes. The latter is sometimes possible, but preferrably avoided.

When playing alone or together with friends, I make recordings, which I later edit on a computer. The final result is sometimes accompanied by a video track. (Look here for videos).

My instruments are made of ordinary and not-so-ordinary things. On the following pages, you can see and hear some of them:

The Suspended Piano - a heavy piece of plywood hanging from piano strings. (mp3 40 K)

The Knitter Violin - knitting needles combined with an echo box.(mp3 37 K)

The Armed Cello - a string instrument that looks like a crossbow.

The Chinese Cuckoo - springs held in tension by sand buckets. (mp3 25 K)

The Coathanger Guitar - a simple one-string instrument.(mp3 38 K)

Soundliters - sounds inside a glass jar.(mp3 20K)

Zincular Bells - a row of echoing buckets.

The Teacher - an interactive random speech synthesizer.

Chamber Door - an installation of 6 squeaky doors at the Viinistu show.

At the same show, Merle did a poetry swing.

Also by Merle, with a little help from me, Laboratory.