All of us have creative skills. For some, it may be expressed through writing, for others crafting, some via computer programming the perfect app or game, and let’s not forget the oft-coveted ability to play a musical instrument or sing. For many people, playing an instrument is seen as the ultimate creative accomplishment.

Playing a musical instrument has been shown to provide a myriad of benefits. Here are just a few.

• Self-expression: What’s not to love about being able to set your thoughts and feelings to music?
• Cognitive enhancement: Studies have found that playing an instrument boosts mental acuity.
• Social Interaction: From the connections made in music lessons to networking with other musicians playing an instrument, it helps build friendships.

But beyond the benefits of playing a musical instrument, there are many fun facts about instruments that often make them more interesting to play.

12 Fun Facts about Musical Instruments

1. The harp is one of the oldest stringed instruments. It was first played in Egypt around 2500 B.C.
2. In 1995, the Divje Babe Flute was found in Slovenia. It was made from a bear femur and had a series of holes, similar to those of a recorder.
3. It takes more than 70 pieces of wood to build a violin, and each of them must be precisely cut. The instrument originated in Italy and came from the word ‘viola’, which means “stringed instrument”. The most famous violins are Stradivarius. These violins take two years to make. The Stradivarius is the most expensive musical instrument in the world. It sold for $16 million in 2011.
4. Thinking about learning to play the ukulele? Then you should know that some people believe this musical instrument’s name means “jumping flea” because of how fast the player’s fingers move. Others believe it comes from the last queen of Hawaii, Queen Lili’uokalani, who said the word meant ‘the gift that came here”.
5. The saxophone was named after its inventor, Adolphe Sax, a Belgian inventor and musician.
6. Are you learning or planning to learn the piano? If so, you can thank Italian musician Bartolomeo Cristofori for creating this 88-key instrument in 1709. Mr. Cristofori is also credited with innovations to the harpsichord.
7. The earliest known drums date back to 3500 B.C. (1,000 years after the harp!)
8. No one instrument is deemed the ‘hardest to learn.” It comes down to one’s determination, commitment to practice, and skill level. However, the guitar consistently ranks at the top of the list as being difficult to master.
9. According to the world’s largest online database of musical instruments, there are over 11,000 instruments from almost 200 countries.
10. The word ‘cello’ is an abbreviation for violoncello, which means ‘little big viola’.
11. The world’s largest tuba is just under 7 feet tall and weighs 110 pounds.
12. There is an orchestra in Vienna, known as the Vegetable Orchestra. This is because all the instruments are made out of fresh vegetables. The musicians play radish bass flutes, pumpkin drums, onion maracas, carrot xylophones, and other cool instruments whose sounds are amplified by special microphones. After the concert, the orchestra’s chef (one of the musicians) cooks! prepares a soup for the audience to enjoy.

These are just some fun facts about musical instruments, no matter what instrument you or a family member play. Better yet, if you are eager to have your child(ren) play an instrument, but they are not interested in doing so, these facts may change that. Who knows, with a bit of practice and time, an album like Cool Animals or Butterfly Wings may feature their music!

Additional Sources

• 6 Fascinating Facts from the World of Musical Instruments
• Random Trivia Facts about the World of Music
• Cool Facts You Should Learn About Various Musical Instruments