Music is something that most of us enjoy daily, and while we appreciate its sound, we rarely think much about the instruments behind those sounds.
Musical instruments come in all shapes and sizes, and size often plays a role in the types of sounds an instrument produces. For example, a small fiddle plays higher notes than a large cello, and a piccolo is much softer than a saxophone.
Today, we want to focus on the big instruments — we’re talking about the most ginormous musical instruments in the world. Sound exciting? Just wait until you see what we found!
1. Boardwalk Hall Auditorium Pipe Organ
Few instruments have names as direct as this one, but we’ll start with something renowned, famous, and — quite frankly — impressive.
The pipe organ in the Boardwalk Hall Auditorium, Atlantic City, New Jersey, is the largest instrument in history. It surpassed the previous owner of this title: the Grand Organ at Sydney Town Hall, Australia.
This pipe organ has 33,112 pipes and took three years to construct. Upon completion in December 1932, the cots totaled around $600,000 at today’s monetary value.
New Jersey may not have a prominent place in the music industry, but it can sure boast this musical claim to fame!
2. The World’s Largest Violin
Violins come in various shapes and sizes, similar to other stringed instruments like the double bass and cello. However, one of the largest string instruments is the famous three-person violin.
The violin looks like any other standard violin, except that it stands 14 feet tall. Two musicians must work together to operate the bow, while the third stands on a platform to control the strings.
The 290-pound string instrument plays loud and low sounds that reverberate much further than your average fiddle.
3. The Earth Harp
Harps are considerably large instruments; they’re so big owners of this stringed device must cart them around in large vans or even trucks.
But the average harp seems as tiny as a triangle when compared to the Earth Harp. This magnificent instrument is the longest stringed instrument on the planet, displaying working strings as long as 1,000 feet.
While musicians play the traditional harp using their fingers, they must play the Earth Harp while wearing sturdy cotton gloves.
The music of the Earth Harp is still impressive and sweet, but it rings out much lower tones than the average harp and is quite a sight to behold.
4. Double Contrabass Flute
Exploring famously large instruments is fun, but some standard instruments also have surprisingly large versions.
The double contrabass flute is one such instrument. While flutes and their smaller counterpart, the piccolo, are well-known, the double contrabass flute is more obscure.
This massive wind instrument spans three octaves below a standard flute, measuring over 16 feet long and weighing more than 26 pounds. It’s so large that musicians can’t hold it to the side like a regular flute; instead, its body loops around with the keys running downward like a clarinet.
5. Subcontrabass Saxophone
There are nine different types of saxophones in the wind family. The average individual would likely recognize the baritone sax as the largest of the group, but this person would be mistaken.
Actually, the larger instrument in the sax group is the subcontrabass saxophone, and if we’re going to be completely honest here, this instrument is a bit of a cheater to appear on our list.
After its construction in the 1960s, no one could ever play it. Not only was the instrument too large for one person to play, but it was never appropriately tuned.
Today, though, you can find the subcontrabass tubax, which is the closest successful comparison.
6. Hydraulophone
Musicians over the years have had quite a grand time creating larger, better, and more unique types of organs, which brings us to the hydraulophone.
In the 1980s, an engineering professor, inspired by trucks filling tanks with liquid, made the hydraulophone. This particular organ is not only large but different, as it runs on water power.
The hydraulophone is a dual-purpose creation. When someone is not playing it, it doubles as a beautiful water fountain.
The intricate musical system works by redirecting water through jets to create musical sounds. It’s fun to play, listen to, and watch all at the same time.
7. The Korean Five Meters Wide Drum
If you want to talk about famously large instruments, you have to mention this Guinness Book of World Records winner.
The Korean Five Meters Wide Drum not only makes the list of the world’s largest instruments, but it’s also the most expansive drum in the entire world.
As its name suggests, this drum is over five meters, or 18 feet, wide. It is so large that during its construction in 2011, the creators used 40 cowhides to make it.
It exists today at a traditional music center in South Korea and boasts a loud and low rumbling of a note with the hit of a large mallet.
8. The Zadar Sea Organ
Some may not consider the Zadar Sea Organ a valid instrument since no human can play it; the sea itself controls it. However, the unique and beautiful music it produces qualifies it as an instrument in our view.
Located in Croatia, the Zadar Sea Organ features several large marble steps leading into the Adriatic Sea. The 230-foot-long staircase contains numerous channels connected to 35 organ pipes, each tuned to different chords.
The sea and wind patterns force air through the pipes, creating random but beautiful chords — all orchestrated by Mother Nature!
9. Octobass
Another colossal stringed instrument in the world is the octobass. It closely resembles a massive double bass, but it’s actually a type of fiddle.
While a typical fiddle sits against your chin, the octobass stands upright on the floor at a tall height of 12 feet. It takes two people to play this large instrument: one to control the strings and the other to maneuver the bow.
Its three strings run taller than the average man and produce very, very deep notes. Bass doesn’t even begin to describe this instrument’s range.
10. World’s Largest Tuba
Standard tubas are pretty large. Traditional concert tubas, the biggest members of the brass family, usually weigh between 20 and 30 pounds. That’s a giant instrument, but it doesn’t compare to Big Carl.
Big Carl is the loving nickname given to the world’s most enormous tuba. This instrument is three times larger than the average tuba mentioned above, and standing at almost 8 feet tall, it takes two people to hold and play properly.
Previously, Big Carl resided in a music store in New York; but now, it’s hidden away in a music publisher’s office on Wall Street and makes appearances at concerts every now and then.
11. Contrabass Saxophone
Earlier, we discussed the possibility of the existence of the subcontrabass saxophone. While some prop pictures make it look playable, it seems that a better option might be the contrabass saxophone.
This sax is the largest woodwind instrument. If you were to uncoil it from end to end, it would be twice as long as the baritone saxophone. Not only that, but its tubing is double the width.
The contrabass saxophone produces very low, bold, and harsh notes. It reaches a whole octave below what a bass clarinet can hit. You have to have a very talented ear to hear the minute differences between its lowest notes.
12. Zeusaphone
What do you get when you combine a Tesla coil with enhanced electricity? A zeusaphone!
While we can create many musical sounds electronically today, the zeusaphone offers a larger-than-life experience. It uses Tesla coils on conductive stands to produce cool, unique sounds. We’ve included it on this list because it sends arcs of electricity up to 12 feet between coils when played.
These performances are fascinating to hear and visually spectacular. Sometimes, people wear special suits to become conductors of electricity themselves, creating an unmatched light and sound show!
13. The Great Stalacpipe Organ
It’s no surprise that we have several organs on our list, given their impressive nature and the number of pipes they contain. The Great Stalacpipe Organ is another remarkable instrument that uses its natural surroundings to create stunning sounds.
Located in the Shenandoah Valley within ancient caverns, it was built by Leland W. Sprinkle. He meticulously found stalactites that matched the musical scale and wired electronic mallets throughout the caverns, all connected to a large organ console. This setup allows one person to play music across 3.5 acres of caverns!
Summing Our List Of Massive Music Instruments
When most of us think of large instruments, we often picture common varieties like tubas, saxophones, and grand pianos.
The list we offered you today takes a more expanded view of the world’s biggest instruments to introduce you to things you may never have seen before.
And for all of you music enthusiasts out there, who knows, maybe you’ll get the opportunity to see one of these grand instruments up close and personal someday!
For now, we invite you to continue learning more about music and the endless world of knowledge awaiting you out there.
