I remember hearing a mbira recording as a young child and loving it. (I didnโt know that word, though, people called it a ยซย thumb pianoย ยป.) Then at some point I had the opportunity to try one, but I didnโt know how to play so the result was disappointing, and the metal things made my tiny fingers hurt, ha ha. The video sounds really nice!
this post was submitted on 12 Dec 2025
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If you've listened to Nordic metal at all I'm sure you've heard it in some song
USA alone is too easy, so I'm gonna go with Ohio. Edison invented the phonograph, which made listening to music anytime and anywhere a reality. The Wurlitzer organ was from Cincinnati, but i should be fair and say that while it was developed in Cincinnati, production was done in New York.
You could also add the Fender strat and the Gibson Les Paul to that list
Wait how are those ohioan
It has 120 strings and you play it with sticks and a foot: the cimbalom.
A guy in the 19th century Budapest modernized the ancient hammered dulcimer by adding a dampening pedal and rearranging the strings.
Lot's a of kids learn to play a 5-string version, but it goes up to dozens of strings, and some have a pedal to control sustain.
The origins of the instrument are finnish, but it's also popular in Japan, which is why you'll see a lot of stuff online about it in Japanese. Including the video I linked.
It seems like the local version of the Zither. You can have wildly different playing style on that:
Well yes. There's only so many ways to suspend strings for musical purposes.
From the Kanteles Wikipedia:
It belongs to the southeast Baltic box zither family known as the Baltic psaltery, along with the Estonian kannel, the Latvian kokles, the Lithuanian kanklฤs, and the Russian gusli.
Plenty of versions of the same thing all over the world.
๐ซ๐ฎ!! Nice
The cajon in Peru is emblematic of traditional Creole music that is often played in songs during lunch or party meals. Just hearing it makes me hungry!! 
Btw the mbira has a beautiful sound, do you know if itโs difficult to learn?
Thank you! I think the mbira requires similar dexterity to a piano if I'm not mistaken.
Makes sense. Cool!!
The Drumbone was invented in my country.
You asked for one, but I'll try to sneak this in because it actually predates my country by 15 years: the Glass Armonica. Invented in 1761 by Benjamin Franklin himself.
Interesting!
Saxophone!
I now wonder if the Mbira is related to the Marimba? They sound very similar, though it seems the Marimba is more central African?
Both mbira and marimba are commonly played in Zimbabwe. They are different. Though I do see the similar sounds. It's sort of like how one can play the same song chords with a piano and a guitar.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_harmonica
I think that one is neat. Apparently the US is also responsible for the Electric Guitar, so there's that.
I'm not Korean, but I've lived here for twenty years. Gayageum is probably the most famous Korean instrument, but I'm partial to the haegeum. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OfsFoUell4Y&pp=ygUSaGFlZ2V1bSBpbnN0cnVtZW50
Bacon.
I don't know if this counts but in my parent's native Cuba there's the bongo which has African roots. It's a fundamental instrument in Cuba's various local genres such as Son Cubano from which Salsa (not the condiment) derives from. Listening to the mbria I can definitely hear the similarities between native African music and Cuban music.
It's an ancient instrument, first depictions are from 600BC Assyria, arrived via Greek and Roman culture to Europe. Common name is hammered dulcimer and it has countless versions for each region of the world, with more or less distinctive features. E.g. Hungarian cimbalom had a pedal, in some regions the strings are vertical,etc.
Wow, that's awesome.
Had I only heard it I would've thought some kind of spinet.
Thanks for the link, those young ladies can play!
That's excellent, and those two in particular look to be extremely talented!
Nice! Which country is this and what's the name of the instrument the 2 ladies are playing?
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nyckelharpa ๐ธ๐ช
Lovely!
Ah, beat me to it! It's a great instrument.
That's a great sound.
yeah they really fill the room when harmonising.
Didgeridoo
Australia! ๐ฆ๐บ
The drum kit or set - USA:
Also electric guitar, electric bass, and synthesizer are all from the US also
I didnโt realize the drum set originated in the U.S. but it makes sense with jazz.
And I believe the electric guitar as well! George Beauchamp, along withย Adolph Rickenbacker developed the first electromagnetic pickups.
Another unrelated U.S. one that comes to mind is the sousaphone
Canada gave us the Ugly Stick and the Sackbut.
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