Tag Archive for 'Musical instrument'

Ayumu the chimpanzee spontaneously produced long, multicomponent instrumental displays by drumming, dragging, and throwing self-detached objects. Transition and rhythm analyses revealed non-random sequencing partially resembling pant-hoot structure, predominantly isochronous timing, and a more stable tempo when using tools than with the body. Accompanying play-face and silent bared teeth expressions suggest high arousal and positive affect, supporting the idea that affective vocal expression can be externalized through instrumental sound. Image credit: Hattori et al., doi: 10.1111/nyas.70239.

Chimpanzee’s Drum Solo Offers Clues to Origins of Music

Mar 31, 2026 by News Staff

Researchers who analyzed dozens of spontaneous performances by a captive male chimpanzee named Ayumu say the animal’s steady rhythms and expressive ‘play...

The 12,000-year-old sound-making instruments from Eynan-Mallaha, Israel. Image credit: Davin et al., doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-35700-9.

12,000-Year-Old Flutes Unearthed in Israel

Jun 9, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

Archaeologists have found seven flutes made of perforated bird bones at the Natufian site of Eynan-Mallaha in northern Israel. These instruments were intentionally...

Reconstruction of the seashell horn being played. In the background, a red dotted buffalo decorates the walls of Marsoulas Cave; similar motifs decorate the instrument. Image credit: Gilles Tosello.

Listen to Sound of 18,000-Year-Old Seashell Horn

Feb 12, 2021 by News Staff

About 18,000 years ago, the Magdalenian occupants of Marsoulas Cave in what is now France transformed a shell of the predatory sea snail Charonia lampas...

Four Eastern box turtle rattles tied to leather legging with leather string with stone flakes inside of the shells. Image credit: Andrew Gillreath-Brown / McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Tennessee.

North American Indigenous Peoples Used Turtle Shells as Symbolic Musical Instruments

Sep 11, 2018 by News Staff

According to a new study published in the journal PLoS ONE, turtles served as more than tasty treats for Native American tribes throughout North America;...

Musician on stage playing an electric guitar. Image credit: Herb1979.

Revolutionary New Electric Guitar String Invented

Sep 24, 2017 by News Staff

An invention by University of St Andrews researcher Jonathan Kemp allows electric guitar strings to be balanced in sensitivity and feel in a way that has...

The encephalophone is a musical instrument that can be played by the mind alone. Image credit: University of Washington.

Encephalophone: Novel Thought-Controlled Musical Instrument Allows People to Make Music with Their Minds

Jul 13, 2017 by News Staff

An international group of researchers has created a hands-free, thought-controlled musical instrument, the encephalophone. The encephalophone is a musical...