Sci Fi Cello

November 4, 2014 2:31 PM

What do you get when you cross a cello with a Zube Tube and let someone who knows what he's doing play it? You get the Yaybahar, built and played by Turkish musician Görkem Şen.

More examples:

An early version with cable ties for frets

A performance at TedX (introduction in Turkish, if anyone can translate)

With some other musicians at the Istanbul International Independent Film Festival

With acoustic bass and modern dance

With a cello

and a similar construction of springs, this time without primary strings

posted by echo target (14 comments total)

Wow. No one tell Jimmy Page about this thing. He could solo on it for five hours.
posted by zzazazz at 3:17 PM on November 4, 2014 [2 favorites]

Saw this earlier and was riveted by it!

Does anyone know of any other obscure, recently developed instruments like this?
posted by rensar at 3:28 PM on November 4, 2014

Does anyone know of any other obscure, recently developed instruments like this?

Bazantar
posted by thelonius at 3:34 PM on November 4, 2014 [5 favorites]

rensar, google up "invented instruments" and you'll find a wealth of such weird, wonderful things. Baltimore is home to the High Zero festival, a world-class international festival of improvisational music, most of it on invented instruments. Neil Feather is one such musician, headquartered here in Baltimore.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 3:36 PM on November 4, 2014 [2 favorites]

"Obscure, recently developed instruments like this?"

Electric Stringed Didgeridoo

Electronically Modified Didgeridoo

Contrabass Saxophone - this kid's got a great sense of humor.

Waterphone

Blaster Beam (also The Beam)

Double Slide Controller

Bjork's Biophilia Instruments

Not all of these are completely acoustic, and not all of them are recent.

And then there's that 11-stringed instrument in Banks' The Hydrogen Sonata that requires an extra pair of arms ...

(I just recently pre-ordered a Linnstrument)
posted by doctor tough love at 4:06 PM on November 4, 2014 [2 favorites]

Quoted for truth from the Vimeo comments: "Heads up, Ben Burt. #sfx #starwars"
posted by immlass at 5:43 PM on November 4, 2014

The cosmic-Turkish Beethoven's 9th section in the first video was pretty neat.
posted by uosuaq at 5:49 PM on November 4, 2014

It's like the illicit child of Yo-Yo Ma and a whale. Neat.
posted by deludingmyself at 6:01 PM on November 4, 2014

Someone needs to tell David Lindley about this. He'll want one.
posted by helpthebear at 7:28 PM on November 4, 2014

The first bit is kind of novelty, but some of the later parts are quite beautiful. I hope he continues to develop it.
posted by Lexica at 8:29 PM on November 4, 2014

Does anyone know of any other obscure, recently developed instruments like this?

Bazantar

Mark Deutsch used to play sitar and base (not at the same time) at the cafe where my wife used to be manager. Now, of course, he can.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 9:14 PM on November 4, 2014 [2 favorites]

This is cool - thanks, echo target!

As for other instrument builders, there's also Hal Rammel, an artist, musician, author, etc. from Wisconsin. The musical instruments page on his site now seems to be showing just one type of the many instruments he's built, but if you poke around a bit you'll find information about some of the others. I saw him play live once, and he can indeed make interesting music/sound with his various inventions.
posted by Nat "King" Cole Porter Wagoner at 12:33 AM on November 5, 2014 [1 favorite]

The Hang is another recent (2001) instrument. Sounds pretty awesome.
posted by uffda at 2:58 AM on November 5, 2014 [1 favorite]

Wow, thanks all! What a fascinating rabbit hole.
posted by rensar at 8:09 AM on November 5, 2014