Decor with Musical Instruments From Around the World
If you love both music and traveling, the best way to decorate your home is by filling it with musical instruments from around the world.
Wherever you go, you’ll always find unique music in different cultures. Unique music means unique instruments; each one has its own design and unique appearance.
Do you want to reflect your passion for music and use unique instruments to speak for the cultures you’ve seen? There’s no better way to let them testify by using them as home decor. You can use them in any room of your home.
Ethnomusicological decor
Ethnomusicology is the study of music from different cultures. Thus, applying instruments that come from a certain culture could, in a sense, be an ethnomusicological decor.
If you’re interested in this idea for your home, consider the fact that this decor will have a studious personality. It will express your interest in music from other lands.
But you also have to remember that the design of each instrument can also contribute to your home decor. Each piece is singular and visually enticing, and as a result, your home will feel almost like a museum.
— Musical instruments reflect the evolution of humankind.–
1. String instruments
Not surprisingly string instruments come in a huge variety. Among them are exceptionally curious sorts.
Throughout history, string instruments have predominated the music scene. Some examples that would look great in home decor include:
- Spanish guitar: the classic instrument that represents Spanish culture. It’s directly related to another Spanish instrument, the renaissance-period vihuela. The Spanish guitar is a familiar shape to many and can express an interest in Spanish music and culture.
- Zither: though not as well-known as the Spanish guitar, the zither has been around for centuries. While its origins lie in the West, there are also several Asian variations as well.
- Hurdy-gurdy: this string instrument holds great importance as it played a big role in the world of Celtic music. It has an interesting appearance and will draw curiosity from your guests.
- Sitar: and of course, we can’t leave Indian culture out from our list. Though sitars also have a long neck like many European instruments, it has an exotic appearance.
2. Wind instruments
Brass and wood instruments make up the selection of winds. There are many varieties from different cultures that can spark curiosity.
- Western concert flute, clarinet, trumpet: any instrument from the Western culture or classical music can work for decor. Also, they create visual contrast with those that come from a different culture.
- Didgeridoo: the didgeridoo consists of a big, long, straight tube. It makes a deep, powerful sound. It hails from Australia and is made of wood.
- Bagpipes: originating from Celtic culture, it’s a true reflection of Scottish culture.
- Pungi: not many people are familiar with pungis. They originally came from central Asia and spread to Middle Eastern countries. People eventually started to use them for religious purposes and snake charming.
- Pan flute: the pan flute originated in South Africa and is a group of different-sized flutes. You can find both large and small pan flutes, but all are visual gems.
How to put your instruments on display
Just as we mentioned earlier, put your pieces on display like artifacts in a museum. They’re all unique and can spark curiosity from onlookers. In light of that, try to create a sort of exhibition.
You can use hooks to hang some of your instruments on the higher parts of your wall. Or, place them in glass cabinets to keep them better protected.
You can dedicate an entire room to show off your collection, but remember, doing so will create a very strong museum-feel in your home. Alternatively, you can spread them out throughout your house, making sure not to overwhelm certain spaces.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
Tranchefort, François-René: Los instrumentos musicales en el mundo, Alianza, 1985.