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{{Catrel|Instruments}}
Many kinds of musical instruments can be used to play [[microtonal music]], ranging from non-microtonal instruments (i.e. designed to be played in [[12edo]]) to custom-designed xenharmonic instruments.
Many kinds of musical instruments can be used to play [[microtonal music]], ranging from non-microtonal instruments (i.e. designed to be played in [[12edo]]) to custom-designed xenharmonic instruments.


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The following is a non-exhaustive list of instruments which can be used to play xenharmonic music. You can find additional information by following the links to each instrument's dedicated page.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of instruments which can be used to play xenharmonic music. You can find additional information by following the links to each instrument's dedicated page.


== String instruments ==
== Winds ==
=== Plucked strings ===
* [[Bassoon]]
* Fretted:
* [[Clarinet]]
**[[Guitar]]
* [[Flugelhorn]]
** [[Electric bass]]
* [[Flute]]
**[[Pedal steel guitar]]
* [[Fretless saxophone]]
**[[Fun With Microtones|Ukulele]]
* [[Harmonica]]
** Others: banjo, mandolin, balalaika, sitar, [[Wikipedia:Moodswinger|moodswinger]], etc.
* [[Horn]]
* Fretless:
* [[Infinitone]]
**[[Autoharp]]
* [[Recorder]]
** [[Electric bass|Fretless bass]]
* [[Saxophone]]
** [[Qanun]]
* [[Shakuhachi]]
** Others: oud, harp, zither, hammer dulcimer, [[Wikipedia:Đàn bầu|đàn bầu]], etc.
* [[Trombone]]
 
=== Bowed strings ===
* Fretted:
** [[Bowed strings|Viol family and other bowed fretted strings]] (viola da gamba, some types of violone, baryton, arpeggione, GuitarViol, fretted violin, etc.)
* Fretless:
** [[Bowed strings|Violin family]] (violin, viola, cello, bass, some types of violone, etc.)
** Others: [[Wikipedia:Huqin|huqin]], etc.
 
== Wind instruments ==
=== Brass instruments ===
*[[Horn]]
* [[Trumpet]]
* [[Trumpet]]
* [[Trombone]]
* [[Tuba]]
* Others: tuba, digeridoo, alphorn, etc.
* [[Udderbot]]
* [[Whistle]]


=== Woodwind instruments ===
== Percussion ==
* Reedless:
* [[Bells]]
** [[Flute]]
* [[Conic Bellophone in 96edo|Conic bellophone]]
** [[Recorder]]
* [[Daxophone]]
** [[Whistle]]
* [[Kalimba]]
** Others: khaen, etc.
* [[Marimba]]
* Reed:
* [[Tubulong]]
**[[Bassoon]]
** [[Clarinet]]
** [[Harmonica]]
**[[Saxophone]]
**[[Fretless saxophone]]
** Others: oboe, reed organ, accordion, melodica, etc.


=== Others ===
== Keyboards ==
* [http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/oddmusic/message/17051 Balloon flute]{{dead link}}
{{Main| Keyboard }}
* [[Infinitone]]
* [[Udderbot]]


== Percussion instruments ==
* [[Fluid piano]]
* Mallet keyboards:
* [[Piano]]
** [[Marimba]]
** Others: vibraphone, xylophone, glockenspiel, crotales, lithophone, etc.
* Tuned drums: timpani, rototoms, pat waing, etc.
* Bells:
**[[Conic Bellophone in 96edo|Conic bellophone]]
** [http://www.ekmelic-music.org/en/instr/kk.htm Sound tower/sound cube]{{dead link}}
**[[Tubulong]]
**[[Zoomoozophone]]
** Others: carillon, amglocken, handbells, etc.
* Lamellophones:
** [[Kalimba (mbira)]], marimbula
* Friction idiophones:
** [[Daxophone]]
** Others: musical saw, wine glasses, nail violin, etc.
* [[Keyboard]]s: piano, tangent piano (including [[fluid piano]]), harpsichord, organ, clavichord


== Electronic instruments ==
== Strings ==
* [[Infinitone]]
* [[Autoharp]]
* [[Software]], [[DAWs]], [[List of Microtonal Software Plugins|plugins]]
* [[Bowed strings]]
* Synthesizers:
* [[Electric bass]]
**[[Lumatone]]
* [[Guitar]]
** Others: see [[Keyboard#List of generalized keyboards]]
* [[Harp]]
* [[Wikipedia:Theremin|Theremin]]
* [[Harpejji]]
* Web browser-based on-screen keyboards:
* [[Pedal steel guitar]]
** [[User:SAKryukov#Microtonal Fabric|“Microtonal Fabric” family]]
* [[Qanun]]
** ReTuner: [https://www.facebook.com/retuner on facebook], [https://encyclotronic.com/apps/microtonal/retuner-r24 on Encyclotronic]{{dead link}}
* [[Ukulele]]


== Tuning-agnostic instruments ==
== See also ==
These instruments can play in any microtonal scale out-of-the-box, because 12edo is not a part of their manufacture:
* [[List of xenharmonic fixed pitch instruments]]
* [[:Category:Instruments]]


*[[Daxophone]]
== Further reading ==
* Fretless string instruments
* Hugh Davies/Alexander Bonus, [https://archive.org/details/grovedictionaryo0003unse_w4m2/page/459/ Microtonal instruments]. The Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, Second Edition, 2014. Volume Three, page 459.
** Fretless bass
* [https://archive.org/details/emi_archive/ Experimental Musical Instruments] journal
** Fretless guitar
* Fletcher and Rossing, [https://csclub.uwaterloo.ca/~pbarfuss/The_Physics_of_Musical_Instruments.pdf The Physics of Musical Instruments]. Springer-Verlag, 1991
** Oud
** Violin, viola, cello, double bass (the string quartet is a whole tuning-agnostic ensemble)
* Musical saw
* String instruments with one pitch per string
** Hammered dulcimer
*[[Wikipedia:Theremin|Theremin]]
* Wind instruments with a slide or other continuous pitch control
** Trombone
** [[Fretless saxophone]]
**[[Udderbot]]


[[Category:Instruments| ]] <!-- main article -->
[[Category:Instruments| ]]

Latest revision as of 06:57, 7 September 2026

Many kinds of musical instruments can be used to play microtonal music, ranging from non-microtonal instruments (i.e. designed to be played in 12edo) to custom-designed xenharmonic instruments.

Fixed pitch instruments make it easier for musicians to play notes accurately and reliably, although they give access to a limited set of pitches. Many non-microtonal instruments can be played microtonally without any modification to the instrument by using extended techniques, such as microtonal fingerings on woodwinds. Non-microtonal instruments can also be modified, either temporarily or permanently; this includes notably nonstandard (open) tunings on string instruments and guitar refretting. Finally, new instruments can be created from scratch; many such custom-designed instruments can be found in the list of xenharmonic fixed pitch instruments.

Continuous pitch instruments give access to a wider range of pitches, but often require more skill to be played accurately and reliably. The human voice falls in this category, along with other standard instruments such as bowed strings and trombones. Some extended techniques allow for continuous pitch adjustments, even on fixed pitch instruments, such as string bending on guitars and lip bending on wind instruments like trumpets and saxophones. Several custom instruments also fall in this category, including the udderbot and the Infinitone.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of instruments which can be used to play xenharmonic music. You can find additional information by following the links to each instrument's dedicated page.

Winds

Percussion

Keyboards

Main article: Keyboard

Strings

See also

Further reading

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