15 Forgotten Musical Instruments That Deserve a Comeback on Today’s Charts

Music has always been ruthless with its favorites. One era’s sensation becomes the next century’s museum piece, quietly collecting dust while electric guitars and synthesizers dominate the airwaves. Since the time when ancient musical instruments were invented and played in full swing, a hoard of instruments have been forgotten by musicians – and the process was gradual yet inevitable. Similar to musicians, instruments go out of style and often become irrelevant and hence forgotten.

Honestly, there is something almost heartbreaking about that. Imagine a sound so unique it made ancient audiences weep, laugh, or feel something close to the divine – and yet today, almost nobody alive has ever heard it. It’s not just instruments that are standardized today – so is the music they create. That’s why ancient instruments are more important now than ever. By taking inspiration from the past, contemporary musicians who use the same old repertoire can break out of the mold and create something fresh. So let’s dive into 15 of these forgotten wonders – and find out why they belong on today’s charts.

1. The Hurdy-Gurdy: The World’s Most Misunderstood String Machine

Here’s the thing about the hurdy-gurdy – it sounds like absolutely nothing else on earth. The hurdy-gurdy is a string instrument that produces sound by means of a hand-cranked rosined wheel which rubs against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to those of a violin. Melodies are played on a keyboard that presses tangents against one or more of the strings to change their pitch. The result is a droning, hypnotic tone that modern ears might compare to a bagpipe crossed with an analog synthesizer.

Most hurdy-gurdies have multiple drone strings, which give a constant pitch accompaniment to the melody, resulting in a sound similar to that of bagpipes. For this reason, the hurdy-gurdy is often used interchangeably or along with bagpipes. Think about how that layered, buzzing drone could work underneath a dark pop or ambient electronic track today. Research indicates that since the 1960s, the hurdy-gurdy transitioned from a niche folk instrument to a prominent feature in various genres, including fusion and experimental music. It’s already knocking on the door. Someone just needs to open it wider.

2. The Nyckelharpa: Sweden’s 600-Year-Old Secret

The Nyckelharpa is a bowed, keyed sort of fiddle – a strange, 600-plus-year-old Swedish instrument. The keys, when pressed, serve as frets, changing the pitch of each string. This instrument almost went completely extinct in the early part of the 1900s. It is, in the best possible way, a total paradox – half violin, half keyboard, entirely enchanting.

That being said, it enjoyed something of a comeback during the 1960s and 1970s. Of course, how successful this comeback was is open to interpretation – only about 100 people in the UK play the nyckelharpa today. That number is almost shockingly small for an instrument this beautiful. In the right hands, layered through modern production software, the nyckelharpa’s warm, resonant tone could add a ghostly, deeply human texture that no synthesizer has ever truly replicated.

3. The Santur: An Ancient Hammer Dulcimer With Modern Potential

The first santur, a beautiful and complex instrument, showed up around 1000 A.D. The Iranian version of the santur usually has 72 strings the musician plays with tiny hammers. Imagine that – 72 strings, all tuned precisely, each struck with delicate wooden mallets. The shimmer it produces is almost otherworldly, floating somewhere between a harp and a piano, but warmer and more mysterious than either.

The Iranian version of the santur generally acts as an instrument of classical music. Its complexity lies in its difficult playing technique, which requires the musician to master the art of technical wrist work. Still, that complexity is exactly what makes it so compelling. In 2008, the instrument got its moment in the sun when it was featured on “Life in Technicolor,” the opening track off Coldplay’s Viva la Vida. If a stadium-filling band could use it that effectively, imagine what a dedicated producer could do with it today.

4. The Mbira: Africa’s Thumb Piano and Its Buzzing Soul

Also known as the thumb piano, the mbira is a traditional Zimbabwe instrument that is still widely used in Africa today. Usually homemade, this ancient instrument is created by mounting metal keys onto a soundboard made with hardwood. Interestingly, this instrument seems to have been invented twice in Africa: a wood or bamboo-tined instrument was discovered on the western coast of Africa, dating back 3,000 years, while a metal-tined instrument first appeared in the Zambezi River valley around 1,300 years ago.

According to Mbira.org, “The buzz is considered an essential part of the mbira sound, required to clear the mind of thoughts and worries so that the mbira music can fill the consciousness of the performers and listeners.” That meditative, trance-like quality is something modern listeners are actively craving. Lo-fi music, ambient playlists, mindfulness soundscapes – the mbira could slot into all of these genres effortlessly. It practically sounds like it was designed for headphones.

5. The Saung: Myanmar’s Sacred Curved Harp

The strikingly beautiful saung is the national instrument of Myanmar, where Buddhist musicians have played the curved harp since around 200 A.D. The base is made from the wood of a tree that naturally curves to form the shape of the harp, and its 16 finger-plucked strings are made of silk. Silk strings. Let that sink in for a moment. The delicacy of the tone those strings produce is practically indescribable – soft, intimate, impossibly pure.

The saung is said to be the only surviving Asian harp. The base of the instrument is made from a tree that naturally grows in the shape of the harp’s curve, and its 16 silk strings are finger-plucked to produce a beautiful sound. During the construction of a saung, an ancient ceremony may be conducted to invite spirits to live inside the harp, to “enliven its tunes.” There is an almost cinematic spirituality to this instrument. In a modern production context, sampled or played live, it could bring a level of emotional depth to a track that very few Western instruments can match.

6. The Xun: A 7,000-Year-Old Clay Flute That Sounds Like a Human Voice

As one of the oldest Chinese musical instruments, the xun has a history reaching back more than 7,000 years. Essentially a flute, this instrument is easily made from clay into a hollow egg shape with no more than 10 holes in the surface. This beautiful, lamenting instrument produces a sound with a timbre similar to that of the human voice. These instruments have been unearthed along both the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers as Neolithic relics.

A flute that sounds like a human voice. Think about that for a second. That is not a metaphor – it is genuinely what makes the xun so unsettling and so beautiful at the same time. This suggests to many historians that the xun was extremely popular among the ancient Chinese people. In a contemporary music landscape that is obsessed with authenticity and raw human emotion, an instrument that has literally carried the sound of human breath for seven millennia deserves far more attention than it gets.

7. The Qanun: The Middle East’s 1,000-Year-Old Lap Zither

The qanun, an ancient Middle Eastern instrument, has been played by musicians since around 950 A.D. It’s made with a base of wood overlaid with between 74 and 81 strings, and musicians play it on their laps by plucking the strings with picks or fingernails. The name comes from the Greek for “canon,” meaning “rule,” likely because its tuning sets the rule for other instruments and singers in an ensemble led by the qanun.

It’s hard to say for sure, but I think the qanun may be one of the most underrated instruments in all of world music. Its cascading, waterfall-like sound when all those strings are played in rapid succession is genuinely stunning. In modern production, especially in genres like world music, neo-soul, or cinematic scoring, the qanun’s shimmering complexity could serve as a full sonic centerpiece rather than just a background texture.

8. The Rudra Veena: India’s Most Meditative String Instrument

Among old stringed musical instruments, the Rudra Veena stands as a monument to India’s classical tradition. This majestic instrument, associated with the Hindu deity Shiva, features a distinctive design with two large gourds attached to a bamboo stem and twenty-four frets. The Rudra Veena produces deeply meditative tones that once filled the halls of Mughal courts and ashrams.

Today, fewer than twenty maestros worldwide can play this ancient instrument, making it one of the rarest treasures in Indian classical music. Fewer than twenty. That is a shocking, almost alarming figure. The deeply resonant, slow-vibrating tones of the Rudra Veena have a quality of stillness that modern meditation music desperately tries – and often fails – to achieve. Preserving it is not just a cultural duty. It’s a creative one too.

9. The Ravanahatha: A Bowed String Instrument Older Than the Violin

The Ravanahatha represents another fascinating chapter in old string musical instruments history. Legend attributes its creation to Ravana, the scholarly demon king from the epic Ramayana. This bowed instrument features a bamboo stem, coconut shell resonator, and horsehair strings, producing haunting melodies that echo through Rajasthan’s desert landscapes. Folk musicians have preserved the Ravanahatha’s tradition for over a millennium, using it to accompany devotional songs and storytelling sessions.

There is something deeply cinematic about the Ravanahatha’s sound – raw, earthy, and emotionally direct in a way that polished modern production rarely achieves. Its coconut shell resonator gives it a woody warmth that sits beautifully within acoustic recordings. Let’s be real: world music producers have been mining similar sounds from African and South American traditions for decades. The Ravanahatha is sitting right there, waiting.

10. The Serpent: The Renaissance Wind Instrument You Never Knew Existed

Made in Europe from the 13th century, the shawm – a loud double-reed woodwind instrument – played an important role in dance bands and ensembles for municipal and court ceremonies throughout the medieval period. The precursor to the oboe, it was commonly used to sound signals from the town tower at social and ceremonial events. But the serpent, a coiled wind instrument of similar lineage, took things a step further with a dark, buzzy tone unlike anything in the modern brass family.

The serpent’s sound sits in a uniquely uncomfortable zone – not quite brass, not quite woodwind, deeply resonant in its lower register and with an almost vocal quality in its upper range. Instruments like these remind us that music is always evolving through experimentation. Every instrument we know today, from the piano to the electric guitar, began as an innovation. Strange instruments reflect the creativity of their time. Whether scientists were trying to turn electricity into sound or musicians were searching for new tones, these creations show how far people will go to make music.

11. The Glass Armonica: Benjamin Franklin’s Haunting Invention

Invented by Benjamin Franklin in 1761, the modern glass armonica takes your water and wine glass party trick to the extreme. Custom blown glasses remove the need for water-tuning while moistened fingers play the rotating bowls. Seeing wide popularity in the 18th century, the instrument was all but forgotten by the 1820s. It is one of the few instruments in history invented by a statesman – and possibly the most eerie one ever built.

The glass armonica produces a sound so otherworldly and penetrating that it was reportedly believed to cause madness in some 18th-century listeners – which is obviously absurd, but says everything about how viscerally affecting its tone actually is. Renowned composer Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was said to be in awe of the glass armonica when it debuted in Berlin. This instrument’s influence is rekindled by modern artists who blend its melodies with contemporary genres, bringing this historical instrument back into the spotlight. In a world obsessed with lo-fi horror soundscapes and dark ambient music, this one practically markets itself.

12. The Sistrum: Ancient Egypt’s Sacred Rattle

A type of percussion instrument, the sistrum was essentially a rattle that could be shaken to provide a steady beat and rhythm to music. It was particularly popular in Ancient Egypt, where it was a sacred instrument that only women would play. Think of it as the ancient world’s tambourine – but with a ceremonial gravitas that no modern shaker can touch.

The sistrum’s metallic jangle carries an almost hypnotic shimmer, somewhere between a hi-hat and a wind chime, but with a physical energy that is entirely its own. In the context of today’s Afrobeats, desert blues, or psychedelic folk music, the sistrum could add a genuinely ancient, sacred dimension to a rhythm track. Long before written language emerged, music shaped ritual and belief systems. Across prehistoric cultures, sound served sacred, symbolic, and emotional purpose. The sistrum is a living piece of that story.

13. The Yazh: India’s Legendary Harp With a Thousand Strings

Several versions of the yazh – extinct instruments from ancient India that resembled harps – are known to have existed. Most of these varieties had between seven and seventeen strings, one, the leather-bound peri yazh, had twenty-one. But even that pales in comparison to the legendary adi yazh – according to tradition, its 1,000 strings were used to scare off animals. One thousand strings. That is either the most ambitious instrument ever imagined or the most spectacular piece of musical mythology ever told. Possibly both.

Even the more modest versions of the yazh, with their curved shape and gut strings, produce tones that no surviving harp in the Western tradition can replicate. The yazh’s plucked resonance carries a brightness and warmth that sits right at the boundary between folk expression and classical complexity. For modern film composers or world music producers looking for something genuinely undiscovered, the yazh is a buried treasure waiting to be unearthed.

14. The Guqin: China’s 3,000-Year-Old Meditation Instrument

In China, instruments like the guqin have existed for over 3,000 years. These zithers were used for meditation and court rituals. The guqin is not just old – it is ancient in a way that makes the piano feel like a recent startup. It has seven strings, no frets, and a playing technique that involves sliding, pressing, and plucking in ways that produce an incredibly nuanced tonal palette.

The guqin’s sound has a quality that is almost impossible to describe to someone who has never heard it. Imagine a cello that has been whispered to for three millennia. It breathes. It sighs. Long before written language emerged, music shaped ritual and belief systems, and across prehistoric cultures, sound served sacred, symbolic, and emotional purpose. The guqin carries all of that in every note – and in a music world increasingly hungry for substance over spectacle, that weight is priceless.

15. The Bullroarer: Prehistory’s Most Powerful Drone Machine

A bullroarer is a flat wooden tool attached to a cord. When swung in circles, it produces a loud, humming tone. Archaeologists have discovered bullroarers across continents. Some date as far back as 18,000 years, placing them in the Upper Paleolithic. It is, in the most literal sense possible, one of the oldest musical instruments humanity has ever created.

These instruments appear in Australia, Africa, and ancient Europe. Indigenous Australians still use them during rituals and storytelling. Bullroarers served ceremonial roles, weather summoning, and long-distance communication. Their low-frequency sound can travel for several kilometers. That deep, vibrating drone – raw, primal, and weirdly cinematic – would fit perfectly inside a modern ambient or electronic composition. Think about it as nature’s own bass synthesizer, swung by human hands. You almost can’t get more authentic than that.

The Case for Bringing These Voices Back to Life

There is a real argument to be made – and I believe it strongly – that the musical charts of 2026 are suffering from a kind of sonic monoculture. The same production templates, the same timbres, the same predictable structures. Music is always evolving through experimentation, and every instrument we know today, from the piano to the electric guitar, began as an innovation. The instruments on this list are not relics. They are possibilities.

Many old stringed musical instruments face extinction as younger generations pursue modern career paths. The Rudra Veena, once central to Indian classical music, now has fewer practitioners than many endangered species have surviving members. Economic pressures force traditional instrument-making families to abandon their craft, with each lost artisan taking irreplaceable knowledge to their grave. That loss is not just cultural – it is creative. Every instrument that disappears is a color erased from the musical palette forever.

History has shown, again and again, that the most exciting music happens when someone dares to reach backward to move forward. The hurdy-gurdy found its way into experimental folk. The mbira drifted into ambient production. The santur showed up on a Coldplay album. The door is already open. These 15 instruments are waiting on the other side of it – and honestly, whoever walks through first is going to sound extraordinary. What forgotten instrument do you think deserves the biggest comeback? Tell us in the comments.