Can Musical Instruments Be Played Underwater?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion explores the concept of playing musical instruments underwater, including the feasibility and design of such instruments. Participants consider the implications of sound transmission in water and the characteristics of different types of instruments.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions why no fish have become famous musicians and inquires about the existence of musical instruments designed for underwater use.
  • Another participant humorously suggests whales as potential musicians, though they note that whales are not fish.
  • A participant raises a question about the listening experience, wondering if music would be heard underwater or from above, suggesting that it would need to be loud to be audible from above the water.
  • A participant discusses the limitations of traditional instruments underwater, noting that wind instruments rely on air and that vibrations in water would be significantly damped, affecting pitch. They mention specific instruments like gongs or bells that can be played underwater and reference an electronic instrument called SOSNO.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of humorous and serious viewpoints, with no consensus on the practicality of underwater musical instruments or the nature of sound transmission in water.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge the challenges posed by water on sound production and transmission, but do not resolve the implications of these challenges for different types of instruments.

tiny-tim
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i was pondering why no fish have ever become famous musicians :confused: when it occurred to me …

are there any musical instruments designed to be played underwater?​
 
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Do whales count?
 
magpies said:
Do whales count?

I don't know any whales who are famous musicians :blushing: …

but they certainly aren't fish. :wink:​
 
Ok so like would you listen to it underwater or from above? It would have to be really loud to make it from underwater to above I think.
 
tiny-tim said:
i was pondering why no fish have ever become famous musicians :confused: when it occurred to me …

are there any musical instruments designed to be played underwater?​

I've heard of types of gong or bell which are lowered into water or raised up as they are played to create interesting pitch effects.

Wind instruments rely on air. Most other instruments rely on forms of vibration that would be significantly damped (!) by water as well as being completely changed in pitch.

However, see http://danielharrismusic.com/Underwater_Music_I.html" which I just found with a Google search, and in particular the SOSNO instrument, which is mostly electronic (cheating really).
 
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