Music
World Music & Instruments Quiz
Sitars, didgeridoos, and the instruments that give each culture its voice.
Sitars, didgeridoos, and the instruments that give each culture its voice.
The steel pan from Trinidad & Tobago is the only acoustic musical instrument invented in the 20th century — crafted from discarded oil drums by communities whose traditional drums were banned. That fusion of necessity and creativity defines world music: instruments born from culture, climate, and circumstance, each with a story as rich as its sound.
Each session randomly selects 10 questions from our bank of 50, so every attempt offers a different challenge. All questions are multiple choice with four options, and you get instant feedback with detailed explanations after each answer. Share your results to see who knows the world's instruments best.
Questions cover iconic instruments by region — from the sitar of India to the koto of Japan and the balalaika of Russia — along with the fascinating history of the steel pan, unusual instruments like the theremin and glass armonica, and world music fusion moments like Paul Simon's Graceland and Ravi Shankar's collaborations with George Harrison. You might discover that the didgeridoo is possibly the world's oldest wind instrument at 40,000 years, or that Benjamin Franklin invented an instrument Mozart and Beethoven both composed for.
The didgeridoo is considered by many to be the world's oldest wind instrument, with some estimates placing its origins at up to 40,000 years ago among Aboriginal Australians. However, the oldest confirmed musical instruments are bone flutes discovered in caves in Germany dating back approximately 40,000 years. The human voice is universally considered the oldest instrument of all, preceding any manufactured device.
The most expensive instrument ever sold is the "Lady Blunt" Stradivarius violin, which fetched $15.9 million at auction in 2011. Made by Antonio Stradivari in 1721, it is one of the best-preserved Stradivarius violins in existence. Stradivarius instruments are prized for their extraordinary tonal qualities, which luthiers and scientists have spent centuries trying to replicate.
The theremin is an electronic instrument invented by Russian physicist Leon Theremin in 1920 that is played without any physical contact. The performer moves their hands near two antennas to control pitch and volume, producing an eerie, wavering sound. The theremin became closely associated with horror film scores and was also used by the Beach Boys in "Good Vibrations." It is considered one of the first electronic instruments ever created.
Last updated: March 2026