List of fictional musical instruments
Encyclopedia
A list of musical instruments referenced in fiction which do not exist in reality:
, the baliset is a very long nine-stringed zither. In the 1984 film Dune
, the baliset role is filled by a cosmetically altered Chapman stick
.
series of fantasy books, the harolina is a type of stringed instrument played by the anthropomorphic hares of the series.
, the holophoner, played by Fry, is based on the Visi-Sonor and appears in episodes "Parasites Lost
" and "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings
"
universe, the ressikan flute is a musical instrument played by Captain Picard. The instrument is an artifact discovered on a probe sent out by the former residents of Kataan.
book Foundation and Empire
. Visi-Sonor is a fictional musical instrument in the book which stimulates brain cells and causes imagined lights, sounds and emotions directly:
With the Mule's great power, the Visi-Sonor became a killing device later in the book.
Baliset
In the Dune universeDune universe
Dune is a science fiction franchise which originated with the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert. Considered by many to be the greatest science fiction novel of all time, Dune is frequently cited as the best-selling science fiction novel in history...
, the baliset is a very long nine-stringed zither. In the 1984 film Dune
Dune (film)
Dune is a 1984 science fiction film written and directed by David Lynch, based on the 1965 Frank Herbert novel of the same name. The film stars Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides, and includes an ensemble of well-known American and European actors in supporting roles. It was filmed at the Churubusco...
, the baliset role is filled by a cosmetically altered Chapman stick
Chapman Stick
The Chapman Stick is an electric musical instrument devised by Emmett Chapman in the early 1970s. A member of the guitar family, the Chapman Stick usually has ten or twelve individually tuned strings and has been used on music recordings to play bass lines, melody lines, chords or textures...
.
Harolina
In the RedwallRedwall
Redwall, by Brian Jacques, is a series of fantasy novels. It is the title of the first book of the series, published in 1986, the name of the Abbey featured in the book, and the name of an animated TV series based on three of the novels , which first aired in 1999...
series of fantasy books, the harolina is a type of stringed instrument played by the anthropomorphic hares of the series.
Holophoner
In the animated series FuturamaFuturama
Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
, the holophoner, played by Fry, is based on the Visi-Sonor and appears in episodes "Parasites Lost
Parasites Lost
"Parasites Lost" is the second episode in season three of Futurama. Although the title is a play on John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost, the episode is a parody of the 1966 film Fantastic Voyage. The plot also borrows from the novel Flowers for Algernon...
" and "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings
The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings
"The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings" is the eighteenth episode in the fourth production season of the animated television series Futurama, and was aired for the first time in the United States on August 10, 2003 as the sixteenth episode of the fifth broadcast season...
"
Ressikan flute
In the Star TrekStar Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
universe, the ressikan flute is a musical instrument played by Captain Picard. The instrument is an artifact discovered on a probe sent out by the former residents of Kataan.
Visi-Sonor
The Visi-Sonor appears in the Isaac AsimovIsaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
book Foundation and Empire
Foundation and Empire
Foundation and Empire is a novel written by Isaac Asimov that was published by Gnome Press in 1952. It is the second book published in the Foundation Series, and the fourth in the in-universe chronology...
. Visi-Sonor is a fictional musical instrument in the book which stimulates brain cells and causes imagined lights, sounds and emotions directly:
"His long fingers caressed softly and slowly, pressing lightly on contacts with a rippling motion, resting themselves momentarily on one key then another – and in the air before them there was a soft glowing rosiness, just inside the range of vision."
With the Mule's great power, the Visi-Sonor became a killing device later in the book.