Musical Pieces: Discover 50 Instruments

An interactive introduction to musical instruments with 50 original compositions to listen to―from the kazoo to the bassoon.

What does a double bass or a sitar sound like? What's the difference between bongos and congas? Which instrument has only one note? Which one takes just 30 seconds to learn?

This book engagingly presents 50 common and uncommon musical instruments with practical and curious facts that will spark interest in music of all kinds. Each instrument features a piece of music composed by an award-winning musician, accessed via QR code.

With instruments presented outside conventional categories, the book is open to all ways of listening and learning. Aspects of history, music theory, and culture are lightly mixed with information about how instruments are made and played. Instruments of all sorts include the voice and computer and unusual instruments such as the theremin and vuvuzela, alongside those that are well known.

"An incredible resource for teachers and caregivers alike eager to find a child-friendly introduction to sound and music history."―Kirkus Reviews

Ole Könnecke was born in 1961 and spent his childhood in Sweden. He now lives in Germany and has produced more than thirty books, several of which have won international awards.

Hans Könnecke is an award-winning composer, instrumentalist, and music producer for film and theatre, who studied composition at the Academy for Music and Theater in Munich. He lives in Germany.