Lore:Instruments

The UESPWiki – Your source for The Elder Scrolls since 1995
Jump to: navigation, search

Instruments are objects used to produce sounds for use in music.

Contents
Instruments
References

Accordion[edit]

Arenthian "squeeze boxes" are popular among Colovian travelers.[1]

The Orcs of the Wrothgarian Mountains also commonly play accordions which are jokingly called "Orc-cordians".[2]

Bagpipes[edit]

Bagpipes were found in Morrowind among the Dunmer, and Galen among the Bretons.[3][4] In Morrowind, they were often crafted from netch bladders. The adoption of netch bladders in the crafting of bagpipes gained popularity through the efforts of the inventor Serana Hlaalu.[3] Bagpipes in Galen were made from a hoarvor's bloat-sac and proboscis, often adorned with parrot feathers.[4]

  • ON-crown store-Play Netch Bagpipes.jpg

Bell and Chimes[edit]

Argonians from Dhalmora sometimes wear tail bands with bells attached to them.[5]

Wind chimes are often made with a variety of materials such as fox bones[6], driftwood[7], brass, silver, scrap metal, seashells, fragments of scrib[8], and ogre bones to name a few.

Reachfolk use bells and chimes in their rituals. They believe that their sound draws the attention of the spirits.[9]

  • A bell (Daggerfall)

  • Khajiiti chimes

  • Khenarthic Bell

  • Sixth House bell hammer

  • Sixth House chimes

  • Breton dockside bell

Cornu[edit]

Cornua are horns that were sold at Percussive Poetics in Fargrave in the 2nd Era. Unlike dragonhorns, these appear to be made of metal.

  • Cornu

Drum[edit]

Drums are a common instrument throughout Tamriel and are commonly used by bards, armies, and tribes.

They can be made from a wide variety of materials, such as the back-teeth of bull alits which make acoustically impressive drum bases[10], guarskin drumheads[11], wooden bases, elk skin drumheads[12] and giant snake skin drumheads[13] to just name a few.

The Bosmer celebrate the life of revered Spinners by creating a drum out of their skin.[14]

War drums are used by the Imperial Legion, Orcs, and the Yokudans.[15]

Orcs are known for their penchant for percussion instruments in general.[16] Iron Orcs utilized drums during executions.[17]

Reachfolk witches use bristle-pine drums to wake the spirits during magical rituals.[18]

Totem of the Brotherhood is a drum artifact related to Hircine.[19]

The Tsaesci are known to have pellet drums.[20]

  • Drum (Morrowind)

  • Nordic drum (Skyrim)

  • Argonian slave drum

  • Ceremonial Argonian drum

  • Orsimer drum

  • Reman war drum

  • Drum of Hircine (right)

  • Argonian playing a mire drum

  • Orsimer warcaller's drum

  • Khajiiti Drums in Fargrave

Esraj[edit]

Common among the Khajiit.

  • An ancient Khajiiti esraj

  • A Khajiit playing an esraj

Flute and Fife[edit]

Flutes and fifes are common instruments, with there being many variants such as slide-flutes[21], kazoos[22], and nose-flutes[23] for example. People that play these instruments are known as flautists and people that create them are known as flutesmiths.[24]

They can be made from a variety of materials such as silver[25], moon-sugar cane[26], armbones[27] and hand-carved kwama limbs.[28]

The Ateia family of Imperials are master flautists with a history with the Bards College in Solitude. Parteron Ateia was a master flutesmith whose creations are both rare and highly coveted. The Ateia family themselves or collectors across Tamriel keep them away from the public but the Ateian Fife, Parteron's last creation was specifically donated by him to the Bards College so it can be enjoyed and preserved for future generations.[24]

The ancient Yokudans had instruments similar to modern flutes made of gold but the knowledge of how to play these has been lost.[29]

The Key to Velyn Harbor is a special fife that resembles a hollow brass key.[30]

  • Bard playing a flute (Daggerfall)

  • A flute of the Ateia family

  • A pan flute

  • Akaviri flute

  • A fife of the Ateia family

Frog-caller[edit]

An Argonian instrument used to call for frogs.

  • A frog-caller

Glass Armonica[edit]

Glass armonicas were known to be created by the Dwemer and were used by other races long after their disappearance.

  • A Breton playing a glass armonica

Gong[edit]

Dead-Water Tribe warriors wear battle gongs on their arms and strike them to frighten enemies.[31]

Reachfolk use gongs in their rituals. They believe that sound of gong draws the attention of the spirits.[9]

Guzheng[edit]

A guzheng stringed instrument was sold at Percussive Poetics in Fargrave in the 2nd Era.

  • A guzheng

Handpan[edit]

Handpans are types of drums used by Bosmer.

  • Someone playing a Boneshaped Handpan

Harp[edit]

  • First Era Altmer harp

  • Tuneless Harp of Fiirgarion the Bard

  • Harp alongside a flute

Horn[edit]

Dragonhorns are legendary artifacts crafted primarily by the Dragonguard, used as weapons against the Dragons. They are magical warhorns carved out of the horns of dragons, inscribed with various arcane runes, and are capable of producing a tonal sound that incapacitates dragons.[32]

Old Orsinium possessed a horn called the Horn of Beasts which had been crafted by Zbulgat the Wild-Walker. This horn summoned the creatures of the Wrothgarian Mountains. Bears, echatere, and hundreds of other wild creatures rallied to defend the city walls when the horn was blown, however King Golkarr blew the horn three times during a single moon cycle, and on the third blare the horn cracked. This horn was later recovered from Old Orsinium by the House of Orsimer Glories museum.[33]

  • Imperial war horn

  • Nord war horn

  • Horn of Jurgen Windcaller

  • A Kothringi bugle fashioned from the horn of a leviathan and dyed with silver-blue pigments to match the skin color of the Kothringi people

  • A Reachman horn that may have been fashioned from the extinct Markarth musk ox or a minotaur

  • A dragonhorn

Jaw Harp[edit]

Jaw Harps are type of musical instrument found across various cultures in Tamriel. One known material for jaw harps is Maormer bone, which is said to be naturally springy and is highly sought after by unscrupulous bards.

Key Harp[edit]

Key Harp being played.

Key Harps are commonly played by Bretons on High Isle.[34]

Lyre[edit]

  • Lodestone, a lyre said to have been stolen from Sheogorath

  • A lyre

  • A Khajiiti lyre

  • A shrine to Jephre in the shape of a lyre

Lute[edit]

Lutes are a common instrument throughout Tamriel and are commonly used by bards. The Sticky-Fingered Lute was created by a merciless music teacher from Summerset Isle. Anyone that strummed it was cursed to never let it go until they played the perfect melody.[35]

A mandolin is a type of lute.[36][37]

  • Bard playing a lute (Daggerfall)

  • A Dunmer lute (Morrowind)

  • A lute (Skyrim)

  • A lute (Blades)

  • A lute (ESO)

  • Lute of Blue Longing, said to be cursed with the spirit of a queen betrayed in love

  • Minotaur Lute

Marimba[edit]

One known type of marimba is an Argonian style marimba made of carefully-selected resonant reptile teeth.[38]

Music Box[edit]

Music boxes are used all over Tamriel and play a specific song.

The Altmer are known to make clockwork nightingales that when wound up can fly across a room while singing.[39]

  • A music box

  • That Breezy Night in Bruma music box

  • The Merry Meadmaker music box

  • Aldmeri Dominion music box

  • Red Diamond music box

  • Music box that plays the traditional New Life Festival song "A Frost Melt Melody"

  • Music box that plays "Dancing Among the Flowers Fine"

  • Music box that plays "In Dreams and Memories"

  • Psijic Order music box

Mouth Organ[edit]

[40]

Ocarina[edit]

Some ocarinas are created from stone through magical means. Rocks hollowed by magic and sanded smooth produce sounds similar to blowing over empty bottles.[41]

Organ[edit]

  • Organ (Daggerfall)

Pungi[edit]

Pungis are often used by snakecharmers in Hammerfell.

The Maormer of Pyandonea are also known to use pungis to charm snakes of all sizes.[42]

  • Snakecharmer playing a pungi (Arena)

  • Snakecharmer playing a pungi (Daggerfall)

  • Snakecharmer playing a pungi (Redguard)

Qanun[edit]

Mostly played by Khajiit

  • Khajiiti qanun

Saron[edit]

Sarons were seen around Elsweyr and sold at Percussive Poetics in Fargrave in the 2nd Era.

  • A Saron

Tambourine[edit]

Tambourines are made from a variety of materials such as cherrywood,[43] silver, and the skin of hoarvors.[44] The Baandari use tambourines.[45]

  • A Harvester playing a Tambourine

Tanbur[edit]

  • A tanbur with a provenance linking it to Yokuda.

Theorbo[edit]

[46]

Trombone[edit]

[47]

Trumpet[edit]

A trumpet player

[48]

Violin[edit]

[49][50]

Vossa-satl[edit]

An Argonian instrument which uses living frogs from several species to create the instrument's unique sound.[51]

  • A vossa-satl

  • Frogs inside the vossa-satl

Whistle[edit]

Whistles are one of the most common instruments across Tamriel, with them being used for a variety of reasons.

There are various types of whistles relating to animal training and hunting such as dog whistles[52], birdcall whistles used by foresters[53][54]

  • Whistle (ESO)

  • Witchmother's whistle

Whistle Spoon[edit]

Colovians are known to use whistle spoons with maple ladles that have a hollow handle, making it useful both as a straw and a musical instrument.[55]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Arenthian Squeeze Box description in ESO
  2. ^ "Orc-cordian" Squeeze Box in ESO
  3. ^ a b Play Netch Bagpipes emote in ESO
  4. ^ a b Hoarvor-Sac Bagpipes item description in ESO: Firesong
  5. ^ Argonian Tail Band in ESO
  6. ^ Fox-Bone Chime in ESO
  7. ^ Driftwood Chimes in ESO
  8. ^ Scrib Chimes in ESO
  9. ^ a b Belwikh's dialogue in ESO
  10. ^ Alit Molar Drum in ESO
  11. ^ Guarskin Drum in Morrowind
  12. ^ Orsinium's Remembrance War Drum in ESO
  13. ^ Snakeskin-Head Conga Drum in ESO
  14. ^ Spinner's Skin Drum in ESO
  15. ^ Yokudan War Drum in ESO
  16. ^ Warcaller's Painted Drum antiquity codex entry
  17. ^ Iron Orc Executioner's Drum item description
  18. ^ Reach Ritual Drum item description
  19. ^ Apprentice Orla's dialogue in ESO
  20. ^ Akaviri Pellet Drum in ESO
  21. ^ Stormhold-Style Silver Slide-Flute in ESO
  22. ^ Carved Onion Flute in ESO
  23. ^ Woodhearth Nose Flute in ESO
  24. ^ a b Ateian Fife
  25. ^ Sterling Silver Fife in ESO
  26. ^ Sugar Cane Flute in ESO
  27. ^ Pactbreaker's Arm-Flute in ESO
  28. ^ Concert Kwama Flute in ESO
  29. ^ Ancient Yokudan Flute in ESO
  30. ^ The Key to Velyn Harbor treasure text in ESO
  31. ^ Dead-Water Battle Gong in ESO
  32. ^ Abnur Tharn's dialogue in ESO: Elsweyr
  33. ^ Horn of Beasts
  34. ^ Key Harp in ESO
  35. ^ Sticky-Fingered Lute description text in ESO: Summerset
  36. ^ Gavin Gavonne's hireling correspondence in ESO
  37. ^ Offical Twitter Image Description[1]
  38. ^ Xal Thak Dental Marimba in ESO
  39. ^ Windup Flying Nightingale in ESO
  40. ^ Quartermaster's Mouth Organ item description in ESO: Firesong
  41. ^ Seamless Stone Ocarina item description in ESO: High Isle
  42. ^ Maormer Snake-Charmer's Pungi in ESO
  43. ^ Cherrywood Tambourine in ESO
  44. ^ Hoarvor-Skin Tambourine in ESO
  45. ^ Baandari Pedlar Crown Crate Season description
  46. ^ Out-of-Tune Theorbo in ESO
  47. ^ Ancient Brass Sackbut in ESO
  48. ^ Lord Jornibret's Last Dance
  49. ^ Three Thieves — Anonymous
  50. ^ Finely-Crafted Violin in ESO
  51. ^ Nesh-Deeka's dialogue from ESO: Murkmire
  52. ^ Dog Whistle in ESO
  53. ^ Bird Call Whistle in ESO
  54. ^ Brass Duck Call in ESO
  55. ^ Colovian Whistle Spoon in ESO
Music
Main Series
Spinoffs
Lore
Retrieved from "https://en.uesp.net/w/index.php?title=Lore:Instruments&oldid=3169106"