| Name | Image | Tradition | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oboe |  | France | The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In comparison to other modern woodwind instruments, the oboe has a clear and penetrating voice. As a result, oboes are readily audible over other instruments in large ensembles. The oboe is pitched in concert C and has a mezzo-soprano to soprano range. Orchestras will usually tune by listening to the oboe play a concert A (usually A440, but sometimes higher if the orchestra tunes to a higher pitch). The pitch of the oboe may be adjusted by permanently altering the scrape, removing cane from the reed, or changing the position of the reed in the instrument (although the latter method should only be used as a last resort, because adjusting the position of the reed may cause some notes to warble). Subtle changes in pitch are also possible by adjusting the embouchure. The baroque oboe first appeared in the French court in the mid-17th century, where it was called hautbois. |
| Oboe Da Caccia |  | Germany | The oboe da caccia (literally "hunting oboe" in Italian) is a double reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family, pitched a fifth below the oboe. Its tube is curved. The oboe da caccia was used only in the late Baroque period, after which it fell out of use until interest in authentic performance in the 20th century caused it to be revived. The oboe da caccia has a leather-covered wooden body terminating in a brass bell similar to a horn bell. There are typically two brass keys, E-flat and C. The E-flat key is typically repeated for the left hand. There are usually two "doubled" fingerholes (G/A=flat and F/F#) similar to the soprano baroque oboe. The construction differs from that of all other woodwinds. |
| Oboe D'amore |  | Germany | The oboe d'amore (oboe of love in Italian), less commonly oboe d'amour, is a woodwind instrument. It is a member of the double reed family, very similar to the oboe. Slightly larger than the oboe, it has a less assertive and more tranquil and serene tone, and is considered the mezzo-soprano or alto of the oboe family. It is a transposing instrument, sounding a minor third lower than it is notated, i.e. in A. The bell is pear-shaped and the instrument uses a bocal, similar to the larger English Horn, whose bocal is larger. The oboe d'amore was invented in the 18th century and was first used by Christoph Graupner in Wie wunderbar ist Gottes Güt. Johann Sebastian Bach wrote many pieces - a concerto, many of his cantatas, and the "In Spiritum Sanctum" movement of his Mass in B minor - for the instrument. |
| Ocarina |  | China | The ocarina is an ancient flute-like wind instrument.While several variations exist, an ocarina is typified by an oval-shaped enclosed space with four to twelve finger holes and a mouth tube projecting out from the body. It is often ceramic, but many other materials, such as plastic, wood, glass, clay, and metal, may also be used. The ocarina is a very old family of instruments, believed to date back some 12,000 years. Ocarina-type instruments have been of particular importance in Chinese and Mesoamerican cultures. |
| Odaiko |  | Japan | The odaiko is a large barrel drum used in the Eisā (エイサー) folk dance. The "O" syllable in Japanese means something "big" or "fat." The odaiko is big but it is made very light weight for the player to jump up with it easily. Eisā is unique to the people of the Ryukyu Islands (a chain of Japanese islands.) Three types of drums are used in various combinations in the dance, depending upon regional style: the odaiko, the shimedaiko (a drum similar to ones used in Noh theatre) and a small hand drum, the paranku, similar to the ones used in the Buddhist ceremony. |
| Ogene |  | Nigeria | Ogene (gong) is a large metal bell. It has historically been made by the Igbo people of Nigeria. It is one of the most important metal instruments of the tribe. The Ogene is commonly used as a "master instrument" in a bell orchestra in the Omambala River basin of the Igbo. It is made of iron by specialist blacksmiths. The bell has a flattish, conical shape, and is hollow inside. The sound itself comes from the vibration of the iron body when struck, which is made to resound by the hollow inside of the bell. The iron body is usually struck with a soft wooden stick. |
| Okaryna |  | Ukraine | The okaryna (also known as zozulka or ocarina) (literally a small cuckoo bird ) is in widespread use in the Carpathian Mountain area of Ukraine especially among the Hutsuls. It is a vessel flute in the shape of an egg with seven to ten finger-holes. This Ukrainian ocarina belongs to the group of whistle instruments and in fact is a sophisticated svystun. Usually they are made of clay. |
| Ondes Martenot |  | France | The ondes Martenot (French for "Martenot waves"; also known as the ondium Martenot, Martenot and ondes musicales) is an early electronic musical instrument with a keyboard and slide, invented in 1928 by Maurice Martenot and originally very similar in sound to the Theremin. The sonic capabilities of the instrument were subsequently expanded by the addition of filter banks and switchable loudspeakers. The instrument is especially known for its eerie wavering notes produced by the thermionic valves that produce oscillating frequencies. The production of the instrument stopped in 1988 but a few Conservatories in France still teach it. In 2008, there is a project to rebuild an instrument which is as close as possible from the original. |
| Oporo |  | Kenya | The oporo, a kudu horn, is a musical instrument made from the horn of the kudu antelope. The oporo will be blown during the wedding and funeral ceremonies by the Kenyan people. It is usually played together with the traditional musical instrument called nyatiti to amplify the mood and heighten the tempo of the music. The horn is also used for communication. |
| Organ |  | Europe | The organ is a keyboard instrument played using one or more manuals and a pedalboard. It uses wind moving through metal or wood pipes and/or it uses sampled organ sounds or oscillators to produce sound, which remains constant while a key is depressed. Its sounds, which vary widely in timbre and volume, are divided according to ranks and controlled by the use of stops. The keyboard is not expressive and does not affect dynamics. Organs vary greatly in size, ranging from a cubic yard to a height reaching five floors, and are located primarily in churches, concert halls, and homes. The organ is one of the oldest musical instruments in the Western musical tradition, and carries a rich history connected with Christian liturgy and civic ceremony. |
| Organetto |  | Italy | The modern organetto is a popular folk instrument used in Italian folk music. It is a free reed instrument, allied to the accordion. |
| Organetto |  | Italy | The medieval Organetto was a portable pipe instrument, allied to the later classical pipe organ, and pumped with the hand. It is referenced in the Roman de la Rose: "There are easily manageable organs which are portable and are pumped and played by the same person, who also sings either the soprano or tenor part." It was among the most popular instruments in Europe from the 13th to the 16th century. The organetto was relatively lightweight and could be carried with a sling to use in religious processions or other occasions. Bellows provide the wind supply, and a button-type keyboard could be used across approximately two octaves. The organetto could only play one note at a time, and was used for a single part in a polyphonic piece, motet or chanson, and for monophonic dance music. |
| Organistrum |  | Spain | The organistrum is an early form of hurdy gurdy that originated in northern Spain as an instrument used for singing instruction in monastic settings. Generally considered the ancestor of all subsequent hurdy gurdies, the organistrum differs substantially from later instruments in that it was played by two individuals: one turned the crank while the other pulled the keys upward to change the pitch of the melody strings. The image shows a replica of an Organistrum. It is one of the various historical musical instruments stored in the basement of the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. |
| Otsuzumi |  | Japan | The otsuzumi, also known as the okawa, is an hourglass-shaped Japanese lap drum. It is a larger version of the tsuzumi and is used in traditional Japanese theater and dance. Its appearance and the sound it produces are slightly different than that of the tsuzumi. The sound is higher and sharper in pitch, resembling more of a "pop" than the tsuzumi's "pon" sound. The okawa is played on the side of the player, possibly due to its larger size, whereas the tsuzumi is played upon the shoulder. Both the okawa and tsuzumi are often found played together in nagauta and hayashi ensembles. |
| Oud |  | Syria | The oud is a pear-shaped, stringed instrument, which is often seen as the predecessor of the western lute, commonly used in Middle Eastern music and East African music. Unlike the lute the oud has no frets and is played with a pick. The image shows an Aleppo musician with an oud, 1915. |
| Outi |  | Greece | The outi is a post-Baroque instrument similar to a lute. It was originally made from a single piece of wood, without a neck. It had 5 double strings that were played with the fingers. In later days a pick (pena) or a goose feather is used. The outi is the Greek style of oud: Slightly smaller in size, slightly shorter neck, higher in pitch, brighter timbre. |
| Ovation Guitar |  | United States | Ovation guitars are guitars manufactured by the Ovation Guitar Company, a company based in Bloomfield, Connecticut, USA. Ovation guitars are differentiated by their composite synthetic bowl, rather than the traditional wooden back and sides of the modern acoustic guitar as produced by luthiers starting in the late 18th century. The image shows musician Tsutomu Kobori performing with an Ovation guitar. |
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