The skilled artist and photographer Ellen van Deelen loves playing with her pet rats Moppy and Witje. But this is not just fun playtime, this is art time! She lets them play with tiny musical instruments, they take them, handle and explore them while she takes lots of photos. The result is it makes it look like they really are playing them. So with a tiny flute and micro banjo in hand, we take a look at…
Image of a rat playing the accordion
10 – Accordion
It has been the musical instrument of choice for European musicians since 1777 and is still a sound I very much represent with French folk music.
Image of a rat playing the banjo
9 – Banjo
The true origins of this instrument are supposed to be Africa, and it was in use among the slaves of S. USA; then, in the 19th cent. But I always get it confused with the much smaller ukulele.
Image of a rat playing the guitar
8 – Guitar
This rat prefers the instrument that is a member of the family of musical instruments called chordophones. I suppose with rat claws he doesn’t really need a pluck.
Image of a rat playing the Double bass
7 – Double bass
The double bass or upright bass is a rather big instrument for a little rat to play, but somehow he does it with style and can even do the jazz spin round while still playing.
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Image of a rat playing the piano
6 – piano
The piano may be the best known and loved of all musical instruments and one that I still love to hear. The sharp tones that some of its keys produce are perfect for rats as they also hear in higher tones.
Image of a rat playing the Panpipes
5 – Panpipes
It might have strange origins and is said to be of a Chinese origin, and it was also the instrument that was best known to the Greeks. But to me, it is all about native American music being played while overlooking the grand canyon.
Image of a rat playing the tuba
4 –Tuba
The development of the tuba began during the early nineteenth century. During the 1820s and rats have been playing them since. The rat in the image really seems to know how to play it!
Image of a rat playing the French horn
3 – French horn
The French horn is one of the earliest primitive instruments and seems to be really hard work to play as this rat is sadly out of breath. Let’s hope it is just a natural break in the music.
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Image of a rat playing the saxophone
2 – Saxophone
Most instruments have steadily evolved over many years, but the saxophone can be directly credited to Adolphe Sax who invented it during the 1800s. Around that time there was probably rats everywhere so they might have inspired him!
Image of a rat playing the clarinet
1 – Clarinete
The modern clarinet seems to have been originated by a Nuremberg instrument maker, Johann Christoph Denner, sometime around 1690, but even he would never expect that it would end up being played by a rat!