Musical instruments in Middle-earth

[Estelyn Telcontar]

In the early version of the Ainulindale (given in the Book of Lost Tales, HoME I), Tolkien actually has the Valar playing instruments, including the organ. However, he later changed that into singing that sounded like instruments playing. Though as an instrumentalist I love instrumental music, I can see the logic of his thinking there - after all, if they were singing in the Void, there would be no instruments, as those would have had to be previously created.

Yes, Ibrîniðilpathânezel (definitely a copy-and-paste nick if I ever saw one! Welcome to the Downs!), the organ is anachronistic - it appears that the music, like the whole setting of the story, is intended to be rather medieval in style. I'm not yet sure what to think of that reference. The Dwarves' clarinets are out of historical context too, though one of the essays I read on the internet (linked to by Aiwendil) names their predecessors as the most likely choice of actual instrument.