When did the first electric instruments appear?

When did the first electric instruments appear?

• A. In the 1920s
• B. In the 19th century
• C. In the first decades of the twentieth century
• D. After World War II

Answer: (C)

Electric instruments come from using electricity to generate or shape sound, rather than relying only on vibrating air. The first successful experiments and devices that produced sound electronically appeared at the start of the 20th century, with early examples like the Telharmonium pushing electronic sound into music around 1900–1910. This places the origin of electric instruments in the first decades of the twentieth century, well before World War II. While the 1920s saw the emergence of more famous electronic instruments, the broader onset of electric sound-making sits in that early 1900s period, making that timeframe the best fit.

Electric instruments come from using electricity to generate or shape sound, rather than relying only on vibrating air. The first successful experiments and devices that produced sound electronically appeared at the start of the 20th century, with early examples like the Telharmonium pushing electronic sound into music around 1900–1910. This places the origin of electric instruments in the first decades of the twentieth century, well before World War II. While the 1920s saw the emergence of more famous electronic instruments, the broader onset of electric sound-making sits in that early 1900s period, making that timeframe the best fit.