The sheng is a Chinese musical instrument that, unless you’re a connoisseur of ancient methods of creating tunes, you’re probably unaware existed. The sheng has been dated back to 1100BC, putting the timeline of its use in the region of 3,000 years. Which is remarkable, because the above video features a cover of the Super Mario Bros. theme played on the sheng that gives the impression that Nintendo had this instrument in mind when they first wrote it.
The instrument’s normal sound and note range suits Nintendo’s iconic tune down to a tee and the student playing the cover version demonstrates the sheng’s versatility by running through the above-ground and below-ground Mario music, throwing in a few very recognisable sound effects as she goes. Chances are that you’re not going to hear a rendition like this again any time soon.
