Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Corinthians 14:7

"Even things without life, giving a voice, whether pipe or harp, if they give not a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?" — 1 Corinthians 14:7 (ASV)

And even things without life.—The pipe and harp were the best-known instruments, and the principle just established—that sounds are useless unless they are distinctive—is illustrated by referring to them. You could not tell whether it was a harp or a pipe being played unless each produces its own distinct sound. The point here is not, as the English wording might suggest, that there must be a difference in tune to know what is being piped or harped—that illustration appears in the next verse—but that each instrument has its own characteristic sound.