Musical Instruments of India – chandrakantha.com

There are many musical instruments in India. Some instruments are used primarily in north Indian music (Hindustani sangeet), some are used in the south Indian music (Carnatic sangeet), while others are found in folk music. Instrumental music is usually similar to vocal music but sometimes there are distinctive instrumental styles.

There is a traditional system for the classification of instruments. This system is based upon; non-membranous percussion (ghan), membranous percussion (avanaddh), wind blown (sushir), plucked string (tat), bowed string (vitat). In addition to these traditional five classes we have been forced to create a sixth class to accommodate purely electronic instruments.

Non-Membranous Percussive (Ghan)

This is one of the oldest classes of instruments in India. This class is based upon percussive instruments which do not have membranes, specifically those which have solid resonators. These may be either melodic instruments or instruments to keep tal.

Andelu – Small brass pellet bells from southern India

Chimpta – A metallic clapper from Punjab

Ghatam – A musical earthen-ware pot

Ghungharu – Brass pellet bells

Gogona – A jaw-harp of Assam (plucked idiophone)

Gol Kathi – A dancing stick

Jal Tarang – Musical bowls

Kartal – Wooden clappers

Kasht Tarang – A wooden xylophone

Manjira – Small brass cymbals

Murchang – A metallic jaw harp of South India (plucked idiophone)

Nout – A musical pot of Kashmir

Blown Air (Sushir)

This class of instrument is characterised by the use of air to excite the various resonators.

Algoza – A pair of fipple flutes of North India and Pakistan

Bansuri – A bamboo/ reed flute
1) Overview
2) Bansuri FAQs

Bombashi – A fipple flute of Bangladesh

Harmonium – A reed organ

Mukhavina – A small version of the Nadaswaram

Nadaswaram – A large double-reed oboe of Southern India

Ottu – A drone instrument of South India

Pepa – A hornpipe of Assam

Pungi – A snake charmers instrument

Shankh – A musical conch

Shehnai – A double reed oboe of North India

Surpeti – A drone instrument

Tarpa – A large tribal hornpipe

Plucked Stringed Instruments (Tat)

This class of instruments is characterised by plucked strings. In ancient times virtually all instruments of this class were referred to as vina.

Bulbul Tarang (a.k.a. Banjo) – A keyed box zither

Dotar #1 – A two stringed stick zither

Dotar #2 (Dotora) – A four stringed lute of Bengal

Dramyen – A sub-Himalayan folk lute

Ektar – A one stringed folk stick zither

Getchu Vadyam (Gettuvadyam) – A hammered lute of South India

Gopichand (ektar) – A one-stringed folk instrument of Bengal
1) Overview
2) Making

Gottuvadyam – A fretless version of the South Indian vina

Katho (Khomok) – A one stringed instrument

Kinnari – A two stringed folk instrument

Magadi Vina – a simple stick zither

Nakula Vina – A simple stick zither

Rabab (Kabuli Rabab) – A rabab of North-West India and Pakistan
1) Overview
2) Rabab Restoration

Rudra Vina – A large stick zither

Santur – A hammered dulcimer

Saraswati Vina – The South Indian large lute

Sarod – A north Indian bass rabab

Seni Rebab – An old version of the sarod

Sitar – Long necked lute of India
1) Overview
2) Psychedelic Electric Sitar Project

Surbahar – A bass sitar

Surmandal – A box zither (harp)

Sursringar – An ancient North Indian lute

Swarabat – A South Indian sarod

Tanpura – A drone instrument

Tuntuna (Chohokhode) – A one stringed folk instrument

Vichitra Vina – A large stick zither

Yazh (Yaal) – A South Indian harp

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Bowed-Stringed Instruments (Vitat)

This is a class of stringed instruments which are bowed. This class appears to be quite old, yet these instruments did not occupy a place in classical music until the last few centuries. The entire class of instruments has a certain stigma attached to it. Even today only the Western violin is free of this stigma.

Readers who are interested in the subject should also read the section “Rosin“.

Banam – A folk fiddle of North-East India and Bangladesh

Chikara – A folk spike-fiddle

Dilruba – A bowed lute of North-West India
1) Overview
2) Stringing & Tuning – Section 1 – Introduction (start here)
     Section 2 – Basic concepts
     Section 3 – Overview of strings
     Section 4 – Dilruba/ Esraj Strings
     Section 5 – Tools
     Section 6 – Stringing the base
     Section 7 – Stringing the tuning pegs
     Section 8 – Tightening the strings
     Quick Guide
          a) Very small
          b) Small
          c) Large
          d) Very large
3) Bridge Mod
4) F.A.Q.s on the Dilruba/Esraj

Esraj – A bowed lute of North-East India
1) Overview
2) Stringing & Tuning – Section 1 – Introduction (start here)
     Section 2 – Basic concepts
     Section 3 – Overview of strings
     Section 4 – Dilruba/ Esraj Strings
     Section 5 – Tools
     Section 6 – Stringing the base
     Section 7 – Stringing the tuning pegs
     Section 8 – Tightening the strings
     Quick Guide
          a) Very small
          b) Small
          c) Large
          d) Very large
3) F.A.Q.s on the Dilruba/Esraj

Kamakshi Vina – A folk fiddle of Andhra Pradesh

Kamancha – A bowed lute of Northern India

Kenda – A folk fiddle of North East India

Mayuri Vina (a.k.a. Taus) – A peacock shaped bowed lute of Northern India
F.A.Q.s on the Dilruba/Esraj (This is almost the same as the dilruba and esraj)

Pena (a.k.a. Bana) – A spike fiddle of Manipur

Ravanhasta – A spike fiddle of Rajasthan

Sarangi – A bowed box zither of Northern India
1) Overview
2) Definition
3) Parts
4) Tuning
5) Fingering
6) Photo Gallery

Sarangi (Nepali) – A bowed fiddle of Nepal

Saringda – A folk fiddle of Northern India

Tar Shehnai – A bowed lute of Northern India
1) Overview
2) History
3) F.A.Q.s on the Dilruba/Esraj (The Tar Shehnai is basically just a temporary mod of the esraj)
4) Tar Shenai Conversion – How to convert an esraj to a tar shehnai

Violin – Same as the Western Violin

Are you interested in a secular approach to teaching Indian music.
Indian music is traditional taught in a fashion that is linked to Hindu world views. But there are situations, often in schools, where this approach may not be the best. In such situations The Music of South Asia may be the best resource for you.