Neha Patil (Editor)

Indian musical instruments

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Indian musical instruments

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Indian musical instruments can be broadly classified according to the Hornbostel–Sachs system into four categories: chordophones (string instruments), aerophones (wind instruments), membranophones (drums) and idiophones (non-drum percussion instruments).

Contents

Bowed strings

  • Chikara
  • Dilruba
  • Ektara violin
  • Esraj
  • Kamaicha
  • Mayuri Vina or Taus
  • Onavillu
  • Behala(violin type)
  • Pena or Bana
  • Pulluvan veena - one stringed violin
  • Ravanahatha
  • Folk sarangi
  • Classical sarangi
  • Sarinda
  • Tar shehnai
  • Other string instruments

  • Gethu or Jhallari
  • Gubguba or Jamuku - Percussion string instrument
  • Pulluvan kutam
  • Santoor - Hammered chord box
  • Single reed

  • Pepa
  • Pungi or Been
  • Double reed

  • Kuzhal
  • Nadaswaram
  • Shehnai
  • Sundari
  • Flute

  • Alghoza - double flute
  • Bansuri
  • Tangmuri
  • Venu (Carnatic flute) Pullanguzhal
  • flute
  • pungi

    Bagpipes

  • Mashak
  • Titti
  • Sruti upanga
  • Free reed

  • Gogona
  • Morsing
  • Free reed and bellows

  • Shruti box
  • Harmonium (hand-pumped)
  • Brass

  • Ekkalam
  • Karnal
  • Ramsinga
  • Kahal
  • Nagphani
  • Turi
  • Hand frame drums

  • Daff, duff, daf or duf - medium or large frame drum without jingles, of Persian origin
  • Dimdi or dimri - small frame drum without jingles
  • Kanjira - small frame drum with one jingle
  • Kansi - small without jingles
  • Patayani thappu - medium frame drum played with hands
  • Stick and hand drums

  • Chenda
  • Dollu
  • Dhak
  • Dhol
  • Dholi
  • Idakka
  • Thavil
  • Udukai
  • Stick drums

  • Chande
  • Nagara - pair of kettledrums
  • Pambai - unit of two cylindrical drums
  • Parai thappu, halgi - frame drum played with two sticks
  • Sambal
  • Stick daff or stick duff - daff in a stand played with sticks
  • Tamak'
  • Tasha - type of kettledrum
  • Urumee
  • Idiophones

  • Chimpta - fire tong with brass jingles
  • Chengila - metal disc
  • Elathalam
  • Geger - brass vessel
  • Ghatam and Matkam (Earthenware pot drum)
  • Ghungroo
  • Khartal or Chiplya
  • Manjeera or jhanj or taal
  • Nut - clay pot
  • Sankarjang - lithophone
  • Thali - metal plate
  • Thattukazhi mannai
  • Melodic

  • Jal tarang, ceramic bowls with water
  • Kanch tarang, a type of glass harp
  • Kashtha tarang, a type of xylophone
  • Electronic

  • Electronic tanpura
  • Talameter
  • Sound samples

  • Sound Samples of Indian Instruments (non-commercial page) Courtesy of www.superbrass.com
  • References

    Indian musical instruments Wikipedia