List of Indian

musical instruments

This article includes a list of references, related

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Lady playing pulluvan veena

Saraswati veena player

Indian tribal drummer

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).

Chordophones
Plucked strings

Painting of a woman with a sitar

Bulbul Tarang Tumbi
Dotar, Dotora, Tuntuna
or Dotara Magadi Veena
Ektara Hansa Veena
Getchu Mohan Veena
Vadyam or
Nakula Veena
Jhallari
Nanduni
Gopichand or
Pamiri rubab
Gopiyantra or
Rudra Veena
Khamak
Sagar Veena
Gottuvadhyam
or Chitravina Saraswati
Veena
Katho
Vichitra Veena
Sarod
Yazh
 Sitar Ranjan Veena
Surbahar Rubab
Surshringar (instrument)

Swarabat Triveni Veena

Swarmandal
Tambura
Tritantri Veena

Bowed strings

Tribal fiddle instruments called "Dhodro Banam" used

by Santhal people in Eastern India.
y p p

Chikara
Dilruba
Ektara violin
Esraj
Kamaicha
Kingri (string instrument)
Mayuri Vina or Taus
Onavillu
Behala (violin type)
Pena (musical instrument)
Pulluvan Veena - one stringed violin
Ravanahatha
Sarangi
 Classical Sarangi
Sarinda
Tar Shehnai
Villu Paatu - arched bow instrument

Other string instruments

Gethu or Jhallari a struck tanpura

Gubguba or Jamuku - aka khamak
Pulluvan kutam
Santoor - Hammered dulcimer

Aerophones
Single reed

Pepa
 Pungi or Been

Snake charmer playing pungi

Bansuri player at fort Jodhpur

Indian Harmonium

Double reed

Kuzhal
Mukhavina
Nadaswaram
Shehnai
Sundari
Tangmuri
Alghoza - double flute
Bansuri
 Venu (Carnatic flute) Pullanguzhal
Mashak
Titti
Sruti upanga

Free reed

Gogona
Morsing

Free reed and bellows

Shruti box
Harmonium (hand-pumped)

Brass

Bigul - see Bugle

 Ekkalam
Karnal
Kombu (instrument)
Ramsinga
Kahal
Nagfani
Turi
Tutari

Membranophones
Hand drums
Learning to play tabla

Tumbaknaer, drum from Jammu and Kashmir for

accompanying devotionals
Chenda (top) and Chande (below) are different drums

Chande of Yakshagana
Dhad Pakhavaj
Damru Pakhavaj Jori - Sikh
Dimadi instrument similar to
Tabla
Dhol
Panchamukha vadyam
Dholak
Pung cholom
Dholki
Shuddha Madalam or
Duggi
Maddalam
Ghat
Tabala / Tabl / Chameli -
singhari or
goblet drum
Gada
Singari Tabla

Ghumot Tabla Tarang - set of

Tablas
Gummeta
Tamte
Kanjira
 Khol Thanthi Panai
Kinpar and Thimila
Dhopar Tumbak, Tumbaknari,
(Tribal Tumbaknaer
Drums)
Tumdak'
Madal
Udukku
Maddale
Maram
Mizhavu
Mridangam
Naal

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 drum without jingles
Patayani thappu - medium frame drum
played with hands

Stick and hand drums

Chenda
Davul
Dhak
 Dhimay
Dhol
Dholi
Dollu
Idakka
Thavil
Udukai
Urumi (drum)

Stick drums

Chande
Davul
Kachhi Dhol
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
Timki
Urumee

Idiophones
Jaltarang

Chimta - fire tong with brass jingles

Chengila - metal disc
Elathalam
Geger - brass vessel
Ghanti - Northern india bell
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
Yakshagana bells

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 (Links in that
page not working 2019-02-05)

External links
Ātodya (instrumental music) , Tata
(stringed instruments) , Suṣira (hollow
instruments) and Puṣkara (covered
instruments, drums) , chapters of the
Nāṭyaśāstra

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Last edited 3 months ago by Opus88888

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