DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTS OF INDIA

HINDUSTANI SANGEET
-Instruments used primarily in North Indian Music
CARNATIC SANGEET
-Instruments used primarily in South Indian Music

CLASSIFICATIONS OF INSTRUMENTS OF INDIA

1. GHAN
Describe as a non-membranous percussive instrument but with
solid resonators. It is one of the oldest class of instruments India. It may
also be a melodic instruments or instruments to keep tal.
DIFFERENT GHAN INSTRUMENTS
A. GHATAM
The ghatam is one of the most ancient percussion instruments of
India. It is a clay pot with narrow mouth. It is commonly played in South
Indian classical performances. There are two actions of resonance. The
primary one is ringing of the pot caused by striking.
B. MANJIRA
Manjira(Manjeera) is a traditional percussion instrument of

Bharata India. In its simplest form, it is pair of small hand cymbals.

They are played in pairs with each cymbal tuned to a different note.
C. KARTAL
Kartal are a pair of wooden blocks or frames with small metal
jingles mounted in them. It is an ancient instrument mainly used in
devotional / folk songs. It has derived its name from Sanskrit words
‘kara’ meaning hand and ‘tala’ meaning clapping. Kartal are a pair of
wooden blocks or frames with small metal jingles mounted in them.
D. NOUT
 Nout is a small pot used in Kashmir as a percussion instruments. It
may be thought of as a North Indian ghatam.

2. AVANADDH
described as membranous percussive instruments typically
comprise the drums.
DIFFERENT AVANADDH INSTRUMENTS
A. DAF
Daf (dap) is a large Persian frame drum used in popular and
classical music. The frame is usually made of hardwood with many
metal ringlets attached, and the membrane is usually goatskin.
B. TABLA
Tabla is a membranophone percussion instrument (similar to
bongos- afro- Cuban/ latin American drum), which is often used in
Hindustani classical music. It is used in Indian folk music and is a part of
Hindustani music art. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums
of contrasting sizes and timbres. The tabla is the most commonly
played drum set in North Indian music. It is the instrument most
frequently used to accompany vocal and instrumental music, and
dance. The right hand drum is called a dayan and the left hand drum is
called a daga or bayan.

C. DHOL
The dhol is a double-sided barrel drum played mostly as an
accompanying instruments in regional music forms. In qawwali music,
the term dhol is used to describe a similar, but smaller drum used with
the smaller tabla, as a replacement for the left hand tabla drum.

Someone who plays the dhol is known as dholi.

D. MRIDANGAM
Mridangam is a barrel shaped double-ended drum( the right head
being smaller than the left). It is played with both hands. It is primary
rhythmic accompaniment in a Carnatic music and Newa music
ensemble.

3. SUSHIR
it is also known as blown air. It is characterized by the use of air to
excite the various resonators.
DIFFERENT SUSHIR INSTRUMENTS

A. BANSURI
The bansuri is a transverse flute of India made from a single
hollow shaft of bamboo with six or seven finger holes. An ancient
musical instrument associated with cowherds and the pastoral
tradition, it is intimately linked to the love story of Krishna and Radha
and is also depicted in Buddhist paintings from around 100CE.
B. SHEHNAI
The shehnai is a double reed oboe common in India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, and Iran, made out of wood with a metal flare bell at the
end. Its sound is thought to create and maintain sense of
auspiciousness and sanctity and, as a result, it is widely used during
marriages processions and in temples although it is also played in
concerts.
C. SHANKHA
Shankha is a conch shell which is of ritual and religious
importance in both Hinduism and Buddhism. The shankha is the shell of
a species of large predatory sea snail, Turbinella pyrum, which lives in
the Indian ocean. This instrument has a strong association with the
Hindu religion. It is said that when it is blown it announces the victory
of good over evil.
D. SURPETI
The surpeti is an Indian drone instrument. It is a small box whose
only functions are to provide the drone.

4. TAT
referred to as vina during the old civilization. This class of
instruments are plucked (stringed instruments)
DIFFERENT TAT INSTRUMENTS
A. SITAR
Sitar is a plucked stringed instrument used mainly in Hindustani
music and Indian classical music. A sitar can have 18, 19, or 20 strings.
Six or seven of these are played strings which run over curved, raised

frets, and the remainder are sympathetic strings which run

underneath the fets and resonate in sympathy with played strings.
B. EKTARA
Ektara is a one-string instrument most often used in Traditional
music from Bangladesh, India, Egypt, and Pakistan. Two-stringed
versions are called dotara.
C. CHITRAVINA
 The chitravina is a 20-21 string fretless lute in Carnatic music.
Around the late 1800s and early 1900s, it started to be known by
another name, Gotuvadyam.
D. VEENA
Veena is a classical Hindu lute belonging to the family of string
musical instruments. It is an ancient musical instrument which is said to
have been invented by Narada, one of the seven rishis, who was also a

Veena maestro. Veena is a plucked string instrument, four feet long,

carved and with a hollowed structure made of wood, generally

jackwood. A person who plays a veena is called a vainika.
E. RABAB
Rabab is a lute-like nusical instrument originating from central
Afghanistan. It derives its name from the Arab rebab which means
“played with a bow” but in Central Asia the instrument is plucked and is
distinctly different in construction. Rabab is a national music instrument
of Afghanistan.

5. VITAT
Described as bowed stringed instruments. One of the oldest
classification of instruments and yet did not occupy a place in classical
Indian music until the last few centuries.
DIFFERENT VITAT INSTRUMENTS
A. SARANGI
Sarangi is a bowed, short-necked string instrument from South
Asia which is used in Hindustani classical music. It is said to most
resemble the sound of the human voice- able to imitate vocal
ornaments such as gamaks (shakes) and meends (sliding movements).
B. CHIKARA
Chikara is a bowed stringed musical instrument from Bengal, India
used to play Indian folk music. The chikara is a simple spike fiddle
played, similarly to the sarangi or saringda, by sliding fingernails on the
strings rather than pressing them to touch the fingerboard. It has 3
strings, two horse hair and one steel.
C. ESRAJ
Esraj (also called the Indian harp) is a string instrument found in
two forms throughout the north, central, and east regions of India. It is
a young instrument by Indian terms, being only about 200 years old.
The diiruba is found in the north, where it is used in religious music and
light classical songs in the urban areas. Esraj is a combination between
saringda and sitar. The base of the instrument is like saringda while the
neck and strings are like sitar. It gives a sound very much like sarangi
without being as difficult to play. This instrument is often confused with
Dilruba. Both have a similar construction and technique. The approach
to tuning is somewhat similar to the sitar. The esraj is popular in the
Bengal area of India.
D. BANAM
Banam is a class of folk fiddles found among the santal people of
Northeast India and Bangladesh. It is a tribal instrument of Bihar.
Majorly used by the Santhal tribe. The importance of the banam to the

Santals is well represented by the artwork on the instruments. This

instrument is played with a bow in the manner of a violin, but in a
vertical position, and is found in Iran, Pakistan, Nepal, India and Central
Asia

Rhythm
 plays an important role in Indian music. It is fundamental to the
creation of any musical system. Certainly, from a historical standpoint,
rhythm existed many centuries ago before the word “rag” was ever
used. Given this historical pre-eminence, it is not surprising that rhythm
occupies an important position in the Indian system of music.
Tala
• literally meaning ‘clap;’ variously transliterated as “tal”, “taal” or
“taala”.
• Is a regular, repeating rhythmic phrase, particularly as rendered
on a percussive instrument with an ebb and flow of various
intonations represented as a ''theka‘’
• is the common Indian system of rhythm.
Theka
a sequence of drum-syllables or ''bol'' in Indian classical music,
both Hindustani classical music and Carnatic music use complex rules to
create elaborate patterns of rhythm.
Tabla
most common instrument for keeping rhythm in Hindustani
music.
Mridangam
-most common instrument for keeping rhythm in Carnatic music
-also transliterated as “mridang.”