List of Indian musical instruments

2025-06-20T10:32:18Z

123.255.47.249: /* Plucked strings */ Added links, removed "Zesty" (probably not a real instrument) and "Dhrupad" (musical style, not an instrument), changed "Arched harp" link to "Ancient veena"

{{Short description|None}}
{{no footnotes|date=February 2013}}
[[File:Pulluvan pattu in Ashtamudi temple1.JPG|thumb|200px|Woman playing pulluvan veena]]

'''Musical instruments of the [[Indian subcontinent]]''' can be broadly classified according to the [[Hornbostel–Sachs]] system into four categories: [[chordophone]]s (string instruments), [[aerophone]]s (wind instruments), [[membranophone]]s (drums) and [[idiophone]]s (non-drum percussion instruments).

==[[Chordophones]]==

===[[Plucked string instrument|Plucked strings]]===
{|

|width="150" valign="top"|
* [[Ancient veena|Ancient Veena]]
* [[Bulbul Tarang]]
* [[Dilruba]]
* [[Dotara|Dotar, Dotora, or Dotara]]
* [[Ektara]]
* Getchu Vadyam or [[Jhallari]]
* Gopichand, Gopiyantra or [[Khamak]]
* [[Gottuvadhyam]] or Chitravina
* [[Khamak|Katho]]
* [[Sarod]]
* [[Sitar]]
* [[Surbahar]]
* [[Surshringar]]
* [[Swarabat]]
* [[Swarmandal]]
* [[Tanpura|Tambura]]
* [[Tritantri Veena]]

|width="300" valign="top"|
* [[Tumbi]]
* [[Ektara|Tuntuna]]
* [[Hansa Veena]]
* [[Mohan Veena]]
* [[Nakula Veena]]
* [[Nanthuni|Nanduni]]
* [[Pamiri rubab]]
* [[Rudra Veena]], also called Bīn in North India
* [[Sagar Veena]]
* [[Saraswati Veena]]
* [[Vichitra Veena]]
* [[Yazh]]
* [[Ranjan veena|Ranjan Veena]]
* [[Mayuri veena|Mayuri Veena]]
* [[Rubab (instrument)]]
* [[Triveni veena|Triveni Veena]]
|}

===[[Bowed string instrument|Bowed strings]]===
* [[Chikara (instrument)|Chikara]]
* [[Dhantara]]
* [[Dilruba]]
* [[Ektara]]
* [[Esraj]]
* {{ill|Kamaicha|de|Kamaica}}
* [[Kingri (string instrument)|Kingri]]
* [[Mayuri veena]] or [[Taus (instrument)|Taus]]
* [[Onavillu]]
* [[Behala (instrument)|Behala]]
* [[Pena (musical instrument)|Pena]]
* [[Pinaka veena]]
* [[Pulluvan|Pulluvan veena]] - one-stringed violin
* [[Ravanahatha]]
* [[Sarangi]]
* [[Sarinda (instrument)|Sarinda]]
* [[Tar Shehnai]]
* [[Villu Paatu|Villu]] - arched [[Musical bow|musical bow]]

===Other string instruments===
* Gethu or [[Jhallari]] – struck tanpura
* [[Gubguba]] or Jamuku (khamak)
* Pulluvan kutam
* [[Santoor]] – Hammered dulcimer

==[[Aerophones]]==

===Single reed===
*[[Pepa (musical instrument)|Pepa]]
*[[Pungi]] or [[Pungi|Been]]
[[File:Amber Fort-Jaipur-India0001.JPG|thumb|200px|Snake charmer playing pungi]]
[[File:Banshri.jpg|thumb|200px|Bansuri player at [[Mehrangarh]] Fort at [[Jodhpur]].]]
[[File:Dms7s5(1).jpg|thumb|200px|Indian [[Harmonium]]]]

===Double reed===
* [[Kuzhal]]
* [[Mukhavina]]
* [[Nadaswaram]]
* [[Shehnai]]
* Sundari
* [[Tangmuri]]

===Flute===
* [[Alghoza]] – double flute
* [[Bansuri]]
* [[Venu]] (Carnatic flute) Pullanguzhal

===Bagpipes===
*[[Mashak]]
*[[Titti (bagpipe)|Titti]]
*[[Sruti upanga]]

===Free reed===
* [[Gogona]]
* [[Morsing]]

===Free reed and bellows===
* [[Shruti box]]
* [[Harmonium (hand-pumped)]]

===Brass===
* Bigul – see [[Bugle]]
* [[Ekkalam]]
* [[Karnal (instrument)|Karnal]]
* [[Kombu (instrument)]]
* [[Ramsinga]]
* Kahal
* [[Nagfani]]
* Turi
* [[Tutari]]

==[[Membranophones]]==

===Hand drums===
[[File:Learn To Play Tabla.jpg|thumb|200px|Learning to play [[tabla]]]]
[[File:Perc-tumbak.jpg|thumb|200px|Tumbaknaer, drum from Jammu and Kashmir for accompanying devotionals]]
[[File:Peruvanam Kuttan Marar IMG 3074.JPG|thumb|200px|[[Chenda]] (top) and [[Chande]] (below) are different drums]]
[[File:Chandeboy.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Chande]] of Yakshagana]]

{|
|width="100" valign="top"|
* [[Dhadd|Dhad]]
* [[Damru]]
* Dimadi
* [[Dhol]]
* [[Dholak]]
* [[Dholki]]
* [[Duggi (drum)|Duggi]]
* Ghat singhari or Gada Singari
* [[Ghumot]]
* Gummeta
* [[Kanjira]]
* [[Khol]]
* Kinpar and Dhopar (Tribal Drums)
* [[Madal]]
* [[Mardala]]
* [[Maddale]]
* [[Maram (drum)|Maram]]
* [[Mizhavu]]
* [[Mridangam]]
* [[Naal (drum)|Naal]]

|valign="top"|
* [[Pakhavaj]]
* Pakhavaj [[Jori (instrument)|Jori]] – Sikh instrument similar to Tabla
* [[Panchamukha vadyam]]
* [[Pung cholom]]
* Shuddha Madalam or [[Maddalam]]
* Tabala / Tabl / Chameli – goblet drum
* [[Tabla]]
* [[Tabla Tarang]] – set of Tablas
* [[Tamate]]
* Thanthi Panai
* [[Thimila]]
* [[Dumbek|Tumbak]], Tumbaknari, Tumbaknaer
* [[Tumdak']]
* [[Udukku]]

|}

===Hand frame drums===
* [[Daf]], duf, or dafli – medium or large frame drum without jingles, of Persian origin
* Dubki, 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 (instrument)|Dhak]]
* [[Dhimay]]
* [[Dhol]]
* [[Dholi]]
* [[Dollu]]
* [[Idakka]]
* [[Thavil]]
* [[Udukai]]
* [[Urumi (drum)]]

===Stick drums===
[[File:12th-century sculpture at Belur Hindu temple, musician with drum musical instrument fingers in string.jpg|thumb|right|[[Chennakeshava Temple, Belur|Chennakeshava Temple]], 12th century A.D. Goddess playing an hourglass drum, possibly an udukai.]]
* [[Chande]]
* [[Davul]]
* [[Kachhi Dhol]]
* [[Naqareh#Indian Nagara|Nagara]] – pair of kettledrums
* [[Pambai]] – unit of two cylindrical drums
* Parai [[thappu]], halgi – frame drum played with two sticks
* [[Sambal (drum)|Sambal]]
* Stick daff or stick duff – daff in a stand played with sticks
* [[Tamak']]
* Tasha – type of [[kettledrum]]
* Thavanadai, Davandai
* Timki
* [[Urumi (drum)|Urumee]]

==Idiophones==
[[File:BelurCTM 30 Nagaveena Dance.jpg|thumb |A medieval instrument, labeled ''nagaveena'' (snake veena), is a type of musical scraper.]]
* [[Chimta]] – fire tong with brass jingles
* [[Chengila]] – metal disc
* [[Elathalam]]
* [[Geger]] – brass vessel
* [[Ghanti]] – Northern Indian bell
* [[Ghatam]] and Matkam (Earthenware pot drum)
* [[Ghungroo]]
* [[Khartal]] or Chiplya
* [[Taal (instrument)|Manjira]] or jhanj or taal
* [[Nut (musical instrument)|Nut]] – clay pot
* [[Sankarjang]] – lithophone
* [[Thali (percussion)|Thali]] – metal plate
* [[Thattukazhi mannai]]
* [[Yakshagana bells]]

===Melodic===
[[File:JalTarang Omenad.jpg|thumb|right|[[Jaltarang]]]]
* [[Jal tarang]], ceramic bowls with water
* Kanch tarang, a type of [[glass harp]]
* Loh tarang (लोह तरंग), a set of tuned gongs
* Kashtha tarang, a type of [[xylophone]]

==Hand harmonium==
Dwarkanath Ghose ([[Dwarkin]]) modified the French pedal harmonium.

==Electronic==
* [[Roland HandSonic]]
* [[Electronic tanpura]]
* Electronic (digital) tabla
* Talameter

* [[Music of India|Musical instrument of Tamil nadu]]
* [[List of Indian dances|List of Indian dance]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Indian musical instruments}}
{{Rāgas as per Performance Time}}

[[Category:Indian musical instruments|*]]
[[Category:Indian inventions|Musical instruments]]
[[Category:Lists of musical instruments|India]]
[[Category:India music-related lists|Instruments]]

Wikipedia - User contributions [en]

List of Indian musical instruments