Indian musical instruments

Lady playing pulluvan pattu

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 Dotar, Dotora, or Dotara Ektara Getchu Vadyam or Jhallari Gopichand or Gopiyantra or Khamak Gottuvadhyam or Chitravina Katho Sarod Sitar Surbahar Surshringar Swarabat Swarmandal Tambura

Tumbi Tuntuna Magadi Veena Hansaveena Mohan Veena Nakula Veena Nanduni Rudra Veena Saraswati Veena Vichitra Veena Yazh Ranjan Veena Triveni Veena

Bowed strings

Tribal fiddle instruments called "Dhodro Banam" used by Santhal people in Eastern India.

• Chikara
• Dilruba
• Ektara violin
• Esraj
• Kamaicha
• Mayuri Vina or Taus
• Onavillu
• Pena or Bana
• Pulluvan pattu - 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

Aerophones

Single reed

• Pepa
• Pungi or Been

Snake charmer playing pungi

Banshri player at fort Jodhpur

Indian Harmonium

Double reed

• Kuzhal
• Nadaswaram
• Shehnai
• Sundari

Flute

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

Bagpipes

• Mashak
• Titti
• Sruti upanga

Free reed

• Gogona
• Morsing

Free reed and bellows

• Shruti box
• Harmonium (hand-pumped)

Brass

• Ekkalam

Other wind instruments

• Ramsinga

Membranophones

Hand drums

Dhad Damru Dimadi Dhol Dholak Dholki Duggi Ghat singhari or gada singari Ghumot Gummeta Kanjira Khol Kinpar and Dhopar (tribal drums) Maddale Maram Mizhavu Mridangam

Pakhavaj Pakhavaj jori - Sikh instrument similar to tabla Panchamukha vadyam Pung Shuddha madalam or Maddalam Tabala / tabl / chameli - goblet drum Tabla Tabla tarang - set of tablas Tamte Thanthi Panai Thimila Tumbak, tumbaknari, tumbaknaer

Learn To Play Tabla Tumbaknaer, drum from Jammu and Kashmir for accompanying devotionals

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

Chande of Yakshagana

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

Jaltarang

• 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
• Loh tarang, a set of metallic plates

Electronic

• Electronic tanpura
• Talameter

Sound samples

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