Musical instruments of the Indian subcontinent 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 Ancient Veena Bulbul Tarang Dilruba Dotar, Dotora, or Dotara Ektara Getchu Vadyam or Jhallari Gopichand, Gopiyantra or Khamak Gottuvadhyam or Chitravina Katho Sarod Sitar Surbahar Surshringar Swarabat Swarmandal Tambura Tritantri Veena Tumbi Tuntuna Hansa Veena Mohan Veena Nakula Veena Nanduni Pamiri rubab Rudra Veena, also called Bīn in North India Sagar Veena Saraswati Veena Vichitra Veena Yazh Ranjan Veena Mayuri Veena Rubab (instrument) Triveni Veena
Bowed strings Chikara Dhantara Dilruba Ektara Esraj
Kingri Mayuri veena or Taus Onavillu Behala Pena Pinaka veena Pulluvan veena - one-stringed violin Ravanahatha Sarangi Sarinda Tar Shehnai Villu - arched musical bow
Other string instruments Gethu or Jhallari – struck tanpura Gubguba or Jamuku (khamak) Pulluvan kutam Santoor – Hammered dulcimer
Aerophones
Single reed Pepa Pungi or Been
Double reed Kuzhal Mukhavina Nadaswaram Shehnai Sundari Tangmuri
Flute Alghoza – double flute Bansuri Venu (Carnatic flute) Pullanguzhal
Bagpipes 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
Dhad Damru Dimadi Dhol Dholak Dholki Duggi Ghat singhari or Gada Singari Ghumot Gummeta Kanjira Khol Kinpar and Dhopar (Tribal Drums) Madal Mardala Maddale Maram Mizhavu Mridangam Naal Pakhavaj Pakhavaj 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 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 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 Thavanadai, Davandai Timki Urumee
Idiophones
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 Manjira 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 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
Musical instrument of Tamil nadu List of Indian dance
References