Indian musical instruments can be broadly classified according to the

Hornbostel–Sachs Hornbostel–Sachs or Sachs–Hornbostel is a system of musical instrument classification devised by Erich Moritz von Hornbostel and Curt Sachs, and first published in the in 1914. An English translation was published in the '' Galpin Society ...

system into four categories:

chordophone String instruments, stringed instruments, or chordophones are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when a performer plays or sounds the strings in some manner. Musicians play some string instruments by plucking the s ...

s (string instruments),

aerophone An aerophone () is a musical instrument that produces sound primarily by causing a body of air to vibrate, without the use of strings or membranes (which are respectively chordophones and membranophones), and without the vibration of the instru ...

s (wind instruments),

membranophone A membranophone is any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by way of a vibrating stretched membrane. It is one of the four main divisions of instruments in the original Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification. ...

s (drums) and

idiophone An idiophone is any musical instrument that creates sound primarily by the vibration of the instrument itself, without the use of air flow (as with aerophones), strings (chordophones), membranes (membranophones) or electricity ( electrophones) ...

s (non-drum percussion instruments).

Chordophones String instruments, stringed instruments, or chordophones are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when a performer plays or sounds the strings in some manner. Musicians play some string instruments by plucking the st ...

Plucked strings

Bowed strings

* Chikara *

Dhantara The dhantara (or dhanotu) is a bowed string instrument found in Himachal Pradesh state of India. The instrument is similar to the classical sarangi, but is more primitive, having only three melody strings and no ''tarab'' (sympathetic strings). Th ...

Dilruba The dilruba (also spelt dilrupa) is a bowed musical instrument originating in India. It is slightly larger than an esraj and has a larger, square resonance box. The dilruba holds particular importance in Sikh history. It became more widely kn ...

* Ektara violin *

Esraj The (from the pa, ਇਸਰਾਜ) is an Indian stringed instrument found in two forms throughout the Indian subcontinent. It is a relatively recent instrument, being only about 300 years old. It is found in North India, primarily Punjab, wh ...

* Kamaicha *

Kingri (string instrument) Kingri is a chordophone Indian bowed string instrument (string spike fiddle), similar to Rabab and Ravanastron. It has a resonator box of unglazed pottery, through which a stick is passed to function as the neck. History The Kingri is mentione ...

* Mayuri Vina or Taus * Onavillu * Behala (violin type) *

Pena (musical instrument) Pena is a mono string instrument falling in the lute category, slightly similar to some of the traditional Indian stringed musical instruments such as the ravanahatha, ''ubo'' or the ''kenda''. It is the traditional musical instrument of Manipu ...

Pinaka vina The ''pināka vīnā'' ( hi, पिनाक pinnak + hi, वीणा veena) was an Indian musical instrument, a musical bow that was itself played with a bow. It has also been transliterated ''pinaki vina'' and ''pinak''. It appeared simil ...

* Pulluvan Veena - one stringed violin *

Ravanahatha A ravanahatha (variant names: ''ravanhatta'', ''rawanhattha'', ''ravanastron'', ''ravana hasta veena'') is an ancient bowed, stringed instrument, used in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and surrounding areas. It has been suggested as an ancestor of t ...

Sarangi The sārangī is a bowed, short-necked string instrument played in traditional music from South Asia – Punjabi folk music, Rajasthani folk music, and Boro folk music (there known as the ''serja'') – in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. It ...

* Classical

Sarinda Sarinda may refer to: * ''Sarinda'', a genus of jumping spiders * Sarinda, an Indian stringed instrument {{disambig ...

Tar Shehnai The tar shehnai, also spelled tarshenai or sometimes tar shehanai, is an esraj (an Indian bowed instrument) whose sound is amplified by a metal horn attached to its sound board. The term is also used to refer to the horn itself. The horn of a phon ...

Villu Paatu ''Villu Paatu'' (English: Bow Song, Tamil: வில்லுப்பாட்டு), also known as Villadichampaatu, is an ancient form of musical story-telling method performed in Southern India , where narration is interspersed with music, a ...

- arched bow instrument +

Behala Behala is a locality of South West Kolkata, in the Indian state of West Bengal. Behala is a part of Kolkata Municipal Corporation area. It is broadly spread across Ward Nos. 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, ...

- Bengal Murshidabad Violin Persian "Behaaleh" (Restless)

Other string instruments

* Gethu or Jhallari – struck tanpura *

Gubguba The gubguba, also known as gabgubagub, guba, gopijantro, gubgubbi, ananda lahari, premtal, khamak, khomok, chonka, jamidika, jamuku and bapang is an Indian percussion string instrument. It consists of a dried gourd or wooden resonator through wh ...

or Jamuku (khamak) * Pulluvan kutam *

Santoor The Indian santoor instrument is a trapezoid-shaped hammered dulcimer, and a variation of the Iranian santur. The instrument is generally made of walnut and has 25 bridges. Each bridge has 4 strings, making for a total of 100 strings. It is ...

– Hammered dulcimer

Aerophones An aerophone () is a musical instrument that produces sound primarily by causing a body of air to vibrate, without the use of strings or membranes (which are respectively chordophones and membranophones), and without the vibration of the instr ...

Single reed

* Pepa *

Pungi The pungi (Hindi: पुंगी, ur, پُنگیپُنگی, Burmese: ပုန်ဂိ), originates from the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a reservoir into which air is blown and then channelled into two reed pipes. It i ...

Been Been may refer to: *To be *Have been *Been (surname) * Beens, an ethnic group of Bangladesh *Pungi or been, an Indian wind instrument *Rudra veena or been, a string instrument See also *Bean (disambiguation) A bean is a large seed of several plan ...

Double reed

Kuzhal The kuzhal is a traditional double reed wind instrument used in the south Indian state of Kerala. It is similar in construction to a '' nagaswaram'' or a large ''shehnai'', and has a very shrill and penetrating tone. Kuzhal is primarily used as ...

* Mukhavina *

Nadaswaram The Nagaswaram (nādḥasvaram) is a double reed wind instrument from South India. It is used as a traditional classical instrument in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala. This instrument is "among the world's loude ...

Shehnai The ''shehnai'' is a musical instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is made of wood, with a double reed at one end and a metal or wooden flared bell at the other end.Sundari *

Tangmuri The tangmuri, ''ka tangmuri'' in the Khasi language, is a double-reed conical-bore wind-instrument used by the Hynniew Trep people of Meghalaya State in North-East India , native_name_lang = mni , settlement_type = , ...

Flute

* Alghoza – double flute *

Bansuri A bansuri is an ancient side blown flute originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is an aerophone produced from bamboo and metal like material used in Hindustani classical music. It is referred to as ''nadi'' and ''tunava'' in the '' ...

Venu The ''venu'' (Sanskrit: ; /मुरळि; ''muraļi'') is one of the ancient transverse flutes of Indian classical music. It is an aerophone typically made from bamboo, that is a side blown wind instrument. It continues to be in use in the ...

(Carnatic flute) Pullanguzhal

Bagpipes

* Mashak * Titti * Sruti upanga

Free reed

Gogona The ''gogona'' is a type of jaw harp, a vibrating reed instrument that is used primarily in the traditional Bihu music in Assam. In Boro language, it is known as ''Gongina''. It is made of a piece of bamboo/horn that has a bifurcation on one end. ...

Morsing The morsing (also mukharshanku, mourching, morching or morchang; Sanskrit: दंत वाद्यन्तरात्मसत्रस्य, Telugu: మోర్సింగ్, Kannada: ಮೋರ್ಸಿಂಗ್, Rajasthani: मोर� ...

Free reed and bellows

Shruti box A shruti box (sruti box or surpeti) is an instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, that traditionally works on a system of bellows. It is similar to a harmonium and is used to provide a drone in a practice session or concert of In ...

* Harmonium (hand-pumped)

Brass

* Bigul – see

Bugle The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, normally having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure. History The bugle developed from early musical or communication ...

Ekkalam The ekkalam is an aerophone An aerophone () is a musical instrument that produces sound primarily by causing a body of air to vibrate, without the use of strings or membranes (which are respectively chordophones and membranophones), and withou ...

Karnal Karnal ( is a city located in the state of Haryana, India and is the administrative headquarters of Karnal District. It was used by East India Company army as a refuge during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 in Delhi. The Battle of Karnal betw ...

* Kombu (instrument) *

Ramsinga The ransingha or ransinga is a type of primitive trumpet made of copper or copper alloys, used in both India and Nepal. The instrument is made of two metal curves, joined together to form an "S" shape. It may also be reassembled to form a cresce ...

* Kahal * Nagfani * Turi * Tutari

Membranophones A membranophone is any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by way of a vibrating stretched membrane. It is one of the four main divisions of instruments in the original Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification. ...

Hand drums

Hand frame drums

Daf Daf ( fa, دف) also known as Dâyere and Riq is a Middle Eastern (mainly Iranian) frame drum musical instrument, used in popular and classical music in South and Central Asia. It is also used in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Iran ...

, duf, or dafli – medium or large frame drum without jingles, of Persian origin * Dubki, dimdi or dimri – small frame drum without jingles *

Kanjira The kanjira, khanjira, khanjiri or ganjira, a South Indian frame drum, is an instrument of the tambourine family. As a folk and bhajan instrument, it has been used in India for many centuries. The kanjira's emergence in South Indian Carnatic ...

– small frame drum with one jingle * Kansi – small drum without jingles * Patayani thappu – medium frame drum played with hands

Stick and hand drums

Chenda The Chenda ( ml, ചെണ്ട, ) is a cylindrical percussion instrument originating in the state of Kerala and widely used in Tulu Nadu of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in India. In Tulu Nadu (Coastal Karnataka), it is known as ''chende''. ...

Davul The davul, dhol, tapan, atabal or tabl is a large double-headed drum that is played with mallets. It has many names depending on the country and region. These drums are commonly used in the music of the Middle East and the Balkans. These drums ...

* Dhak *

Dhimay Dhimay, Dhimaya ( new, धिमय्) or Dhime is a traditional Nepalese drum of the Newar people. According to the Hornbostel–Sachs classification, it belongs to the category of double-headed cylindrical membranophone. Description The drum ...

Dhol Dhol (IPA: ) can refer to any one of a number of similar types of double-headed drum widely used, with regional variations, throughout the Indian subcontinent. Its range of distribution in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan primarily includes nor ...

Dholi Dhol (IPA: ) can refer to any one of a number of similar types of double-headed drum widely used, with regional variations, throughout the Indian subcontinent. Its range of distribution in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan primarily includes nor ...

* Dollu *

Idakka The ''idakka'' (), also spelt edaykka/edakka, is an hourglass-shaped drum from Kerala in south India. This handy percussion instrument is very similar to the pan-Indian damaru. While the damaru is played by rattling knotted cords against the res ...

Thavil A ''thavil'' ( Tamil:தவில்) or ''tavil'' is a barrel-shaped percussion instrument from Tamil Nadu. It is also widely used in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamilnadu and Telangana States of South India. It is used in temple, fol ...

Udukai The udukkai, udukai or udukku ( Tamil: உடுக்கை) is a member of the family of membranophone percussion instruments of India and Nepal used in folk music and prayers in Tamil Nadu. The drums are an ancient design of hourglass drums s ...

Urumi (drum) The ''urumi'' (; also known as ''urumee'') is a double-headed hourglass-shaped drum from the state of Tamil Nadu, South India. Two skin heads are attached to a single hollow, often intricately carved wooden shell. The preferred wood is jackwo ...

Stick drums

Chande The ''chande'' is a drum used in the traditional and classical music of South India and particularly in Yakshagana theatre art of Karnataka. It follows the Yakshagana Tala system. The rhythms are based on pre-classical music forms that Karna ...

* Kachhi Dhol * Nagara – pair of kettledrums * Pambai – unit of two cylindrical drums * Parai thappu, halgi – frame drum played with two sticks *

Sambal Sambal is an Indonesian chilli sauce or paste, typically made from a mixture of a variety of chilli peppers with secondary ingredients, such as shrimp paste, garlic, ginger, shallot, scallion, palm sugar, and lime juice. ''Sambal'' is an I ...

* Stick daff or stick duff – daff in a stand played with sticks *

Tamak' The ''tamak' '' is a stick-struck double-headed drum of the Santal people of India. The body of the drum is made from metal and shaped like a large bowl. The head of the drum is usually cowhide and 14-18 inches in diameter. The player strik ...

* Tasha – type of

kettledrum Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditional ...

* Timki * Urumee

Idiophones

* Chigggjha – fire tong with brass jingles * Chengila – metal disc * Eltathalam * Gegvrer – brass vessel * Ghaynti – Northern Indian bell *

Ghatam The ghaṭam ( sa, घटं ''ghaṭaṁ'', kan, ಘಟ ''ghaṭah'', ta, கடம் ''ghatam'', te, ఘటం ''ghatam'', ml, ഘടം, ''ghatam'') is a percussion instrument used in various repertoires across India. It's a variant ...

and Matkam (Earthenware pot drum) * Ghunyugroo *

Khartal Khartal 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. This wooden clapper is a Ghana Vadya which has discs or plates that pro ...

or Chiplya * Manjeewera or jhanj or taal *

Nut Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, or a collective noun for dry and edible fruits or seeds * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut or Nuts may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Com ...

– clay pot * Sankarpjlnjang – lithophone *

Thali Thali (meaning "plate"), Bhojanam (meaning "full meal") or Chakluk is a round platter used to serve food in South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. Thali is also used to refer to an Indian-style meal made up of a selection of various di ...

– metal plate * Thattukanvjzhi mannai * Yakshahgana bells

Melodic

Jal tarang The ''jal tarang'' (Hindi: जलतरंग) is a melodic percussion instrument that originates from the Indian subcontinent. It consists of a set of ceramic or metal bowls filled with water. The bowls are played by striking the edge with bea ...

, ceramic bowls with water * Kanch tarang, a type of

glass harp A glass harp (also called musical glasses, singing glasses, angelic organ, verrillon or ghost fiddle) is a musical instrument made of upright wine glasses. It is played by running moistened or chalked fingers around the rim of the glasses. Each ...

* Kashtha tarang, a type of

xylophone The xylophone (; ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets. Like the glockenspiel (which uses metal bars), the xylophone essentially consists of a set of tuned wooden keys arranged in t ...

Hand harmonium

Dwarkanath Ghose (

Dwarkin Dwarkin formally known as Dwarkin & Son, founded in 1875, was an Indian enterprise for the sale of Western and Indian musical instruments based in Kolkata, and focused on the development of the hand-held harmonium. History Dwarkin & Son was found ...

) modified the French pedal harmonium.

Electronic

* Roland HandSonic *

Electronic tanpura An electronic tanpura is an electronic instrument that replicates the sound of an Indian string instrument known as the tanpura (tambura), used to provide a constant drone to accompany another's vocal or instrumental melody. Terminology It may ...

* Electronic (digital) tabla * Talameter

References

{{Rāgas as per Performance Time Indian musical instruments

Musical instruments A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be considered a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. A person who pl ...

Lists of musical instruments