List of Indian musical instruments
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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
- Kamaicha[de]
- 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
Double reed
- Kuzhal
- Mukhavina
- Nadaswaram
- Shehnai
- Sundari
- Tangmuri
Flute
Bagpipes
Free reed
Free reed and bellows
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
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