AFGHANISTAN

Rubab (national instrument of Afghanistan; also known as “the Lion of Instruments”.)

The Rubab is a double chambered lute and it’s body is carved out of a single piece of wood,
with a membrane covering the hollow bowl of the sound-chamber, upon which the bridge is
positioned. The instrument is made from the trunk of a mulberry tree, and or out of Rose
wood, the head from goat skin and the strings originally from gut  the intestines of young
goats, brought to the size of thread) and now in nylon.

Ghichak is a distinctive Instrument because its body is typically made from a large metal
tin.  It is a two stringed fiddle played with a horsehair bow called a Kaman. 

Tamboor is a stringed instrument made of hollow wood, with metal strings. It is similar to
the Indian Tambour frets tied around the hollow wooden neck. The larger Tamboors have 18
strings and corresponding tuning pegs on the end of the neck and 12 pegs on the side of the
neck.

Tula is a wooden flute it has six finger holes on the frontal plane and a single thumbhole on
the dorsal plane.

Harmonium (or “harmonia”) is originally from India. This instrument is a lot used as “sur”
for the voice. As well as Ghazal Classic, traditional music, Khawali (Qawali) etc. The
construction: Blowing air into the holes will produce sound. By using the Keys, you will
produce different sounds.

Tabla are a pair of hand played tunable drums that is the principal percussion instrument in
Afghanistan and North Indian classical music, used in the middle of the century in the Kabul
art music tradition. The tabla or Dahina is a wooden drum whose skin can be tuned to a
precise pitch.

Zirbaghali is a single headed drum that has a body made of wood or pottery.  It is shaped
like a goblet/ hourglass with a wide drumhead and a tapered base. It has a single-headed
membrane made out of goat skin. A similar instrument is found in surrounding regions of the
Middle East, including Iran, Turkey and Arab world, referred to as Darbuka, Tabla, Dumbek. 

Doyra is a round-shaped instrument, which is called differently as Doyra, Dap, Childirma

and Charmanda, is regarded to be one of the ancient percussion instruments.  Although such
instruments are widely used in various peoples, under various names, made-on-stone pictures
proving its antiquity and wide usage in ritual ceremonies have been found in Saymalitosh
region, Uzbekistan.

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 BANGLADESH/ INDIA
Sitar - A sitar can have 18, 19, 20, or 21 strings. Six or seven of these are played strings
which run over curved, raised frets, and the remainder are sympathetic strings (tarb, also
known as taarif or tarafdaar) which run underneath the frets and resonate in sympathy with
the played strings. These strings are generally used to set the mood of a raga at the very
beginning of a presentation. The frets, which are known as pardā or that are movable,
allowing fine-tuning. The instrument has two bridges: the large bridge (badaa goraa) for the
playing and drone strings and the small bridge (chota goraa) for the sympathetic strings. The
maintenance of this specific tone by shaping the bridge is called jawari. Materials used in
construction include teak wood or tun wood (Cedrela toona), which is a variation of
mahogany, for the neck and faceplate (tabli), and calabash gourds for the resonating
chambers. The instrument's bridges are made of deer horn, ebony, or very occasionally from
camel bone. Synthetic material is now common as well.

Violin- sometimes known as a fiddle, is a wooden string instrument in the violin family.
Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and highest-pitched instrument
(soprano) in the family in regular use. The violin typically has four strings, usually tuned in
perfect fifths with notes G3, D4, A4, E5, and is most commonly played by drawing a bow
across its strings. It can also be played by plucking the strings with the fingers (pizzicato)
and, in specialized cases, by striking the strings with the wooden side of the bow (col legno).

Flutes - is a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Unlike woodwind

instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its
sound from the flow of air across an opening. Flutes are the earliest extant musical
instruments, as paleolithic instruments with hand-bored holes have been found. A flute is an
open tube which is blown into. With most flutes, the musician blows directly across the edge
of the mouthpiece, with 1/4 of their bottom lip covering the embouchure hole. However,
some flutes, such as the whistle, gemshorn, flageolet, recorder, tin whistle, tonette, fujara, and
ocarina have a duct that directs the air onto the edge (an arrangement that is termed a
"fipple"). These are known as fipple flutes. The fipple gives the instrument a distinct timbre
which is different from non-fipple flutes and makes the instrument easier to play, but takes a
degree of control away from the musician.

Harmonium- also called Reed Organ, free-reed keyboard instrument that produces sound
when wind sent by foot-operated bellows through a pressure-equalizing air reservoir causes
metal reeds screwed over slots in metal frames to vibrate through the frames with close
tolerance. Separate sets of reeds provide different tone colours, the quality of the sound being
determined by the characteristic size and shape of the tone chamber surrounding each reed of
a given set; constricted chambers, for instance, induce powerful vibration and incisive tone.
Volume is controlled by a knee-operated air valve or directly from the bellows pedals by an
expression stop that allows the wind supply to bypass the reservoir. The instrument’s
compass is normally four to five octaves.
The harmonium is an instrument that has its origins in the period of British rule in
India. It is a modified version of the reed organ, with keys like the piano and bellows to pump
air into the instrument. It is now widely used as an accompaniment in Hindustani vocal
music, in religious music across the states of Maharashtra and Punjab- Haryana, and in
Qawwali music of the Islamic traditions.

Esraj (a traditional Bengali instrument) - Esraj is an Indian stringed instrument found in

two forms throughout the Indian subcontinent. It is played with a bow (known as a "gaz"),
with the other hand moving along the strings over the frets. The player may slide the note up
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or down to achieve the portamento, or meend.The Esraj can imitate the " gamak" of vocal
music and by using the middle finger one can create "krintan". Pt.Ranadhir Roy used
sitarbaz, sarodbaz and esrajbaz in his compositions.

Ektara ("one-string")- is a one-stringed musical instrument used in the traditional music of

South Asia, and used in modern-day music of Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.
In origin the ektara was a regular string instrument of wandering bards and minstrels from
India and is plucked with one finger. The ektara is a drone lute consisting of a gourd
resonator covered with skin, through which a bamboo neck is inserted. The various sizes of
ektara are soprano, tenor, and bass. The bass ektara, sometimes called a dotara often has two
strings (as literally implied by do, 'two').

Dotara ("two-strings") - is a two, four, or sometimes five-stringed musical instrument,

originating from eastern South Asia. It is commonly used in Bangladesh and the Indian states
of Assam, West Bengal and Bihar, and is first mentioned in a 14th-century Saptakanda
Ramayana. Later, it was adopted by the ascetic cults of Bauls and Fakirs. The dotara is a
plucked stringed instrument, played in an open note combination, often played alongside folk
percussive instruments such as Dhol, Khhol or Mandira. It is made out of neem or other
hardwood, with an elongated, roundish belly for a soundbox, which tapers to a narrow neck
culminating in a peg box which is often elaborately carved in the shape of a peacock-head,
swan-head or other animal motifs. The fingerboard is fretless and made of brass or steel, as in
a sarod. The soundbox of the instrument is covered with a tightly stretched kidskin or lizard-
skin, as in a rabaab or a sarod.

Khamak - is a string instrument close to ektara, originating in India, common in folk music
of Bengal, Odisha and North East India, especially Baulgaan. It is a one-headed drum with a
string attached to it which is plucked. The only difference from ektara is that no bamboo is
used to stretch the string, which is held by one hand, while being plucked by another. It is
generally used in Bengali boul (folk) songs. It is one of the most ancient string instruments in
eastern India.

Dhak - is a huge membranophone instrument from India. The shapes differ from the almost
cylindrical to the barrel. The manner of stretching the hide over the mouths and lacing also
varies. It suspended from the neck, tied to the waist and kept on the lap or the ground, and
usually played with wooden sticks. The left side is coated to give it a heavier sound. Drum
beats are an integral part of Durga Puja. It is mostly played by the Bengali community.

Dhol - 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 northern areas such as the Punjab, Haryana,
Delhi, Kashmir, Sindh, Assam Valley, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Konkan, Goa, Karnataka,
Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The range stretches westward as far as eastern Afghanistan. In
qawwali music, the term dhol is used to describe a similar, but smaller drum used with the
smaller tabla, as a replacement for the left hand tabla drum. The typical sizes of the drum
vary slightly from region to region. In Punjab, the dhol remains large and bulky to produce
the preferred loud bass. In other regions, dhols can be found in varying shapes and sizes and
made with different woods and materials (fiberglass, steel, plastic).
The dhol is slung over the shoulder or, more rarely, around the neck of the player with
a strap usually made up of woven cotton. The surface of the wooden barrel is in some cases
decorated with engraved patterns and sometimes paint.

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Sarod or sarode is a stringed instrument, used mainly in Hindustani music on the Indian
subcontinent. Along with the sitar, it is among the most popular and prominent instruments.
The sarod is known for a deep, weighty, introspective sound, in contrast with the sweet,
overtone-rich texture of the sitar, with sympathetic strings that give it a resonant, reverberant
quality. It is a fretless instrument able to produce the continuous slides between notes known
as meend (glissandi), which are important in Indian music. The conventional sarod is a 17 to
25-stringed lute-like instrument — four to five main strings used for playing the melody, one
or two drone strings, two chikari strings and nine to eleven sympathetic strings.

Veena - is among the oldest of Indian musical instruments. From the references to Vedic
writings, it can date back to around the first millennium B.C. Temple sculptures from the 2nd
century B.C. show a type of veena being played. The Saraswati veena is the predominant
Carnatic music and the Rudra veena the most played veena in Hindustani music. The
Saraswati veena has seven strings strung over twenty four fixed frets. It has a large resonator
(kudam), a tapering hollow neck (dandi) and a tuning box that curves downwards (yali). The
veena is said to be the only instrument that can play all the gamakas (oscillations) in Carnatic
music, usually something that only the most proficient vocalists can achieve. The Hindu
Goddess of Knowledge, Saraswathi, is said to play the Veena. Pictures depict her sitting on a
lotus and playing the instrument.

Udukkai - is an hourglass shaped, membranous drum used in devotional and folk music
throughout India. The udukkai is played with the hand and the pitch may be altered by
tightening the lacing in the middle. It is made of wood or brass and is very portable.

Thavil is a percussion instrument used for accompanying the nadaswaram, a wind instrument
used in Hidu religious music and as a solo instrument in Carnatic music. The thavil is played
with the fingers of the hand on the right, and a short, thick stick on the left. The tips of the
fingers of the right hand are covered with hardened thumb caps that are made of refined
wheat flour and water.

Tar Shehnai is an esraj (bowed string instrument) with an added mechanical amplifier. This
amplifier fixed to the sound board of the instrument is modeled on the gramophone sound
box to project a stronger, more directional sound. The amplifier gives the instrument a
shehnai (reed instrument) sound quality and the overall effect is very much like a violin
sound.

Tanpura is an instrument that acts as the reference chord in Indian classical music. It has a
resonator and 4 strings, but no frets, as the notes are always played whole. The name is
derived from tana or musical phrase and pura or whole. It consists of a resonator, and a long
neck at the end of which metal strings are attached that run over the whole body of the
instrument.
Indian classical music is based on the concept of ‘shruti’ or drone, with each singer and
instrument finding a base pitch that can comfortably encompass most notes.
Tanpuras are of several styles, the best known being Tanjore style- predominantly used by

Tabla is the percussion instrument most commonly used in north Indian classical music. The
instrument consists of two drums, called bayan (left) and dayan (right) as per the hand they
are most commonly played with. The drums consist of a layer of goatskin stretched over a
metal or clay vessel. The left and right vessels are shaped differently, with the right being
narrow and more cylindrical. The tabla is used as both a solo and an accompanying
instrument. It is commonly used as an accompaniment for khayal and thumri music. There
are many styles of playing the table. They are called gharanas, and there are six major ones-

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named after the places where they originated. These are Delhi, Lucknow, Farrukhabad,
Benares, Ajrara and Punjab. The gharanas differ in the technique used to play and repertoires.
Bansuri is a flute made of a single hollow shaft of bamboo. It can be transverse or fipple,
although the transverse variety is used in Indian classical music. The word bansuri originated
from Baans (bamboo) and Sur (musical note). The bansuri has six to seven holes, and,
depending on the pitch varies in its size. Longer flutes enable lower pitches. Because they
are made of bamboo, each bansuri is unique and is made by taking into consideration the
individual features of the bamboo. The Indian flute exists as a solo instrument in both
Hindustani and Carnatic music. It has been extensively used in folk music. The flute can be a
part of the musical orchestration for dance forms like Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi.

Shankha is a conch shell primarily used in religious music of Hinduism and Buddhism. The
shell is got from the shell of a large predatory sea snail, the Turbinella Pyrum that lives in the
Indian ocean. The main body of the shell is oblong or conical. The shankha is blown through
a hole that is specially drilled near the apex. When blown, the sound produced is loud and
high.

Nadaswaram is a wind instrument made of wood and metal that is found in both classical
and folk traditions in South India. The name is got from ‘Nada’ or pleasing sound and
‘Swaram’ meaning note. The sound of the instrument is considered auspicious, and it is used
in temple concerts and religious festivals. The nadaswaram is accompanied by the thavil, a
barrel shaped drum. The nadaswaram has a long tube with seven finger holes. The parts of
the nadaswaram are said to have different religious significances. The breath control needed
to play the nadaswaram makes it a tough instrument to master and play.

Mridangam can be traced back to ancient Indian mythology, when it is believed that the
sound it created matched and represented the movement and dances of the Gods! The name
comes from the Sanskrit words “Mrid” and “Ang” which literally means “Clay Body”, which
was very likely how the original mridangam was made. Mridangam is the main percussion
instrument of the South indian or Carnatic form of music, and is used to accompany vocalists
and all types of melodic instruments of south india. It is also used as an accompaniment for
Bharatnatyam and other forms of Indian dance.

Swarmandal is a harp like instrument that is most commonly used as an accompaniment to

Hindustani vocal music. The name originates frim ‘swara’ (note) and mandal (group), an
indicator of the large number of notes it can produce. The swarmandal is used by some
gharanas or schools of Hindustani music. It is tuned to the individual raga being sung and
strummed by hand. It is played almost exclusively by the lead vocalist.