Indian Musical Instruments

INDIAInstruments)

(Musical

CLASSIFICATION:Stringed Instruments

Wind Instruments

Percussion Instruments

Ghana Vadya [idiophones]

Tantu Vadya [chordophones]

Sushir Vadya [aerophones]

Avanaddha Vadya [membranophones]

Tantu Vadya:Plucked Instruments

Stringed musical instruments played by quickly pulling and releasing strings with a finger or plectrum (pick)

Bowed Instruments

Stringed musical instruments played with a wooden rod with horsehair tightly stretched between the two ends

Tantu Vadya:Veena

Sitar

Sarod

Tanpura

Ektara

Santoor

Plucked

VEENA

Long neck lute (wood)24 frets (metal)

2 resonators

4 metal and 3 drone strings

Used in Carnatic Classical music as a solo instrument

VEENA

SITAR Balanced between

the player's left foot and right

knee

SITARLong-necked string instrument

Has 7 main strings (2 drone strings)

Most well-known Indian instrument

Has 17 strings (usual)

Plucked with a wire plectrum (Mizrab)

Has 11 sympathetic strings lying under the frets

Has frets that are metal rods, bent into crescents

Main resonator is usually made of a gourd; additional resonator attached to the neck

SARODAn instrument which is derived from the Rabab(Afghanistan)

Has a metal fingerboard with NO frets

A taut membrane which covers the resonator

Has 8-10 main strings; 12-15 resonant strings

Played with a plectrum/ pick made of coconut shell (java)

SAROD

TANPURA

Resembles to Sitar

Has NO frets

Has 4 strings

Known for its very rich sound

A drone instrument

One of the most ancient forms

Has only 1 metal string

Made up of wood

Used for Kirtan chanting

EKTARA

SANTOORA hammered dulcimer w/c

is struck w/ light wooden mallets

24 or >100 strings

Typical sizes tend to be around 80

Has a vibrant tone

Ako si Renz, mwah!!

Tantu Vadya:Esraj (Dilruba)

Sarangi

Bowed

Has a Sitar-like neck

Has 20 metal frets

Dilruba (northern variation)

ESRAJ

SARANGIHas 3-4 main playing strings and 36 resonant/ sympathetic strings

Has NO frets or fingerboard; strings float in the air

Pitch is determined by sliding the fingernail against the string rather than pressing it against a fingerboard

Resembles the tone of the human voice

SARANGI

Sushir Vadya:Shehnai

Harmonium

Bamboo Flute

Bansuri – 6-hole bamboo flute

Venu – 8-hole bamboo flute

SHEHNAIDouble-reed wind instrument

With a widening tube towards lower end

Has 7 upper holes for playing and lower holes for tuning

Persian “Sheh” (King) and “Nai” (Flute) to mean King’s Flute

Created by improving the Pungi - used by snake charmers

SHEHNAI

Uses air to play music - a bellow

Keys are similar to that of a piano

Played with one hand

HARMONIUM

Bellow with the other

BAMBOO FLUTEBANSURI

Hindustani (North Indian) system

6-7 holes for flexibility and correctness of pitch

VENU

Carnatic (South Indian) system

8 holes

Avanaddha Vadya:Tabla

Dhol(ak)

Pakhawaj (Mridangam)

Sreekhol (Khol)

Dhak

TABLA

Small wooden right hand drum (Dayan) - high-pitch

Larger metal left hand drum (Bayan) - low-pitch

Has large black spot on each of the playing surfaces to create the bell-like timbre

Uses the base of the palm and fingers

Used for the accompaniment of north Indian Classical music (Hindustani)

A pair of drums

Double-sided barrel drum

Played with two wooden sticks

Hung over the neck with a strap made up of woven cloth DHOLmembrane is simple but left one has special coating

North Indian version of the Mridangam

One side of the drum is larger than the other

A double-ended drum

Used for Odissi and Kathak dancing

Played with the different parts of the hand

PAKHAWAJ

(SREE)KHOL

Also called as Mridang

Has a body made of clay

Small head on right side

Larger head on left side

Almost the same with Dhol

DHAK

Hung over the shoulder on sideways with a strap

Played with two wooden sticks

Ghana Vadya:Manjira

Jaltarang(am)

Ghungroo

Ghatam

MANJIRA

A rhythmic instrument used for folk music

Cymbals are metal and tied with a cotton lace

Played by banging on each other in a particular way

Used in devotional music

Made up of a series of China bowls of varying sizes

Arranged in semi-circle, and performer sits in the middle

Filled with varying levels of water w/c defines the pitch

Water xylophone

JALTARANG

Largest bowl is to the left; whereas the smallest to his right

Played by banging the bowls w/ 2 light & thin bamboo sticks

Also known as Ankle Bells

May be held, or worn on wrists

Made of small metallic bells

Used in dance (Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Odissi, and Kathak)

Start out with 50 bells (novice)

GHUNGROO

GHATAMA large clay pot with a

narrow opening

Played by striking

Pitch is raised or lowered by opening or closing the

hole with the stomach

Made mainly of clay baked with brass or copper filings with a small amount of iron filings

Tamang emowt lang…

Ba-bye na!