List of Indian musical instruments

Woman playing pulluvan veena

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

Bowed strings

Other string instruments

Aerophones

Single reed

Snake charmer playing pungi
Bansuri player at Mehrangarh Fort at Jodhpur.
Indian Harmonium

Double reed

Flute

Bagpipes

Free reed

Free reed and bellows

Brass

Membranophones

Hand drums

Learning to play tabla
Tumbaknaer, drum from Jammu and Kashmir for accompanying devotionals
Chenda (top) and Chande (below) are different drums
Chande of Yakshagana

Hand frame drums

Stick and hand drums

Stick drums

Chennakeshava Temple, 12th century A.D. Goddess playing an hourglass drum, possibly an udukai.

Idiophones

A medieval instrument, labeled nagaveena (snake veena), is a type of musical scraper.

Melodic

Jaltarang

Hand harmonium

Dwarkanath Ghose (Dwarkin) modified the French pedal harmonium.

Electronic

References

  1. ↑ "Musical Instruments of India | Ministry of Culture". culture.gov.in. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
  2. ↑ "7 unique musical instruments of India". The Times of India. 2026-01-29. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2026-08-06.
  3. ↑ "7 unique musical instruments of India". The Times of India. 2026-01-29. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2026-08-06.
  4. ↑ "7 unique musical instruments of India". The Times of India. 2026-01-29. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2026-08-06.