Indian Instruments

There are requirements that each Indian instrument must meet.  One of these is for the instrument to have the ability to return pitches for creative demand in a performance.  Most instruments which can't do this have little purpose in Indian music.  The complicated rhythms put heavy demands on alot of percussion instruments.

This Instrument is called the tabla.  It is the over all term for drums.  It is played as an accompaniment to hindustani music and dance.  The musician used the base of their palm as well as their fingers to create variations in sound.  The right-hand drum is tuned and the left-hand drum acts as the base.

This is a picture of the Indian Instrument the Sitar.  It is the most popular instrument and easily reconized.  The sitar is played by being plucked.  The body of the sitar is carved out of tun or teak wood.  It has twenty metal frets with six or seven playing strings and nineteen sympathetic strings below.  There have been many modifications to the instrument.

The shehnai is a double reeded instrument with a tube towards the lower end.  There are eight or nine holes.  The top seven are for playing and the lower ones are for tuning.  The shehnai is played on all festive occasions in India. See more Indian Musical Instruments Back to First Page

This is a group of Indian percussion instruments.

The dholak is a side drum in the shape of a cylinder.  It is made our of solid wood. Its pitch is changable and a needed accompaniment for folk music in the north of India.

	Site created: November 2001 Last updated: 18 December 2001