Indian & South Asian Musical Instruments

The most famous of the indian musical instruments. It has one melodic string and few monotonic ones. It is a long-necked lute with a resonating body made from a large gourd, seven metal strings stopped against movable arched frets, and a series of sympathetic strings.

The distinctive pitch distortions of sitar music are achieved by pulling and easing the strings over the raised frets.

Bowed small sitar-like instrument. Developed in North India 250 years ago based on the Middle Eastern Rebab and the Afghan rubab. Can either be plucked or played with a bow.

The most popular Indian percussion instrument. A set of 2 drums with leather heads, and leather straps for tuning. The Tabla is made of wood and the Dagga of metal.

One of the oldest Afghan instruments, the rubab is a plucked lute with a short neck and double chambers. The body is made of mulberry wood and the membrane of goatskin. The rubab has three main playing strings made of animal gut or string and about a dozen drone and sympathetic metal strings. It is played with a wooden plectrum. The rubab is the predecessor of the Indian sarod and is also very popular in Uzbekistan and throughout North and West Pakistan.

The Chucick rubab is a plucked lute with a short neck and many frets. The name means 'Small Rubab'.

MusixCool© By Nadav Dafni