Musical Instruments & Players
Introduction
- For any music to be created, one needs to have some semblance of music instruments.
There are four major traditional categories of musical instruments depending upon the type of instruments that are included in it. They are:
Awanad/Avanaddha Vadya
- These are the membranophone instruments as they contain an outer membrane, which is beaten to take out particular musical sounds. These are also known as percussion instruments as one has to strike them to generate musical sound.
- They generally have one or two faces covered with skin. The most ancient amongst this class are the Bhumi Dundubhi or the earth drum.
- Generally, the musical instruments included in this category are Tabla, Drum, Dhol, Congo, Mridangam, etc.
- While the Tabla is usually the accompaniment of most Hindustani classical vocals, the Mridangam is the instrument that accompanies the Carnatic musical performances
Sushira Vadya
These are the aerophones, i.e. this category includes all the wind instruments. Most common instruments include Bansuri (flute), Shehnai, Pungi, Ninkirns, etc.
- Bansuri (flute): Common wind instrument.
- Shehnai: Double reeded wind instrument, oldest in India; associated with Ustad Bismillah Khan as the ‘Shehnai King’.
- Pungi: Another wind instrument.
- Ninkirns: Also included in this category.
- Flute: Known since the Vedic period, initially called Nadi or Tunava; iconic due to Lord Krishna’s association with it.
- Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia: Renowned flutist in India.
Ghana Vadya
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It is the genre of the non-drum percussion instruments that do not require any tuning. They are also called the Idiophone instruments. The most popular examples of Ghana Vadya are Manjira, Jaltarang, Kanch-tarang, Ghungroo, Ghatam (earthern ware pot drum), Khartal, etc
- Manjira: Small brass cymbal used in religious ceremonies, dated back to the Harappan Civilization.
- Jaltarang: Water-filled porcelain bowls played with sticks.
- Kanch-tarang: Glass bangles used for percussion.
- Ghungroo: Small bells worn on ankles, used in dance.
- Ghatam: Earthenware pot drum.
- Khartal: Wooden clappers used in folk music.
The function of these instruments is to maintain rhythm and time with the accompanying song or performance.
Tata Vadya
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These are the Chordophones or the string instruments that function best when their sound is modified by hand. There are three major types of tata instruments:
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(a) Bowed: The instruments where the sound is drawn from drawing a bow across the strings. For example, Sarangi, Esraj/Dilruba and Violin.
(b) Plectral: The instruments where the strings are plucked by the fingers or by a plectrum of wire or horn. For example, Sitar, Veena, Tanpura, Guitar, etc.
(c) Those instruments that are struck by small hammer or a pair of sticks. For example, Gotuvadyam and Swaramandal. India has produced several outstanding artists in the field of tata instruments.
(b) Plectral: The instruments where the strings are plucked by the fingers or by a plectrum of wire or horn. For example, Sitar, Veena, Tanpura, Guitar, etc.
(c) Those instruments that are struck by small hammer or a pair of sticks. For example, Gotuvadyam and Swaramandal. India has produced several outstanding artists in the field of tata instruments.
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The Bhangash family are considered to be the pioneers of Sarod in the 20th century. There are several Gharanas for playing Sitar, for example, Jaipur, Varanasi, Etawah (Imaad Khani) Gharanas. The Veena, which is one of the most ancient and revered instrument that belongs to Goddess Saraswati, also belongs to this category of musical instruments.
 Keyboard Instruments
They are musical instruments played using keyboards. Check out the following list of keyboard instruments.
- Piano
- Harmonium
- Celeste
- Pipe organ
- Accordion
- Claviola
- Harpsichord
- Organ
- Synthesiser
- Harmonica
Santoor :It is a 100 strings instrument and is a traditional instrument of Jammu and Kashmir from ancient times. Sufiana kalam music is accompanied by Santoor
FOLK MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Chordophones
1. Tumbi: It is played during Bhangra in Punjab.
2. Ektara or Tun Tuna: It is a one-stringed instrument played by wandering monks.
3. Dotara: two-stringed instrument used by Bauls
4. Chikara: bowed instrument used in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
5. Dilruba or Esraj: accompanying instrument used in Punjab and during Rabindra sangeet in Eastern India.
6. Onavillu: From Kerala and is made of bamboo.
7. Sarinda: Important tribal instrument and is used by Santhals in Eastern India and also used in Rajasthan and Assam. It is like Sarangi.
Aerophones
1. Pungi or Been: It is used by snake charmers. It is made up of dried bottle gourd and two bamboo sticks.
2. Algoza: It is a double flute and is a popular folk instrument of North West India, especially Punjab.
3. Tangmuri: It is a folk instrument of Khasi hill people of Meghalaya.
4. Titti: It is like a bagpiper, made of goat skin. It is made in South India especially Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.
5. Mashak: An important folk instrument of Garhwal region in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
6. Gogona: It is made up of bamboo, used in Bihu festival in Assam.
Membranophones
1. Ghumot: It is like a drum and is played during Ganesh festival in Goa.
2. Idakka: It is like Damru and is from Kerala.
3. Udukai: It is a hour-glass shaped instrument like damru from Tamil Nadu.
4. Sambal: It is like drum. It is played with sticks in Konkan region of Maharashtra.
5. Tamak: It is an important instrument of Santhal tribe and is a two headed drum. It is beaten with drum sticks.
6. Diggi: It is a folk drum from Ghariya village of Uttar Pradesh.
Idiophones
1. Chimta: evolved from fire tongs, used in Punjab.
2. Gharha: These are earthern pots, used in folk music of Punjab
3. Andelu: It is used in Burra-Katha. It is a pair of hollow metal rings.
List of 60+ Musical Instrument Names
| Piano | Flute | Veena | Drums |
| Mridangam | Violin | Guitar | Triangle |
| Trumpet | Saxophone | Mouth organ | Cello |
| Xylophone | Clap box | Electric guitar | Bass guitar |
| Bugle | Harp | Harmonium | Oboe |
| Maracas | Cymbal | Accordion | Bongo drums |
| Bell | French horn | Banjo | Conga drums |
| Keyboard | Gong | Pipe organ | Comet |
| Tambourine | Trombone | Ukulele | Electronic drums |
| Drum pad | Clarinet | Harmonica | Tuba |
| Bass drum | Snare drum | Euphonium | Piccolo |
| Lute | Marimba | Bassoon | Cornet |
| Celesta | Spinet | Oud | Yueqin |
| Dholak | Tabla | Damru | Sarangi |
| Sitar | Gu-zheng | Ektara | Shehnai |
| Sarod | Pungi | Gramophone | Tubular chimes |
List of Important Musical Instruments and their Exponents
Musical instruments are uniquely related to each other. All over the world we have seen various maestros outrightly blow our minds through their musical performances. Let us help you to know about some of the most important musical instruments and their exponents through this table below:Â
| Wind Instruments |
Exponents |
| Harmonium | Shri Purushottam Walawalkar, Appa Jalgaonkar, Jnan Prakash Ghosh |
| Flute | TR Mahalingam, Hariprasad Chaurasiya, N. Ramani, Pannalal Ghosh |
| Shehnai | Daya Shankar, Bismillah Khan, Ali Ahmad Hussain |
| Nadaswaram | Rajaratanam Pillai, Sheikh Chinnamaula, Neeruswami Pillai |
| Percussion Instruments |
Exponents |
| Ghatam | TH Vinayakram, EM Subramaniam |
| Kanjra | Pudukottai Dakshinamurthy Pillai |
| Tabla | Zakir Hussain, Sabir Khan, Allah Rakha, Pt Kishan Maharaj, Sandeep Das, Ustaad Shafaat Ahmad Khan, Pt Jnan Prakash Ghosh |
| Pakhawaj | Totaram Sharma, Gopaldas, Ramshankar Pagaldas, Pt Ayodhya Prasad |
| Mridangam | SV Rajarao, KV Prasad, Palghat Mani Iyer, Palghat Raghu, Karaikudi R Mani |
| String Instruments |
Exponents |
| Guitar | Braj Bhushan Kabra |
| Mandolin | S Balamurali Krishna, Nagen Dey, Khagen Dey, U Srinivas |
| Rudra Veena | Asad Ali Khan |
| Piano | V Balsara |
| Been | Asad Ali Khan |
| Vichitra Veena | Abdul Aziz Khan, Ahmed Raja Khan |
| Mohan Veena | Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhat |
| Santoor | Bhajan Sopori, Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pt Tarun Bhattacharya |
| Sarangi | Abdul Latif Khan, Ustad Binda Khan, Ramesh Mishra, Sultan Khan, Pt Ram Narayan, Shakoor Khan |
| Sitar | Ustad Vilayat Khan, Pt Ravi Shankar, Shujaat Hussain Khan, Shahid Parvez Khan, Anushka Shankar, Nikhil Banerjee, Mustaq Ali Khan, Budhaditya Mukherjee |
| Sarod | Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Allaudin Khan, Bahadur Khan, Zarin S Sharma, Sharan Rani, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan |
| Violin | Lalgudi Jayaram, VG Jog, M Chandrasekharan, NR Murlidharan, MS Gopalakrishnan |
| Instrument |
Description |
Indian Exponents |
| Harmonium | Harmonium is a keyboard instrument that blows sounds through reeds. | Shri Purushottam Walawalkar, Appa Jalgaonkar, Jnan Prakash Ghosh |
| Flute | Flute is a wind instrument, and makes sound through air vibrations. | TR Mahalingam, Hariprasad Chaurasiya, N. Ramani, Pannalal Ghosh |
| Tabla | Similar to drums, Tabla is a common percussion instrument played in Asia. | Zakir Hussain, Sabir Khan, Allah Rakha, Pt Kishan Maharaj, Sandeep Das, Ustaad Shafaat Ahmad Khan, Pt Jnan Prakash Ghosh |
| Sitar | Used in Hindustani classical music, Sitar is a plucked string instrument. | Ustad Vilayat Khan, Pt Ravi Shankar, Shujaat Hussain Khan, Shahid Parvez Khan, Anushka Shankar, Nikhil Banerjee, Mustaq Ali Khan, Budhaditya Mukherjee |
| Guitar | A six-stringed frettled instrument, guitar is a famous international string instrument. | Braj Bhushan Kabra |
Bharat Ratna Recipients
| Recipient | Year | Instrument |
|---|---|---|
| M.S. Subbulakshmi | 1998 | Vocalist (Carnatic) |
| Pt Ravi Shankar | 1999 | Sitar |
| Bismillah Khan | 2001 | Shehnai |
| Pt Bhimsen Joshi | 2009 | Vocalist (Hindustani) |
MUSIC IN THE FAMILY
Father-Son/Daughter Associated with Musical Instruments
- Allah Rakha and Zakir Hussain: Ustad Allah Rakha (1919-2000) was a renowned tabla player. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1977 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1982. Ustad Zakir Hussain (B. 1951) is his eldest son and also a well-known tabla player. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023. He was also awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1990, Fellowship of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, Ratna Sadsya in 2018.
- Allauddin Khan and Ali Akbar Khan: Baba Allauddin Khan (1862 – 1972) was a renowned sarod player and a multi-instrumentalist. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1958 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1971. His son Ali Akbar Khan (1922 – 2009) was also a well-known sarod player. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1967 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1989.
- Ravi Shankar and Anoushka Shankar: Ravi Shankar (1920 – 2012) was a renowned sitar player. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1999, Padma Vibhushan in 1981, Padma Bhushan in 1967, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1962 and Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 1975. His daughter Anoushka Shankar (b. 1981) is also a well-known sitar player. She has been nominated for the Grammy Award several times and is the recipient of many other international honours.
- Lalgudi Jayaraman and Lalgudi GJR Krishnan: Lalgudi Gopala Jayaraman (1930 – 2013) was a renowned violinist of Carnatic style. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972 and the Padma Bhushan in 2001. He became a fellow of the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2010. His son Lalgudi Gopala Jayaraman Radhakrishnan (b. 1960) is also a well-known violinist. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2015. It is noteworthy that his sister, Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi is also a renowned violinist and they both perform together on many occasions.
MUSIC IN THE FAMILY
Brothers Associated with Music
- Rajan and Sajan Mishra: They were brothers and singers of the khyal style of Indian classical music. They were awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2007 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, jointly in 1998. Rajan Mishra died in 2021 during the Covid pandemic.
- Nasir Moinuddin Dagar and Nasir Aminuddin Dagar: They were Hindustani classical dhrupad singers. Nasir Moinuddin Dagar passed away in 1966. His younger brother Nasir Aminuddin was awarded the Padma Bhushan in in 1986 and Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1985. He passed away in 2000.
- Ramakant Gundecha and Umakant Gundecha: The Gundecha brothers were Indian classical singers of the dhrupad genre of the Dagar vani from 1985 to 2019. They were awarded the Padma Shri 2012 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2017. Ramakant Gundecha passed away in 2019.
- Ganesh Rajagopalan and Kumaresh Rajagopalan: They are an Indian duo of violinists in the Carnatic style of classical music. They were awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2018 for Carnatic Instrumental Music.
- Subhan Kasim and Subhan Babu: The Kasim-Babu brothers from Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh are well-known players of Nadaswaram, a traditional classical instrument of South India. They were awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2018.