Musical Instruments of India

The classification of musical instruments in India is traditionally based on the Natyashastra compiled by Bharat Muni (c. 200 BC – 200 AD). He categorized instruments into four distinct groups based on the source of sound vibration, a system later adopted by Western musicologists as the Hornbostel-Sachs system.

Tata Vadya (Chordophones/String Instruments)

These instruments produce sound through the vibration of strings. They are further divided into three sub-categories based on the method of playing.

Plucked Instruments

• Veena: The oldest string instrument. Variants include the Rudra Veena (used in Dhrupad), Saraswati Veena (Carnatic music), and Vichitra Veena.
• Sitar: Traditionally attributed to Amir Khusrau; it features sympathetic strings (Tarabs).
• Sarod: Derived from the Afghan Rabab; it has a fretless metal fingerboard allowing for smooth glides (Meend).
• Tanpura: A four or five-stringed instrument used exclusively as a drone to provide the reference pitch.

Bowed Instruments

• Sarangi: Known as the instrument most resembling the human voice; traditionally carved from a single block of wood.
• Dilruba and Esraj: Cross-breeds between the Sitar and Sarangi, popular in Shantiniketan and Sikh devotional music.
• Violin: Introduced to Carnatic music in the 18th century by Balaswami Dikshitar.

Struck String Instruments

• Santoor: A trapezoid-shaped hammered dulcimer from Kashmir, traditionally called Shata-tantri Veena (instrument with 100 strings).

Sushira Vadya (Aerophones/Wind Instruments)

Sound is produced by the vibration of air columns.

• Bansuri: A transverse flute made of bamboo. Key exponents include Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia.
• Shehnai: A double-reed instrument traditionally associated with auspicious occasions. Ustad Bismillah Khan brought it to the classical stage.
• Nadaswaram: A larger, more powerful version of the Shehnai used in South Indian temples and weddings.
• Shankh (Conch): One of the oldest wind instruments, primarily used in religious rituals.

Avanaddha Vadya (Membranophones/Percussion Instruments)

These are “covered” instruments where sound is produced by striking a stretched skin or membrane.

• Tabla: A pair of drums (Dayan and Bayan). It is the primary percussion for Khayal and light classical music.
• Pakhawaj: A two-headed barrel drum used primarily for Dhrupad and Odissi dance.
• Mridangam: The primary rhythmic accompaniment in Carnatic music. Unlike the Pakhawaj, it is made of clay or wood with specialized paste (Sadam) on the right head.
• Ghatam: An earthenware pot used in Carnatic music, played with fingers and palms.
• Kanjira: A small frame drum (similar to a tambourine) used in South India.

Ghana Vadya (Idiophones/Solid Instruments)

These instruments are made of metal or wood and do not require tuning. They produce sound through the resonance of the body itself.

• Manjira: Small brass cymbals used in Bhajans and dance.
• Kartal: Wooden clappers with metal discs, commonly used in folk and devotional music.
• Jaltarang: A series of porcelain bowls filled with water to specific levels, struck with wooden sticks to produce melodic notes.
• Morsing: A “Jew’s Harp” used in Carnatic music, placed between the teeth and plucked.

Comparative Overview of Major Instruments

Regional and Folk Musical Instruments

• Ektara: A single-stringed instrument used by Baul singers in Bengal and Sufi saints.
• Kamaicha: A bowed instrument of the Manganiyar community in Rajasthan, featuring a large circular skin-covered resonator.
• Pepa: A horn-pipe instrument made of buffalo horn, used during Bihu celebrations in Assam.
• Pungi/Been: A reed instrument traditionally used by snake charmers, made from a dried gourd.
• Chenda: A loud, cylindrical percussion instrument essential to Kathakali and festivals in Kerala.

Technical Facts and Trivia for UPSC

• The Drone: The Tanpura is the only instrument in Indian music that does not play a melody but is considered the most essential as it provides the Adhara Shadja (base note).
• The Black Spot (Siyahi): Found on the Tabla and Mridangam, this is a paste made of iron filings and flour that allows the instrument to produce specific harmonic overtones.
• Sympathetic Strings: Many Indian instruments like the Sitar and Sarangi have a second layer of strings that vibrate “in sympathy” with the main strings, creating the characteristic “reverb” of Indian music.
• Kshudra Ghantika: Small bells (Ghungroo) worn by dancers; these are classified as Ghana Vadya.
• Historical Evolution: The Sitar evolved from the Persian ‘Sehtar’ (three strings), while the Sarod was adapted from the Rabab to suit the continuous melodic glides required in Indian Ragas.