1. Khartal is an ancient instrument used predominantly in devotional songs in India. It falls under the class of idiophones or self-sounding instruments which combine properties of vibrator and resonator. It has two similar shaped wooden pieces that are about eight to twelve inches long and two to three inches wide. Small metal jingles are mounted to the wooden frames that produce rhythmic sound when struck together. .....
2. Tanpura or Tambura, a long-necked drone lute is a chordophone from the lute family of instruments. A tanpura comes in different sizes, the bigger one are known as "males" and smaller ones as "females". There are three main styles of designing a Tanpura: Miraj Style, Tanjore Style and Tamburi. It is played with fingers by plunking the strings in successive manner. .....
3. Ghungroos are small brass bells. They are musical accessories used by dancers of all classical dances in India. A number of bells are attatched to a string or tied to cotton cord, velvet pad or leather strap to form a ghungroo. When tied to the feet Ghungroos emphasize the rhythmic aspects of the dance and allow complex footwork to be heard by the audience. .....
4. Sitar is one of the most popular classical instruments which comes under the category of a chordophone. The modern sitar has seven strings and sixteen to twenty ? two frets that are adjusted to alter the pitch. A normal Sitar usually has Kunti, Drone Strings, Tumba, Tar, Dandi, Parda, Gulu, Tuning beads, Kaddu. It is played with a wire plectrum, known as mizrab, that is usually worn on the index finger of the right hand. .....
5. The modern sarod is made of wood with one end being rounded and covered with parchment. Its overall shape is like a pendulum- pointed and thin on top, at the peg box, and full and round at the bottom, the resonator. A sarod has three parts; peg box, fingerboard and resonator. This fretless instrument played with a triangular plectrum cut out of coconut shell and laminated with shellac. .....
6. Dholak also known as dholki is a barrel shaped hand drum that is widely used in folk and popular music in India. A double-headed drum (hollow inside) with the bass head on one side and the treble head on the other. The larger side provides the bass and the smaller side the tenor. Traditional Dholak comes with simple thread lacing that is tuned with the help of metal rings around the head while the Modern dholak with metal turnbuckles that are eas .....
7. Harmonium belongs to the family of free-reed aerophones. A small, tabletop size organ with bellows at the back that is pumped by one hand while the other hand plays the keyboard, it hold significance in music world. A standard Harmonium has a wooden box known as body, handles to move the instrument, bellows, keys, stops , reeds, reed board, coupler and scale changer. It is widely used in all forms of Indian music be it the classical, Hindustani, .....
8. Tabla is basically a set of two drums known as Dayan (right Tabla) and the Bayan (left) or the Dugga. Dayan or tabla is a cylindrical, wooden drum made of black wood and played with the right hand and Bayan or duggi- the left hand drum is made of metal, wood, or ceramic has slightly conical and bowl shape. A black spot on both the drums occupies the centre of the head. Known as siyahi, this black raised area is usually made of rice, glue, graphit .....
9. Harps are played by strumming or plucking the strings.Concert grand harps have 47 strings and a range of 6 octaves. There are various types of harps:Pedal Harp - or the classical harp, has 7 pedals at the base.Lever Harp - or the folk harp, are non-pedal harps. .....
10. The musician, or double-bassist, may either play it while seated or standing. When standing, the bass is supported by the left leg while the left hand moves up and down the fingerboard. When seated, the bass is supported by the musician's right thigh and pelvis and by the use of an endpin on the floor. The double-bass is played by using a bow across the strings (especially in symphonic music), striking or plucking (especially in jazz) the strings .....
11. Like the trumpet, the cornet has valves and is usually pitched in B flat. Playing it is simple, the musician blows into the mouthpiece, presses the finger buttons, also known as valves, and moves the tuning slide. .....
12. A very ornate and classical instrument, the musician changes the tone color and dynamics of the sound by rubbing the bow across the strings . By pressing the strings on the fingerboard, the musician changes the pitch of the sound. Common playing techniques used in string instruments include double stop, harmonics, mute, pizzicato, tremolo and vibrato. .....
13. Played by blowing wind directly into the instruments edge and changing the pitch by opening and closing the holes with fingers. When a musician blows into it, the reed that is attached over a hole in the mouthpiece vibrates. It is similar to the flute or the saxophone. .....
14. A more european instrument, sometimes known for its Irish background, the musician must fill the bag with air by blowing into a pipe. Lung-power is the key in playing the bagpipes as you not only need to fill the bag with air. In bellows-blown bagpipes, the musician creates melody through finger holes and by moving the bellows with his arms. The player creates the melody through making different fingerings on the chanter. .....
15. A triangle is made of steel and shaped like a triangle, hence the name. To play it, it is hung or suspended and then struck by a steel rod or metal beater to produce a heavenly or a typical twinkly sound. .....
16. A musician plays the trombone by vibrating the lips against the mouthpiece and moving the u-shaped slide which functions as the valves. The musician can play in various pitches by pulling the slide in or pushing it out. .....
18. A very soft instrument, the oboe is the treble voice of the woodwind instruments and generally recommended for children 11 years and older. The musician blows air into a thin, tapered double reed and covers or uncovers the holes. Among the wind instruments, the oboe is very difficult to learn because of the required embouchure. .....
19. For playing the trumpet, the musician vibrates his lips over the mouthpiece while pressing the valves on top. Mouthpieces can be changed to suit the music that will be played. For example, jazz trumpeters prefer narrower mouthpieces. .....
20. The tambourine is usually played using the "Timbrel Praise" method created by Dodie V. Sarchet-Waller. It is played by hand, the musician strikes the head using his bare hands. Attached to the tambourine are metal jingles so that when the musician shakes the tambourine it will create a sound. The tambourine is a drum that has a small polygonal or circular frame. Usually the instrument is played in christmas celebrations. .....
21. This is a scientific instrument, based on the principles of beat frequency.In its early form, the volume was controlled by a foot pedal. But now it is changed by moving the hands near a metal loop. The theremin succeeded in attracting attention; in the 1930s RCA distributed it in the US. It was even used in several movie soundtracks and included in songs during the 1960s. One example is the song "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys. .....
22. The musician or saxophonist, places the mouthpiece in his mouth, with the reed gently resting on his bottom lip and his teeth on top of the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece must be sealed with his mouth before he blows. The tube of the saxophone is made of brass. The saxophone is a soft and suitable instrument for Jazz music or R&B style music. .....
23. The snare drum can be played using sticks, made of hickory or by using hands. The player usually plays 2 beats alternately on each hand. Grace notes are also used when playing the snare drum. .....
24. The most stylish of them all, guitars are played by strumming, plucking or striking the strings.Guitars generally are of three types: acoustic, bass and electric guitars. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes to fit the needs of a musician. Guitars are widely used in modern music as singers usually play guitar as well. .....
25. Again a wind instrument, the harmonica has metal reeds placed in air channels. The reed vibrates when the musician blows air into or sucks air out of the channels. As the musician blows air into each channel, different notes are produced. For the notes not to be played, the lips and tongue covers the channels. .....
26. Much has changed in the Mandolin. In its early form, the mandolin was played by plucking the strings using a plectrum or a solid object. Now the mandolin is played similarly and somewhat like the guitar, by using a pick to strum or pluck the strings. The mandolin is mainly used in bluegrass music. Musicians pluck the strings in a rapid up and down motion known as tremolo. .....
27. The piano is played by pressing the keys with the fingers of both hands. The standard piano of today has 88 keys, the three foot pedals also have specific functions. The pedal on the right is called a damper, stepping on this causes all the keys to vibrate or sustain. Stepping on the pedal in the middle causes only the keys currently pressed to vibrate. Stepping on the pedal on the left creates a muted sound; a single note is produced from 2 or t .....
28. A contemporary instrument based on the flow of air; the musician, or flutist, blows air into the edge of the instrument, and plays it by changing the pitch of the sound by opening/closing of the holes using his/her fingers. .....
29. Flutophones have a hole at the bottom; the thumb of the left hand is used to cover this hole when playing. The index, middle and ring finger of the left hand is used to cover the upper three holes but the little finger is not used. The right thumb lays on the thumb rest while the index, middle, ring and little finger of the right hand covers the lower four holes. Little force is used to play the flutophone, simply blow softly into the mouthpiece .....
