Asian Musical Instruments

Q: What are Asia’s percussion instruments?

The most common Asian percussion instruments include Tibetan singing bowls, chimes, dafs, gongs, kokirikos, tablas, shamanic drums, temple blocks, and wood blocks.The Tibetan bowl, also known as a singing bowl or a meditation bowl, is traditionally crafted from a blend of seven metals, and sometimes quartz crystal, to work in connection with the seven major chakras. Used in Buddhist schools for thousands of years for the benefits it’s believed to bring to the body and mind, as well as its therapeutic qualities, it remains deeply rooted in Buddhist traditions. It should not be confused with the Taoist bowl, which is a bubbling water bowl fountain.The tabla, an Indian percussion set, is actually a pair of small drums about 12 in (30 cm) in diameter. Each goatskin head is coated with a black tuning paste made from rice, which helps the instrument produce its unique sound.

Q: What are Asia’s string instruments?

Among the many stringed instruments of Asia, the most popular are the đàn nguyệt, the dulcimer, the erhu, the guqin, the guzheng, the konghou, the koto, the liuqin, the pipa, the sitar, and the shamisen.Originally from Vietnam, the đàn nguyệt is a type of lute with a round sound box. This instrument has two strings and is said to date back to the 11th century BC.Widely played in India, the sitar is a lute with a small resonator shaped like a fig cut in half and a hollow neck about 3.3 ft (1 m) long. This instrument usually has five metal strings.The konghou is a very ancient Chinese harp that disappeared completely after the Ming dynasty in the 14th century AD. However, this musical instrument reappeared in the 20th century in a slightly different form and continues to be used today.

Q: What are Asia’s wind instruments?

Among the many Asian wind instruments, some of the best known include the dizi, the Indian harmonium, the hulusi, the pungi, the sheng, and the shruti box.The Indian harmonium is a portable version of the European harmonium. This musical instrument consists of a keyboard and a bellows that the player pumps to produce sound. It’s often described as a cross between a piano and an accordion.Originally from China, the hulusi is a flute-like instrument made from a gourd with three bamboo pipes attached. Still widely played in China, it produces notes similar to those of a clarinet.The pungi, an instrument used by snake charmers, looks like a flute but functions more like bagpipes. Although snakes are deaf, they’re sensitive to vibrations and can be “charmed” by musicians who specialize in this art, known as saperas.

Tibetan singing bowl

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Crystal singing bowl

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Taoist bowl

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What are Asia’s musical instruments?

Many Asian musical instruments have been documented. Here’s a selection of the best known:

Angklung, Tibetan singing bowl, chimes, dizi, erhu, guzheng, gong, harmonium, hichiriki, hulusi, koto, mridangam, pungi, qin, sarangi, shakuhachi, shamisen, sheng, sitar, suona, tabla, temple blocks, vina, and wood block.

The shamisen is a plucked string instrument from Japan. It is a type of lute with three strings and a small rectangular sound box that was used for traditional kabuki theater and to accompany singing.

Widely used across Asia, the gong is a percussion world instrument consisting of a metal disc that is struck with a mallet sized to match the gong. It’s often used in Buddhist temples.

What are Asia’s percussion instruments?

The most common Asian percussion instruments include Tibetan singing bowls, chimes, dafs, gongs, kokirikos, tablas, shamanic drums, temple blocks, and wood blocks.

The Tibetan bowl, also known as a singing bowl or a meditation bowl, is traditionally crafted from a blend of seven metals, and sometimes quartz crystal, to work in connection with the seven major chakras. Used in Buddhist schools for thousands of years for the benefits it’s believed to bring to the body and mind, as well as its therapeutic qualities, it remains deeply rooted in Buddhist traditions. It should not be confused with the Taoist bowl, which is a bubbling water bowl fountain.

The tabla, an Indian percussion set, is actually a pair of small drums about 12 in (30 cm) in diameter. Each goatskin head is coated with a black tuning paste made from rice, which helps the instrument produce its unique sound.

What are Asia’s string instruments?

Among the many stringed instruments of Asia, the most popular are the đàn nguyệt, the dulcimer, the erhu, the guqin, the guzheng, the konghou, the koto, the liuqin, the pipa, the sitar, and the shamisen.

Originally from Vietnam, the đàn nguyệt is a type of lute with a round sound box. This instrument has two strings and is said to date back to the 11th century BC.

Widely played in India, the sitar is a lute with a small resonator shaped like a fig cut in half and a hollow neck about 3.3 ft (1 m) long. This instrument usually has five metal strings.

The konghou is a very ancient Chinese harp that disappeared completely after the Ming dynasty in the 14th century AD. However, this musical instrument reappeared in the 20th century in a slightly different form and continues to be used today.

What are Asia’s wind instruments?

Among the many Asian wind instruments, some of the best known include the dizi, the Indian harmonium, the hulusi, the pungi, the sheng, and the shruti box.

The Indian harmonium is a portable version of the European harmonium. This musical instrument consists of a keyboard and a bellows that the player pumps to produce sound. It’s often described as a cross between a piano and an accordion.

Originally from China, the hulusi is a flute-like instrument made from a gourd with three bamboo pipes attached. Still widely played in China, it produces notes similar to those of a clarinet.

The pungi, an instrument used by snake charmers, looks like a flute but functions more like bagpipes. Although snakes are deaf, they’re sensitive to vibrations and can be “charmed” by musicians who specialize in this art, known as saperas.