Friday, May 9, 2008

Indian Musical Instruments

Dhol - Drum

Dholak - Drum

Harmonium - The British introduced harmoniums to India during the colonial period. It is a free-standing musical keyboard instrument (similar to a Reed Organ or Pipe Organ). Sound is produced by air being blown through reeds resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion. The air is supplied by foot-operated (or, as with the type of harmonium used in Indian music, hand-operated) bellows alternately depressed by the player.

Mridangam - The most used drum in South Indian music

Nagaswaram - A popular South Indian wind instrument used in devotional music

Sitar - Long-necked stringed instrument (North Indian)

Tabla - A popular Indian drum/percussion instrument

Veena - This is a plucked stringed instrument used in Carnatic (South Indian) music. It gets its characteristic sound from the slight curve at the top of the neck. There are several variations of the veena, which in its South Indian form is a member of the lute family. One who plays the veena is referred to as a vainika.

1 comment:

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