World instruments

It is used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles and large orchestras. It is the most popular of the huqin family of traditional bowed string instruments used by various ethnic groups of China. As a very versatile instrument, the erhu is used in both traditional and contemporary music arrangements, such as in pop, rock and jazz.

Tar (Persian: تار‎) is an Iranian long-necked, waisted instrument, shared by many cultures and countries including Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and others near the Caucasus region.

It was invented in the 18th century and has since become one of the most important musical instruments in Iran and the Caucasus, particularly in Persian classical music, and the favoured instrument for radifs.

The older and more complete name of the tār is čāhārtār or čārtār, meaning in Persian “four string”, (čāhār frequently being shorted to čār). 

The neck and lute-shaped sound box are usually made of a solid piece of pine or larch. The top of the sound box may be covered with skin or a thin wooden plate.

The strings, and those of the bow, are traditionally made of hair from a horse’s tail (strung parallel), but may also be made of nylon.

Like the morin khuur of Mongolia, the igil typically features a carved horse‘s head at the top of the neck above the tuning pegs, and both instruments are known as the horsehead fiddle.

The igil formerly had an entire genre dedicated to it, with a repertoire of songs meant to be performed only on the igil. During the communist period in Tuva attempts were made to “modernize” the igil.

This was nothing more than an attempt to westernize the instrument making it more like the European cello. However the instruments and playing style used by most Tuvan musicians today are largely the same as the original form of the igil.

It is the standard percussion instrument in the dhrupad style and is used as an accompaniment for various forms of music and dance performances.

The pakhavaj has a low, mellow tone, very rich in harmonics. Set horizontally on a cushion in front of the drummer’s crossed leg, the larger bass-skin is played with the left hand, the treble skin by the right hand.

The Pakhawaj is tuned like the tabla, with wooden wedges that are placed under the tautening straps.

It is said that, during the 14th century, the great mridangists experimented with the materials used in mridang construction, and finally started using wood for the main body as opposed to the original clay. Thus, a new name pakhawaj emerged, whilst the older name, mridang was still used.

It has been a particularly important instrument in Hindustani classical music since the 18th century, and remains in use in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

The name tabla likely comes from tabl, the Persian and Arabic word for drum. However, the ultimate origin of the musical instrument is contested by scholars, some tracing it to West Asia, others tracing the evolution of indigenous musical instruments of the Indian subcontinent.

The word kacapi in Sundanese also refers to santol tree, from which initially the wood is believed to be used for building the instrument.

According to its functions in a musical accompaniment, the kacapi is played as:

1. Kacapi Indung (=mother kacapi); and
2. Kacapi Anak (=child kacapi) or Kacapi Rincik

The Kacapi indung (mother) leads the accompaniment by providing intros, bridges, and interludes, as well as determining the tempo. For this purpose, a large kacapi with 18 or 20 strings is used.

The Kacapi rincik (child) enriches the accompaniment by filling in inter-note spaces with higher frequencies, especially in fixed metered songs as in the kacapi suling or Sekar Panambih. For this purpose, a smaller kacapi with ~15 strings is used.

A didgeridoo is usually cylindrical or conical, and can measure anywhere from 1 to 3 m (3 to 10 ft) long. Most are around 1.2 m (4 ft) long.
Generally, the longer the instrument, the lower its pitch or key. However, flared instruments play a higher pitch than unflared instruments of the same length.

Traditionally, the didgeridoo was played as an accompaniment to ceremonial dancing and singing and for solo or recreational purposes.

For Aboriginal peoples of northern Australia, the didgeridoo is still used to accompany singers and dancers in cultural ceremonies.