The Best Hindustani Classical Music Instruments

Here is a list of the best Hindustani classical music instruments, with a description of each instrument.

Introduction

Hindustani classical music is a rich and complex musical tradition that has been evolving for centuries. Though most popularly known for its vocal traditions, it also has a rich instrumental tradition, featuring a wide variety of different instruments.

In this article, we will introduce you to some of the most popular and iconic Hindustani classical music instruments, and give you a taste of the different sounds they each produce. Whether you are a fan of Hindustani classical music or simply curious about its different facets, we hope this article will give you a deeper appreciation for the art form and its many different expressions.

The sitar

The sitar is a plucked string instrument used mainly in Hindustani classical music. The sitar arose in the medieval Kingdom of Vaishali in what is now southeastern Bihar and southwestern Uttar Pradesh. In the 18th century, it spread to the rest of the Indian subcontinent. It is named after a Persian instrument called the setar (meaning “three-stringed”). The sitar flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries and arrived at its present form in 18th-century India. It acquired its distinctive features in Mughal Uttar Pradesh.

The tabla

The tabla is a percussion instrument that originated in India and is commonly used in Hindustani classical music. It consists of a pair of drums, one small and one large, that are played with the hands and fingers. The tabla has a rich history and is an important part of Indian culture.

The small drum is called the tabla, while the larger drum is known as the bayan. The tabla is typically made from Tun wood, while the bayan is usually made from Sheesham wood. The drums are skinned with goat or calfskin. The tabla is played with the right hand, while the bayan is played with the left.

The tabla has a deep, resonant sound that can be both powerful and soothing. It is often used to provide accompaniment for other instruments, as well as to produce solo pieces. The tabla is an extremely versatile instrument that can be used in a wide variety of musical genres.

The shehnai

The shehnai, also spelled shahnai, sanai or shanai, is a double-reed aerophone from India. It is made out of wood, with a double reed at one end and a metal flarebell at the other. The instrument usually has between six and nine holes. It is used in festivals, marriage processions and temple rituals.

The shehnai is thought to have originated in Persia, and was brought to India by Mahmud of Ghazni during his raids in the 11th century. It became popular in India under the Mughals, and slowly spread across the country. Today, it is played all over India and Pakistan.

The shehnai has a soft, mellow sound that is said to be similar to the human voice. It is often used to play slow, melodic passages, but can also be used for fast, energetic pieces. The instrument can be played solo or in an ensemble.

The most famous player of the shehnai was Ustad Bismillah Khan, who popularized the instrument in the 20th century. He gave many concerts all over India and Pakistan, and was awarded India’s highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, in 2001.

The tambura

The tambura (or tanpura) is a long-necked, stringed instrument played primarily in Hindustani classical music. It provides the basic drone accompaniment to a solo melody played on another instrument or sung by the vocalist. The name “tambura” derives from the Sanskrit word “tanpura”, which means “to sound”.

The tambura is usually played with three or four strings, although some instruments have as many as seven. The instrument’s body is usually made from teak wood, although some instruments are made from other woods such as mahogany or rosewood. The bridge of the instrument is made of bone or horn, and the strings are made of steel.

The tambura typically has a range of about two octaves, and is tuned to match the pitch of the solo instrument or vocalist. The specific tuning depends on which notes will be most prominent in the accompanying melody.

The tambura is most commonly used in North Indian classical music, but it is also found in other genres such as Carnatic music and film music. In Carnatic music, the tambura typically plays only the first two notes (sa and pa) of each scale, while in film music it may play more complex melodic phrases.

The sarangi

The sarangi is a bowed, short-necked string instrument from India with a rich and emotive sound. It is related to the rebab, an earlier instrument from Central Asia, and has been used in Hindustani classical music since the 18th century.

The sarangi is typically about two feet long and is played while seated, with the instrument held upright on the lap. It has a small resonating chamber covered with goat skin, and three or four main strings and up to 37 sympathetic strings. The player uses a bow made of horsehair, and produces sound by drawing the bow across the strings and stopping the strings against the fingerboard with the left hand.

The sarangi is considered one of the most difficult instruments to play, due to its small size and intricate fingering technique. It is also one of the most expressive instruments, capable of conveying a wide range of emotions in its music.

The sarod

The sarod is a stringed instrument used in Hindustani classical music. It is believed to have been invented in the 18th century by one of the ancestors of the present day Sarod Gharana (school) of musicians. The sarod is played with a plectrum, and has a distinctive, resonant sound.

The sarod is usually made from teak wood, although some instruments are made from rosewood. The instrument has a similar shape to the veena, but is smaller and has a shorter neck. It has 4 main strings and 11-13 sympathetic strings, which run underneath the frets and resonate when the main strings are plucked.

The player plucks the strings with a plectrum (made from horn or tortoiseshell), and also uses their fingers to stop the strings at various points on the fingerboard to create different notes. The sympathetic strings resonate when the main strings are plucked, and add to the characteristic sound of the instrument.

The sarod is used in both solo and accompaniment roles in Hindustani classical music. It is particularly well-suited to slowtempo music, such as alap (a prelude without rhythm), jor (a slow tempo section) and gat (a composition in free time).

The flute

The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike other woodwind instruments, the flute is held horizontally, with the musician blowing across the mouthpiece, rather than down into it. The flute produces a clear, sweet sound that has made it a popular choice for classical and semi-classical music.

The harmonium

The harmonium is a type of free-reed organ that was invented in 1842 and came to be widely used in Hindustani classical music, especially in the dhrupad style. The instrument was popularized by Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande (1860-1936), who wrote the first systematic treatise on Hindustani classical music, and by Pandit Bismillah Khan (1916-2006) , who is considered one of the greatest maestros of the instrument.

The harmonium is played by pressing keys on a keyboard, which causes bellows to pump air through reeds, resulting in a sound that resembles that of an organ. The reeds are set into vibration by either plucking them with the fingers or by depressing a key, which causes a small hammer to strike them. The pitches of the notes depend on the length of the reed; the longer the reed, the lower the pitch.

The tone of the harmonium can be modified by changing the pressure of the air that is pumped into it and by using different types of scales (such as major, minor, chromatic, etc.), which affect the number and order of notes that are played. The instrument can also be played in a variety of different modes (such as Dadra, Dipchandi, Kaherva, and Tilang), which affect the number of beats in a measure and therefore how fast or slow the music sounds.

The harmonium is an important part of Hindustani classical music because it provides a steady drone against which other instruments can play. It is typically used as an accompaniment for vocalists and instrumentalists alike, but it can also be played as a solo instrument.