The chanda, or also known as chenda, is a cylindrical musical instrument that is widely used in some regions of India, like in the state of Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. This percussion instrument is most commonly known for its rigid and loud sound. It has two sides, in which the left … Read more
The flutina is a wind instrument and an early precursor of the diatonic button accordion. The initial version of this instrument dates back around the year 1831 and was constructed by Pichenot le Jeune. This instrument was also deemed as one of the first accordions that are capable of playing a melody. … Read more
Bombarde, or also known as the German Pumhart, English bombard or Pommer, is a double-reed wind instrument that belongs to the oboe or shawm family. Just like other shawms, the bombard has a broad and powerful sound that somehow resembles the sound of a trumpet. A person who plays a bombard is … Read more
The oboe is a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Woodwind instruments got their name because they were traditionally made of wood. Today, they are made of different materials. In order to play these kinds of instruments, the player blows air through the instrument. The oboe, along with its relatives … Read more
The Txalaparta is a Baque music instrument that is made from stone or wood. In some places in Basque Country, it is called the zalaparta, which means racket, while in some regions, it is called the txalaparta, which implies the trot of the horse, because the sound that this instrument produces is … Read more
Spoons can be an improvised percussion instrument, or it can also be an idiophone, just like the castanets. The spoons are played by hitting them against each other. In the United States, the spoons are associated with minstrelsy, American folk music, as well as jug and spasm bands. While in British folk … Read more
The kemenche or kamancheh is a bottle-shaped instrument that came from the north-eastern Asia Minor bordering the Black Sea. This stringed instrument has a substantial symbolic value and cultural identity for the Pontic Greeks. The name of this instrument came from a Persian origin that means “little bow” or “small bow.” As … Read more
A gong is a musical instrument with a shape of a circular metal bronze disc. This percussion instrument is struck using mallets. The mallets are tended to be felted mallets that are traditionally made out of wood with a bulbous tip. It can also be struck using the drumsticks, although this produces … Read more