Gramaphone

"Gramophone It consisted of a turntable for a disc record, a sound box mounted on a pivot  and a conical sounding-horn. The first gramophones were hand-driven, but the machinist, Eldridge Johnson (later the founder of the Victor Talking Machine Co.), devised a practical spring-motor for the machine in 1896. The disc is almost always engraved with a single concentric spiral groove on each side of the disc, running from the outside edge towards the centre. "

Guitar

Guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, Guitars are recognized as one of the primary instruments in blues, country, flamenco, rock music, and many forms of pop. There is also a solo classical instrument. Guitars may be played acoustically, where the tone is produced by vibration of the strings and modulated by the hollow body.

HARMONIUM

The harmonium is a traditional and popular musical instrument of India. The harmonium has a keyboard of over two and one-half octaves and works on a system of bellows. The keyboard is played with the right hand while the left hand is used to operate the bellows. Harmonium is more popular in North India than in the South.

DHOL

Dhol was a popular musical instrument in both formal and informal dance performances for decades. Dhol players were once sought-after individuals for occasions of celebration, such as weddings, in India The dhol is a straight barrels played mostly as an accompanying instrument. The drum consists of a wooden barrel with patches of animal stretched over its open ends and covering them completely.

DHOLAKI

Dholak is a very popular folk drum of northern India.  It is barrel shaped with a simple membrane on the right hand side.  The left hand is also a single membrane with a special application on the inner surface.   There are two ways of tightening the dholak.  Sometimes they are laced with rope, in which case, a series of metal rings are pulled to tighten the instrument.  Sometimes metal turnbuckles are employed. Today it is merely relegated to filmi and folk music.

Rudra Veena

Rudra vina also known as the bin (been), appears to be one of the oldest styles of vina.  Such evidence is readily seen in elements of its construction, and from its depiction on the walls of ancient temples.  This instrument is basically a bamboo stick with two gourds attached.   It has frets which are set into wax.  This instrument is quite rare nowadays.

Sarangi

Sarangi is common representative of vitat  and one of the most popular and oldest bowed instruments in India. The body of Sarangi is hollow and made of teak wood adorned with ivory inlays. Sarangi has forty strings of which thirty seven are sympathetic. The Sarangi is held in a vertical position and played with a bow. To play the Sarangi one has to press the fingernails of the left hand against the strings. Famous Sarangi maestros are Rehman Bakhs, Pt Ram Narayan, Ghulam Sabir and Ustad Sultan Khan.

Mridangam

Mridangam: Mridangam is a South Indian version of the pakhawaj and one of the most popular classical instruments of South India. Mridangam accompanies vocal, instrumental and dance performances. The present day mridangam is made of a single block of wood. It is a barrel-shaped double-headed drum, the right head being smaller than the left. The two heads are made of layers of skin. The mridangam is played with hands, palms and fingers.)

SARASWATI VEENA

The Saraswathi veenais the instrument associated with Saraswati, the goddess of learning and the arts.  This instrument is common in south India and is an important instrument in carnatic sangeet.  It is variously called simply vina, or veena, the "Saraswati" part being implied)

Sarod

Sarod is an instrument which is derived from the rabab.  It is not an ancient instrument, probably no more than 150 to 200 years.  It is essentially a bass rabab.  It has a metal fingerboard with no frets.  The bridge rests on a taut membrane which covers the resonator.  The sarod has numerous strings, some of which are drone, some are played, and some are sympathetic.  The approach to tuning is somewhat similar to other stringed instruments.  It is played with a pick made of coconut shell.There are a number of artists who have excelled at this instrument.  Today the most notable are Amjad Ali Khan and Ali Akbar Khan

Nagada

Nagada are the kettle drums of the old naubat (traditional ensemble of nine instruments).  These drums are about 1 - 2 feet in diameter, and played with sticks.  Today this instrument is usually used to accompany shehnai

Shehnai

Shehnai is a traditional musical instrument, associated with auspicious occasions like marriages and temple processions. Shehnai is a double reed instrument with a tapering bore which progressively increases towards the lower side. The Shehnai has finger-holes to produce semi, quarter and micro-tones. Ustad Bismillah Khan is the unrivalled maestro of the Shehnai)