This is a list of musical instrument know around the world. We will over time be adding sound files plus a short history of each instrument
| Instrument | Sound File | History |
| Accordion | ||
| Acoustic bass guitar | ||
| Acoustic guitar | ||
| Aeolian harp | ||
| Agung a Tamlang) (Philippine slit drum) | ||
| Agung/ agong (Philippine gong) | ||
| Ahoko (Ivory Coast rattle) | ||
| Ajaeng | ||
| Alboka (Spanish double hornpipe) | ||
| Alphorn | ||
| Alpine bell | ||
| Alto clarinet | ||
| Alto flute | ||
| Alto horn | ||
| Alto sarrusophone | ||
| Alto saxophone | ||
| Angklung (tuned bamboo slide rattle) | ||
| Appalachian dulcimer | ||
| archlute | ||
| Arghul (Arabic double pipe) | ||
| Arpa anottolini (Italian hooked harp) | ||
| Arpeggione (Italian six-string) | ||
| Array Mbira (African thumb piano) | ||
| Aru-ding (Philippine Jew’s harp) | ||
| Aulochrome (double soprano saxophone) | ||
| Babendil (Philippine gong) | ||
| Baglama/ saz (Turkish strings) | ||
| Balafon (xylophone from Ghana) | ||
| Balalaika (Central Asian 2 or 3 stringed guitar) | ||
| Bandola (plucked lute from Cuba, Chile and Peru) | ||
| Bandoneón (Argentinian concertina) | ||
| Bandoneón (Argentinian concertina) | ||
| Bandurria (Spanish/ Latin American plucked lute) | ||
| Banhu (Chinese bowed stringed instrument) | ||
| Banjo | ||
| Barbat (Iranian plucked lute) | ||
| Baritone horn | ||
| Baritone sarrusophone | ||
| Baritone saxophone | ||
| Baroque Wooden Flute | ||
| Baryton (German Euphonium) | ||
| Bass Clarinet | ||
| Bass Drum | ||
| Bass flute | ||
| Bass guitar | ||
| Bass sarrusophone | ||
| Bass saxophone | ||
| Bass/ baritone oboe | ||
| Basse a Pistons (French Euphonium) | ||
| Basse Cor | ||
| Basset clarinet | ||
| Basset horn | ||
| Bassoon | ||
| Bawu (Chinese wind instrument) | ||
| Bayan (Russian Accordian) | ||
| Bazooka | ||
| Bell | ||
| Berimbao (Brazilian musical bow) | ||
| Bianqing (Chinese stone chimes) | ||
| Bianzhong (Chinese bells) | ||
| Bifora (Sicillian oboe) | ||
| Biniou (French bagpipe) | ||
| Biwa (Japanese short-necked lute) | ||
| Bock (German bagpipes) | ||
| Bodega (French bagpipe) | ||
| Bodhrán (Irish drum) | ||
| Boha (French bagpipe) | ||
| Bombarde | ||
| Bombardino (Spanish Euphonium) | ||
| Bongo drum | ||
| Border pipe/ lowland bagpipe | ||
| Bordonua (Puerto Rican bass guitar) | ||
| Bouzouki (Greek lute) | ||
| Brian Boru bagpipes | ||
| Bullroarer | ||
| Button accordian | ||
| Cabrette (French bagpipe) | ||
| Calliope (steam organ) | ||
| Carillon (Dutch harmonising bells) | ||
| Carillon (Dutch harmonising bells) | ||
| Castanets | ||
| Cavaco (Spanish guitar) | ||
| Cavaquinho (Portuguese guitar) | ||
| Caxixi (Brazilian idiophone) | ||
| Celesta (idiophone) | ||
| Cello | ||
| Ceng (Turkish harp) | ||
| Chabrette (French bagpipe) | ||
| Chapman stick (fretboard) | ||
| Charango (South American fretted lute) | ||
| Chenda (Indian drum) | ||
| Chi (Chinese Transverse Flute) | ||
| Chimes | ||
| Ching (Cambodian/ Thai finger cymbals) | ||
| Chitaronne (lower-toned lute) | ||
| Chitarra battebte (Italian guitar) | ||
| Chromatic accordian | ||
| Cigar box guitar | ||
| Cimbalom (Eastern European hammered dulcimer) | ||
| Cimbasso | ||
| Cimpoi (Romanian bagpipe) | ||
| Cittern (Renaissance lute) | ||
| Clapped hands | ||
| Clarinet | ||
| Clarinette d’amour | ||
| Classical guitar | ||
| Clavicembelo (Italian pianoforte) | ||
| Clavichord | ||
| Clavichord (European stringed keyboard) | ||
| Concertina | ||
| conch | ||
| Conga (Caribbean drum) | ||
| Contra-alto clarinet | ||
| Contra-alto flute | ||
| Contrabass á anche | ||
| Contrabass clarinet | ||
| Contrabass flute | ||
| Contrabass oboe | ||
| Contrabass Sarrusophone | ||
| Contrabass saxophone | ||
| Contrabassoon | ||
| Cornet/ Cornett/ Cornetto/ Zink | ||
| Cornish bagpipes | ||
| Cowbell | ||
| Croatian bagpipes | ||
| Cromorne | ||
| Crotales (Struck cymbals) | ||
| Crumhorn | ||
| Crwth (Welsh stringed instrument) | ||
| Cuatro (Latin American lute) | ||
| Cuíca (Brazilian drum) | ||
| Cymbals – crash, hi-hat, ride, splash, tom-toms, zil | ||
| Cymbalum (Western European hammered dulcimer) | ||
| Da’uli da’uli (Indonesian xylophone) | ||
| Dabakan (Philippine drum) | ||
| Dadihu (contrabass erhu) | ||
| Dahu (Chinese bowed stringed instrument) | ||
| Daiko (Japanese drum) | ||
| Dankiyo (Turkish bagpipe) | ||
| Daraboukka (Syrian drum) | ||
| Darabukka (Arabic drum) | ||
| Darbuka (Greek drum) | ||
| Darvyra (Greek Duct Flute) | ||
| Denis d’or (ancient Czech chordophone) | ||
| Dhol (Iranian drum) | ||
| Dholak (North Indian hand drum) | ||
| Didgeridoo (Aboriginal Natural Trumpet) | ||
| Dihu (Chinese large bowed stringed instrument) | ||
| Diyingehu (contrabass gehu) | ||
| Djembe (West African hand drum) | ||
| Doedelzak (Dutch bagpipe) | ||
| Dombak (Iranian drum) | ||
| Domra (Russian mandolin) | ||
| Dotara (bass ektara) | ||
| Double Bass | ||
| Double contrabass flute | ||
| Doulophone/ cuprophone | ||
| Drum machine | ||
| Dubreq stylophone | ||
| Duct Flute | ||
| Dudelsack (German bagpipe) | ||
| Dudy (Czech bagpipes) | ||
| Duff (Islamic tambourine) | ||
| Dulcian (pre-1700’s Western European Bassoon) | ||
| Dulcimer (hammered zither) | ||
| Dulzaina (Spanish oboe) | ||
| Dumbelek (Turkish drum) | ||
| Dun dun (West African large talking drum) | ||
| Dutar (Central Asian lute) | ||
| Duxianqin (Chinese one-stringed zither) | ||
| Ektara (Indian one-string) | ||
| Electric guitar | ||
| Electric organ | ||
| Electric piano | ||
| Electronic: | ||
| English Horn/ Cor Anglais (French tenor Oboe) | ||
| Erhu (Chinese violin) | ||
| Erxian (Chinese bowed stringed instrument) | ||
| Euphonium | ||
| Fangxiang (Chinese metallophone) | ||
| Fiddle | ||
| Finger Cymbals | ||
| Fingerboard synthesizer | ||
| Fiscarmonica (Italian Accordian) | ||
| Flageolets | ||
| Flugelhorn | ||
| Folgerphone | ||
| French Horn | ||
| Gaida (Southern Balkan bagpipes) | ||
| Gaita (Portuguese & Spanish bagpipe) | ||
| Gajdy (Eastern European bagpipes) | ||
| Gambang (Indonesian xylophone) | ||
| Gan gan (West African small talking drum) | ||
| Gandingan (Philippine set of 4 hanging gongs) | ||
| Gandingan a kayo (Philippine xylophone) | ||
| Ganza (Brazilian rattle) | ||
| Gaohu (Chinese bowed stringed instrument) | ||
| Gayageum (Korean zither) | ||
| Gehu (Chinese cello-like) | ||
| Gender (Indonesian brass xylophone) | ||
| Geomungo/ komungo (Korean zither) | ||
| Ghatam (Indian drum) | ||
| Glass marimba | ||
| Glasschord (crystallophone) | ||
| Glockenspiel | ||
| Gong | ||
| Gottuvadhyam (Indian 21-stringed guitar) | ||
| Great Highland bagpipe | ||
| Great Irish warpipes | ||
| Guan (Chinese pipe) | ||
| Gugin (Chinese bridgeless zither) | ||
| Guiro (South & Central American notched gourd that is scraped) | ||
| Guitar | ||
| Guitarrón (Mexican large bass guitar) | ||
| Guqin (Chinese plucked zither) | ||
| Gusle/ gusla (Balkan guitar) | ||
| Gusli (Russian harp) | ||
| Guzheng (Chinese zither) | ||
| Hammered dulcimer | ||
| Handbells | ||
| Hang (steel hand drum) | ||
| Hardanger fiddle | ||
| Harmonica/ Mouth Organ | ||
| Harmonium/ reed organ | ||
| Harp | ||
| Harp guitar | ||
| Harpsichord | ||
| Heckelphone | ||
| Hegelong (Philippine fretted boat-lute) | ||
| Hélicon | ||
| Hichiriki (Japanese Oboe) | ||
| Hocchiku (Japanese flute) | ||
| Hooked harp | ||
| Horagai (Japanese conch) | ||
| Horn | ||
| Hosho (Zimbabwean rattle) | ||
| Hsaio (Chinese Duct Flute) | ||
| Huemmelchen (German smallpipes) | ||
| Huluhu (Chinese bowed stringed instrument) | ||
| Hun (Korean flute) | ||
| Hunting Horn | ||
| Huqin (Chinese bowed stringed instrument) | ||
| Hurdy Gurdy | ||
| Igil (Tuvan bowed instrument) | ||
| Inci (Philippine flute) | ||
| Ipu (Hawaiian rattle) | ||
| Irish bouzouki | ||
| Irish Uilleann (Indoor bagpipe) | ||
| Istarski mih (Croatian bagpipe) | ||
| Janggu (Korean drum) | ||
| Japanese Bamboo Flute/ Shakuhachi | ||
| Jew’s harp | ||
| Jew’s harp (plucked idiophone) | ||
| Jiaohu (Chinese bowed stringed instrument) | ||
| Jinghu (Chinese bowed stringed instrument) | ||
| Jug | ||
| Kadlong (Philippine fretted boat-lute) | ||
| Kagul (Philippine slit drum) | ||
| Kangling (Tibetan serunai) | ||
| Kaval (Slovakian Duct Flute) | ||
| Kèn b?u (Vietnamese reed) | ||
| Kettle drum/ Timpani | ||
| Keyed Bugle | ||
| Keyed Trumpet | ||
| Khene (Northeast Thailand mouth organ) | ||
| Khim (Cambodian/ Thai hammered dulcimer) | ||
| Khloy (Cambodian flute) | ||
| Khol (South Indian drum) | ||
| Kissar (West African lyre) | ||
| Knatele (Finnish zither) | ||
| Kokyu (Japanese bowed instrument) | ||
| Komungo (Korean zither) | ||
| Kora (West African 21-string harp-lute) | ||
| Koto (Japanese zither) | ||
| Koudi (Chinese flute) | ||
| Koziol (Polish bagpipe) | ||
| Kubing (Philippine Jew’s harp) | ||
| Kulintang a kayo (Philippine xylophone) | ||
| Kulintang a putao/ kulintang a tiniok (Philippine metallophone) | ||
| Kulintang/ kolintang (Philippine gong group) | ||
| Kutiyapi (Philippine fretted boat-lute) | ||
| Kwa-yen (Chinese hanging drum) | ||
| Kwintangen kayo/ luntang (Philippine xylophone) | ||
| Lambeg (Irish drum) | ||
| Lancashire great-pipe | ||
| Langeleik (Norwegian stringed instrument) | ||
| Laruan (Chinese stringed instrument) | ||
| Lasso d’amore | ||
| Launeddas (Sardinian triple clarinet) | ||
| Leier (German hurdy gurdy) | ||
| Leiqin (Chinese bowed instrument) | ||
| Lirone | ||
| Lithophone (stone barred xylophone) | ||
| Lusheng (Chinese bamboo pipes) | ||
| Lute | ||
| Lyre | ||
| Magayr duda (Hungarian bagpipes) | ||
| Maguhu (Chinese bowed stringed instrument) | ||
| Malimba (xylophone from the Congo) | ||
| Mando-bass (bass mandolin) | ||
| Mandocello (large mandolin) | ||
| Mandola (US/ Canadian fretted stringed instrument) | ||
| Mandolin | ||
| Mangtong (Chinese bamboo pipes) | ||
| Maraca | ||
| Marimba | ||
| Marimbao (Brazilian stringed instrument) | ||
| Marinbaphone | ||
| Mbira/ Sanza/ Thumb Piano (African stringed instrument) | ||
| Mellophone | ||
| Mellotron (polyphonic keyboard) | ||
| Melodeon | ||
| Melodica | ||
| Metallophones (metal barred xylophone) | ||
| Mijwiz (Arabic double pipe) | ||
| Mittlealtersackpfeife (German medieval bagpipe) | ||
| Mizwad (Arabic bagpipe) | ||
| Mohan veena (Indian guitar) | ||
| Moodswinger (zither) | ||
| Morin khuur/ morin huur (Mongolian fiddle) | ||
| Mridangam (South Indian drum) | ||
| Muchosac (Belgian bagpipe) | ||
| Musette bressane (French bagpipe) | ||
| Musette de cour (French bagpipe) | ||
| Musette du centre (French bagpipe) | ||
| Musical bow | ||
| Musical Saw (wood cutting saw) | ||
| Nadaswaram (Indian wind instrument) | ||
| Naqara (Mongolian war drum) | ||
| Natural Trumpet | ||
| Nay (Syrian wooden flute) | ||
| Ney (Lebanese Flute) | ||
| Northumbrian smallpipes | ||
| Nose flute | ||
| Nyckelharpa (Swedish key harp) | ||
| Oboe | ||
| Oboe d’amore | ||
| Oboe da caccia | ||
| Ocarina | ||
| Octaban (cylinder drum) | ||
| Octapad (electronic drumpad) | ||
| Octave mandolin | ||
| Octavin | ||
| Octocontra-alto clarinet | ||
| Octocontrabass clarinet | ||
| Oliphant/ Cor d’Oliphant | ||
| Ondes martenot (electronic keyboard and slide) | ||
| Ophicleide | ||
| Organ - electric | ||
| Organ pipe | Organ History | |
| Overtone guitar | ||
| Paixiao (Chinese flute) | ||
| Palendang (Philippine flute) | ||
| Pan pipes | ||
| Pastoral pipes | ||
| Piano | Piano History | |
| Piccolo | ||
| Piccolo clarinet | ||
| Piccolo heckelphone | ||
| Piccolo oboe | ||
| Pipa (Chinese lute) | ||
| Pipe organ | ||
| Piva (Northern Italian bagpipe) | ||
| Psaltery (plucked zither) | ||
| Pulalu (Philippine flute) | ||
| Qanun (Turkish zither) | ||
| Quena (Andean flute) | ||
| Quinticlave (Ophicleide) | ||
| Racket | ||
| Rainstick | ||
| Raita (Moroccan serunai) | ||
| Rajao (Portuguese guitar) | ||
| Ranat ek elk (Thai metallophone) | ||
| Ranat thum lek (Thai metallophone) | ||
| Rattle | ||
| Rebab (Arabic bowed stringed instrument) | ||
| Rebec (15th/ 16th century rebab) | ||
| Recorder | ||
| Reed contrabass | ||
| Reed Pipe | ||
| Riq/ riqq/ rik (Arabic tambourine) | ||
| Roman tuba | ||
| Ruan (Chinese plucked stringed instrument) | ||
| Rudra veena (Indian plucked stringed instrument) | ||
| Ryuteki (Japanese flute) | ||
| Sabar (Senegalese drum) | ||
| Sac de gemecs (Catalonian bagpipe) | ||
| Sackbutt (trombone family’s ancestor) | ||
| Säckpipa (Swedish bagpipe) | ||
| Saenghwang (Korean mouth organ) | ||
| Sallaneh (Iranian plucked stringed instrument) | ||
| Sampho (Cambodian barrel drum) | ||
| Sampler | ||
| Sang-auk (Burmese harp) | ||
| Santur (North Indian hammered zither) | ||
| Sanxian (Chinese lute) | ||
| Saraswati veena (South Indian lute) | ||
| Sarrusophone | ||
| Sarunay/ saronay/ sarunai/ saronai (Philippine metallophone) | ||
| Saung (Burmese harp) | ||
| Saw ou (Thai bowed stringed instrument) | ||
| Saw sam sai (Thai bowed stringed instrument) | ||
| Saxhorn | ||
| Saxonette | ||
| Saxophone | ||
| Schweizer sackpfeife (Swiss bagpipe) | ||
| Scottish smallpipes | ||
| Se (Chinese zither) | ||
| Serpent | ||
| Serunai (Islamic reed instrument) | ||
| Setar (Iranian lute) | ||
| Shamisen (Japanese 3-stringed instrument) | ||
| Shawm (Renaissance oboe) | ||
| Shekere (African rattle) | ||
| Sheng (Chinese mouth organ) | ||
| Shinobue (Japanese flute) | ||
| Shofar (Jewish horn) | ||
| Sihu (Chinese bowed stringed instrument) | ||
| Singing bowl/ rin gong (Himalayan standing bell) | ||
| Siren | ||
| Sitar (South Asian lute) | ||
| Slide guitar | ||
| Slide whistle | ||
| Slit drum | ||
| Snare Drum | ||
| Sopranino clarinet | ||
| Sopranino saxophone | ||
| Soprano clarinet | ||
| Soprano mandolin | ||
| Soprano saxophone | ||
| soprillo | ||
| Sorna (Afghan serunai) | ||
| Sousaphone | ||
| Spoons | ||
| Sralai (Cambodian reed) | ||
| Steel drum | ||
| Steel guitar | ||
| Subcontrabass flute | ||
| Subcontrabass saxophone | ||
| Suling (Indonsian/Philippine flute) | ||
| Suona (Chinese serunai) | ||
| Synclavier | ||
| Synthesizer | ||
| Tabla (Indian/ Pakistani drum) | ||
| Tagutok (Philippine slit drum) | ||
| Taiko (Japanese drum) | ||
| Talking drum | ||
| Tambour (French drum) | ||
| Tambourine | ||
| Tamburitza (Croatian/ Serbian mandolin) | ||
| Tan-tan (Brazilian hand drum) | ||
| Taphon (Thai drum) | ||
| Tar (Persian lute) | ||
| Tárogató (Hungarian shawm) | ||
| Tea chest bass (skiffle bass) | ||
| Tenor horn | ||
| Tenor mandola (European/ UK fretted stringed instrument) | ||
| Tenor sarrusophone | ||
| Tenor saxophone | ||
| Tenoroon (tenor bassoon) | ||
| Teponaztli (Mexican wooden drum) | ||
| Thavil (Indian drum) | ||
| Theorbo (lower-toned lute) | ||
| Theremin (oscillator) | ||
| Timpani/ kettle drum | ||
| Timple (Canary Islands/ Murcia ukulele) | ||
| Tin whistle | ||
| Tjelempung/ Celempung (Javanese zither) | ||
| Tom-tom | ||
| Tonette (plastic recorder) | ||
| Torupill (Estonian bagpipe) | ||
| Transverse Flute (Traditional Flute) | ||
| Trekspill (Norwegian Accordian) | ||
| Tres (Cuban chordophone) | ||
| Triangle | ||
| Tro u (Cambodian bowed stringed instrument) | ||
| Tromba marina (European stringed instrument) | ||
| Trombone | ||
| Tromboon/ babone | ||
| Trompeta china (Cuban suona) | ||
| Trumpet | ||
| Tsampouna (Greek bagpipe) | ||
| Tsuri-daiko (Japanese hanging drum) | ||
| Tubax | ||
| Tubular Bells | ||
| Tuhu (Chinese bowed stringed instrument) | ||
| Tulum (Turkish bagpipe) | ||
| Tumpong (Philippine flute) | ||
| Turntables | ||
| Ud/ oud (Arabic and Islamic lute) | ||
| Udu (African clay drum) | ||
| Ukulele (Hawaiian guitar) | ||
| Valiha (Indonesian and Madagascan zither) | ||
| Vertical flute | ||
| Vertical viola | ||
| Veuze (French bagpipe) | ||
| Vibraphone/ vibraharp | ||
| Vichitra veena (Indian stringed instrument) | ||
| Vielle (French hurdy gurdy) | ||
| Vihuela (Spanish 2-string guitar) | ||
| Viola | ||
| Viola d’amore | ||
| Viola da gamba | ||
| Viola organista | ||
| Violin | ||
| Violotta | ||
| Vladimirsky Rozhok | ||
| Volinka (Russian bagpipes) | ||
| Wagner Tuba | ||
| Washboard | ||
| Washint (Ethiopian flute) | ||
| Washtub bass | ||
| Welsh pipes | ||
| Whip | ||
| Whip/ slapstick | ||
| Willow flute | ||
| Wind Chimes | ||
| Xalam/ khalam (West African Banjo-like instrument) | ||
| Xiao (Chinese flute) | ||
| Xiaodihu (tenor erhu) | ||
| Xun (Chinese flute) | ||
| Xylophone (wooden keyed instrument) | ||
| Xylorimba (extended range xylophone) | ||
| Yang chi’in (Chinese zither) | ||
| Yang Chin (Chinese hammered dulcimer) | ||
| Yayli tanbur (Turkish lute) | ||
| Yazheng (Chinese zither) | ||
| Yehu (Chinese bowed stringed instrument) | ||
| Yu (Chinese bamboo pipes) | ||
| Yueh Ch’in (Chinese lute) | ||
| Yun Lo (Chinese gong) | ||
| Zampogna (Italian bagpipe) | ||
| Zaqq (Maltese bagpipe) | ||
| Zhongdihu (bass erhu) | ||
| Zhuihu (Chinese bowed stringed instrument) | ||
| Zither | ||
| Zonghu (Chinese bowed stringed instrument) | ||
| Zufalo (Italian flute) | ||
| Zurna (Turkish serunai) |
