INSTITUTE OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENT TECHNOLOGY
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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 | Click to hear an accordion | |
Acoustic bass guitar | ||
Acoustic guitar | Click to hear a Acoustic Guitar | |
Acoustic bass guitar | Click to hear a Acoustic Bass Guitar | |
Aeolian Harp | ||
Agung a Tamlang) (Philippine slit drum) | ||
Agung (Philippine gong) | ||
Ahoko (Ivory Coast rattle) | ||
Ajaeng | ||
Alboka (Spanish double hornpipe) | ||
Alphorn | Click to hear a Alphorn | |
Alpine bell | ||
Alto clarinet | ||
Alto flute | ||
Alto horn | ||
Alto sarrusophone | ||
Alto saxophone | ||
Angklung (tuned bamboo slide rattle) | Click to hear an Angklung | |
Appalachian dulcimer | Click to hear an Appalachian dulcimer | |
Archlute | (Spanish archilaúd, Italian arciliuto, German Erzlaute, Russian Архилютня) is a European plucked string instrument developed around 1600) | |
Arghul (Arabic double pipe) | Click to hear an Arghul | |
Arpa nottolini (Italian hooked harp) | ||
Arpeggione (Italian six-string) | ||
Array Mbira (African thumb piano) | ||
Aru-ding or kubing (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) | Click to hear an Balalaika | |
Bandola (plucked lute from Cuba, Chile and Peru) | ||
Bandoneón (Argentinian concertina) | ||
Bandurria (Spanish / Latin American plucked lute) | ||
Banhu (Chinese bowed stringed instrument) | ||
Banjo | Click to hear a 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 | Click to hear a Bass Guitar | |
Bass sarrusophone | ||
Bass saxophone | ||
Bass / baritone oboe | ||
Basse a Pistons (French Euphonium) | ||
Basse Cor | ||
Basset clarinet | ||
Basset horn | ||
Bassoon | Click to hear a Bassoon | |
Bawu (Chinese wind instrument shaped like a flute ) | ||
Bayan (Russian Accordion) | ||
Bazooka (telescopic brass tubing) | ||
Bell | ||
Berimbau (Brazilian musical bow) | ||
Bianqing (Chinese stone chimes) | ||
Bianzhong (Chinese bronze bells ) | ||
Bifora (Sicilian 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) invented 1886 in Paris by Auguste Mustel. | Click to hear a Celesta | |
Cello | Click to hear a 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) | ||
Chitarrone (lower-toned lute) | ||
Chitarra battente (Italian guitar) | ||
Chromatic accordian | ||
Cigar box guitar | ||
Cimbalom (Eastern European hammered dulcimer) | ||
Cimbasso | ||
Cimpoi (Romanian bagpipe) | ||
Cittern (Renaissance lute) | ||
Clapped hands | ||
Clarinet | Click to hear a Bb Clarinet | |
Clarinette d’amour | ||
Classical guitar | ||
Clavicembelo (Italian pianoforte) | ||
Clavichord | ||
Clavichord (European stringed keyboard) | ||
Concertina | ||
Conch (seashell horn) | ||
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 | Click to hear a Cymbals | |
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 | Click to hear a 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 | Click to hear a Electric Guitar | |
Electric organ | Click to hear a Electric Organ | |
Electric piano | ||
Electronic: | ||
English Horn/ Cor Anglais (French tenor Oboe) | ||
Erhu (Chinese violin) | ||
Erxian (Chinese bowed stringed instrument) | ||
Euphonium | Click to hear a Euphonium | |
Fangxiang (Chinese metallophone) | ||
Fiddle | ||
Finger Cymbals | ||
Fingerboard synthesizer | ||
Fiscarmonica (Italian Accordian) | ||
Flageolets | ||
Flugelhorn | ||
Flute | Click to hear a Flute | |
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 | Click to hear a Glockenspiel | |
Gong | Click to hear a 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 | ||
Guitar 12 Strings | Click to hear a Guitar 12 Strings | |
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 | Click to hear a Harp | |
Harp guitar | ||
Harpsichord | Click to hear a 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 | Click to hear a Hunting Horn | |
Huqin (Chinese bowed stringed instrument) | ||
Hurdy Gurdy | Click to hear a 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 | Click to hear a Japanese Bamboo Flute | |
Jew’s harp | Click to hear a 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 | Click to hear a Lute | |
Lyre | ||
Magyar 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 | Click to hear a 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 | Click to hear a Oboe | |
Oboe d’amore | ||
Oboe da caccia | ||
Ocarina | Click to hear a 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 | Click to hear a Pipe Organ | Organ History |
Overtone guitar | ||
Paixiao (Chinese flute) | ||
Palendang (Philippine flute) | ||
Pan pipes | ||
Pastoral pipes | ||
Piano | Click to hear a 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) | ||
Ratchet | Click to hear a Ratchet | |
Rattle | ||
Rebab (Arabic bowed stringed instrument) | ||
Rebec (15th/ 16th century rebab) | ||
Recorder (Descant) | Click to hear a Recorder (Descant) | |
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) | Click to hear a Sitar | |
Sleigh Bells | Click to hear a Sleigh Bells | |
Slide guitar | ||
Slide whistle | ||
Slit drum | ||
Snare Drum | Click to hear a 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 | Click to hear a Tenor Sax | |
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 | Click to hear a Triangle | |
Tro u (Cambodian bowed stringed instrument) | ||
Tromba marina (European stringed instrument) | ||
Trombone | Click to hear a Trombone | |
Tromboon/ babone | ||
Trompeta china (Cuban suona) | ||
Trumpet | ||
Trumpet Bb | Click to hear a Bb Trumpet | |
Tsampouna (Greek bagpipe) | ||
Tsuri-daiko (Japanese hanging drum) | ||
Tuba | Click to hear a Tuba | |
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 | Click to hear a Vibraphone/ vibraharp | |
Vichitra veena (Indian stringed instrument) | ||
Vielle (French hurdy gurdy) | ||
Vihuela (Spanish 2-string guitar) | ||
Viola | Click to hear a Viola | |
Viola d’amore | ||
Viola da gamba | ||
Viola organista | ||
Violin | Click to hear a Violin | |
Violotta | ||
Vladimirsky Rozhok | ||
Volinka (Russian bagpipes) | ||
Wagner Tuba | ||
Washboard | ||
Washint (Ethiopian flute) | ||
Washtub bass | ||
Welsh pipes | ||
Whip | Click to hear a Whip | |
Whistle | Click to hear a Whistle | |
Willow flute | ||
Wind Chimes | ||
Xalam/ khalam (West African Banjo-like instrument) | ||
Xiao (Chinese flute) | ||
Xiaodihu (tenor erhu) | ||
Xun (Chinese flute) | ||
Xylophone | Click to hear a Xylophones | |
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 | Click to hear a Zither | |
Zonghu (Chinese bowed stringed instrument) | ||
Zufalo (Italian flute) | ||
Zurna (Turkish serunai) |
Great piano services
09-02-2024Piano servicing
29-01-2024First Tuning in 17 years
21-03-2018Meeting of IMIT Council in London
03-07-2024 02:00AM
Zoom meeting of IMIT Council
21-04-2024 08:00PM
Zoom meeting of IMIT Council
28-01-2024 08:00PM