Esraj
The esraj, also called esraaj, is a stringed musical instrument found in two forms across South Asia. It is a relatively new instrument, about 300 years old. It is used in Pakistan and northern India, especially in Punjab, where it plays a role in Sikh music.
Sarangi
The sarangi is a bowed, short-necked, three-stringed instrument used in traditional Indian music. It can sound like a human voice by copying vocal techniques such as Gamaks or Gamakam (shakes) and meends (sliding movements). The Nepali sarangi is similar but has four strings and is a simpler folk instrument.
Rubab (instrument)
The rubab (UK: /rʊˈbæb/, US: /rʊˈbɑːb/) or robab is a lute-like musical instrument from Central Asia. It is Afghanistan’s national musical instrument and is also played in India and Pakistan, mainly by the Balochis, Kashmiris, and Punjabis. There are different types of the rubab, such as the Kabuli rebab of Afghanistan, the Uyghur rawap of Xinjiang, the Pamiri rubab of Tajikistan, and the North Indian seni rebab.
Kamancheh
The kamancheh is a bowed string instrument from Iran that is used in the music of Persia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kurdistan, Georgia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. There are small differences in the instrument’s design in each of these regions. The kamancheh is connected to the rebab, which is an older version of the kamancheh and also related to the bowed Byzantine lyra.
Kemenche
The kemenche (also called kemençe in Turkish and κεμεντζές in Greek) and kamancha (known as کمانچه in Persian and Քամանչա in Armenian) are names for different kinds of stringed instruments played with a bow. These instruments come from the Eastern Mediterranean region, including Greece, Armenia, Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and areas near the Black Sea. They are traditional folk instruments, usually having three strings.
Gusle
The gusle (Serbian Cyrillic: гусле) or lahuta (Albanian: lahutë; related to the English lute) is a single-stringed musical instrument and style used in the Dinarides region of Southeastern Europe, specifically in the Balkans. This instrument is always played with singing and is closely connected to musical traditions, especially epic poetry. The person who plays the gusle (Serbian Cyrillic: гуслар, romanized: guslar; Albanian: lahutar) holds the instrument vertically between the knees, with the left hand controlling the string.
Gadulka
The gadulka (Bulgarian: гъдулка) is a traditional Bulgarian bowed string instrument. It is also spelled “gǎdulka,” “gudulka,” and “g’dulka.” The name comes from a word meaning “to make noise, hum, or buzz.” The gadulka is an important part of Bulgarian traditional musical groups, often played during dance music. The instrument usually has three main strings (sometimes four or five) and up to sixteen sympathetic resonating strings underneath.
Ukelin
The ukelin is a stringed musical instrument that became popular in the United States during the 1920s. It is a type of psaltery that is played with a bow and has strings similar to those on a zither. The name “ukelin” comes from the words “ukulele” (a small guitar-like instrument first made in Portugal but later popularized in Hawaii) and “violin.” The instrument lost popularity before the 1970s because it was hard to play, and many people returned it to the manufacturer before they had finished paying for it.
Washtub bass
The washtub bass, also called the gutbucket, is a stringed instrument used in American folk music. It uses a metal washtub as a resonator to create sound. While some washtub basses may have four or more strings and tuning pegs, traditional versions have only one string.
Double bass
The double bass, also called the upright bass, acoustic bass, bull fiddle, Bass Fiddle, string bass, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (except for rare instruments like the octobass). It has four or five strings and is built between the styles of the gamba (viol) and the violin family. The bass is a regular part of the orchestra’s string section, which includes violins, violas, and cellos, as well as the concert band.