INSTRUMENT DESCRIPTIONS

Tabla - NB Egyptian: single headed, hour glass-shaped drum.

 

Tabla - (or tabla,bayan) NB Indian: an asymmetrical pair of small, tuned hand played drums (of the kettle, drum type) of north and central India, Pakistan and Bangladesh; the tabla drum is of wood, the Bayan of metal.

 

Tabor - Double headed rope tension drum from England, often played one handed with a 3 hole Tabor Pipe in the other hand.

 

Tambora/Tanbora - Double-headed drum of the Dominican Republic. Used to play merengue rhythm.

 

Tamborim - Handheld drum of Brazil, between 15 and 30 cm diameter; played with a switch.

 

Tambura - Long-necked fretted lute from Bulgaria, especially seen in Pirin. Has 2, 3, 6, 8 or 12 metal strings, 6 strings in 3 pairs is a common variety. Similar to the Greek Baglama.

 

Tambutica - Plucked lute of Yugoslavia; wire strings; several sound holes.

 

Tamburitza - Main instrument of Slavonic music; an instrument of the Tanbur lute family, which originally came from Asia.

 

Tanbur - Name applied to various long-necked lutes of the Middle East and Cantrla Asia.

 

Tanpura - Long-necked ancient lute of India; four strings; provides the reference point for melodic improvisations by performers of the other instruments.

 

Tantan - Brazilian drum.

 

Tapan - Double-headed drum 50 to 60cm diameter, rope strung. Found in Bulgaria.

 

Tarambuka - Bulgarian clay drum, similar to the Turkish and Arabic Darabuka.

 

Tarkas - Wooden flute with mouthpiece.

 

Tarogato - Woodwind instrument with a reed, similar to an oboe; dark, penetrating tone.

 

Thavil - Two-headed drum originating from Southern India; for festivals.

 

Thumb-Piano - See Kalimba

 

Tilinca - A Romanian flute without finger holes.

 

Timba - Tall tapered Brazilian drum.

 

Timbales - Pair of metal-shelled, single-headed, cylindrical drums.

 

Tin Whistle - See Flageolet

 

Tiple - In Spain, Colombia, Puerto Rico, etc., a small type of guitar; 12 metal strings.

 

To'ere - Tahitian slit log drum; hollowed out trunk of tou wood, struck with a wooden beater; the larger the instrument, the deeper the sound.

 

Tonback - Skin drum used in Iranian classical music; carved from wood, open at the lower end, covered with goat or calf at the wider, upper end; played with the fingers of both hands.

 

Tres - Type of guitar with 3 single or double courses of strings. Found in Cuba.

 

Trombita - Large horn, similar to the alpenhorn.

 

Tulum - Bagpipe of Turkey and Azerbaijan.

 

Tzeze - A simple stick zither from Uganda

 

Tzoura - Greek 6 string long necked lute, similar to, but smaller than a bouzouki, the middle one out of the Baglama, Tzoura, Bouzouki family.

 

Ud - (also spelt aud or oud)

 

Udu Drum - Clay pot with 2 holes, cupped alternatively; sound produced by compression and release of the air inside it.

 

Uilleann Pipes - See union pipe; ('Uilleann' is Gaelic for elbow)

 

Ukulele - (or Ukelele) Small guitar shaped instrument of Hawaiian origin, 4 nylon strings.

 

Uli-Uli - Hawaiian maracas.

 

Union Pipe - Type of bellows blown bagpipe known in Ireland from 18th century. See Uilleann Pipes. Has a conical chanter which has a two octave range, 3 drones, and 3 keyed chanters known as regulators.

 

Vibraphone - Of the bar percussion family; metal; similar in appearance to the xylophone.

 

Vielle - French name for the Hurdy Gurdy, a mechanical development of the violin (also once known as a Vielle) with the strings vibrated by a wheel, and keys stopping the strings. See also Hurdy-Gurdy and Nyckelharpa.

 

Vihuela - Plucked chordophone of the guitar family. Now popular in Central America, it is very similar to the Spanish renaissance vihuela.

 

Viola - 2nd in line within the "string" instrument family. Has four strings tuned in 5ths to CGDA

 

Violin - Highest pitched instrument within the "string" instrument family. Has four strings tuned in 5ths to GDAE

 

Walaycho - Small-brother of the charango

 

Whistle - An end blown flute with a fipple, all kinds exist around the world. See flageolet.

 

Wuankara - Chinese bamboo pipe.

 

Yang Qin - Chinese hammered dulcimer; came into China from Persia in the 17th century and now regarded as a Chinese national instrument. (See Hammered Dulcimer)

 

Zampoña - A series of (usually) bamboo tubes, each of a slightly greater length from the others, arranged in a scale and played by blowing air over one edge of one tube. Also Panpipe.

 

Zampogna - Italian bagpipe with 2 drones and 2 conical chanters, all in one stock.

 

Zither - The family name of all instruments which have strings stretched across a box. Popular in central Europe. In addition to the melody strings, the Concert Zither has a guitar type fretboard, some models have strings grouped together in chords.

 

Zurna - Another name for shawm; folk oboe of the Arab world.