What Instrument is that?

Angklung

The Angklung is a bamboo instrument from Indonesia made from two bamboo tubes attached to a bamboo frame. It can also be found in the Sudan. Recently it's been adapted by Thailand and tuned to their 7 note equal temperament scale.

You play the Angklung by shaking it side to side causing it to resonate at it's tuned pitch.

> Music featuring the Angklung

Bodhran

The Bodhran is a single-sided Goat-skin frame drum from Ireland played with a double-headed stick called a Tipper.

The player puts his hand in the open side and presses against the skin to change the pitch.

Although the skin is riveted to the frame (and are often bought up to pitch by pouring Guinness on them), modern versions are tunable like a kit drum.

> Quality Bodhrans for sale

Bouzouki

The Bouzouki is a long-necked, pear-shaped and fretted lute from Greece which resembles the Turkish Saz. It can also be found in other Balkan folk music like that of Serbia and Bosnia. Recently it has also gained popularity in Irish music.

They either have 3 or 4 pairs of strings and are played with a pick/plectrum. In modern music particularly it's tuned the same as a Mandolin.

> A Guide to Octave Mandolin & Bouzouki

Bratsche/Brácsa

Popular particularly in Hungarian music, the Bratsche is essentially a folk Viola. Unlike the Western Viola, it's played under the arm rather than under the chin.

It's role is generally to play chords or open fifths.

Bad Viola joke:
They call a viola, a bratsche in Germany. Do you know how this came to be?

Because that's the sound it makes when you sit down on it.

> Excellent Hungarian music played by Muzsikas

Dung Chen

The Dung Chen is a double-reed Tibetan Horn used primarily in ritual music. Some Dung Chen's are over 9 feet long and therefore very deep in pitch. Traditionally they are made from Brass and Silver.

Erhu

The Erhu is a 2-stringed instrument from China which is played with a bow and is often know as the "Chinese Violin" or "Chinese Fiddle".

It has a long neck with 2 tuning pegs at the top and a resonator box at the bottom.

It is thought to have evolved from a 2-string Lute know as the Xiqin and started appearing around 1000 years ago.

Erhu's are generally tuned to a fifth with the bottom string being D4 and the top string A4.

Fluier

Similar to the Irish Tin Whistle, the Fluier is a Romanian end-blown flute with six finger holes and made from wood. They come in various sizes such as a large one know as fluier mare or caval and small ones called fluieras or trisca.

As well as Romania, the Fluier can be found in Moldavia, Ukraine, Greece and other Balkan countries.

Nádihegedü

This Hungarian traditional instrument is made from a hollow dried reed with 2 strings strung from it. It is played with a bow similar to a Violin.

Ney

The Ney is an end-blown flute found primarily in Arabic music and is made of cane or reed. It is one of the oldest instruments, having been played for at least 4,500–5,000 years.

The word Ney is derived from the Old or Middle Persian "näy" which means "flute".

> Egyptian Flutes for Sale

Zheng

The Zheng (also known as the Guzheng) is a 7 string Zither from China. It is one of the most ancient Chinese musical instruments and has been described in literature from at least 206 BC.

There are similar instruments in other Asian countries such as the Japanese Koto, the Korean Kayagum and the Mongolian Yatag.

> Zheng music recording