List of National Instruments (music) | List National Instruments (music)

This list contains musical instruments of symbolic or cultural importance within a nation, state, ethnicity, tribe or other group of people. In some cases, national instruments remain in wide use within the nation (such as the Puerto Rican cuatro), but in others, their importance is primarily symbolic (such as the Welsh triple harp). Danish ethnologist Lisbet Torp has concluded that some national instrument traditions, such as the Finnish kantele, are invented, pointing to the "influence of intellectuals and nationalists in the nationwide promotion of selected musical instruments as a vehicle for nationalistic ideas". Governments do not generally officially recognize national instruments; the only exceptions are the Paraguayan harp, the Japanese koto and the Trinidadian steelpan.

Not every country has a national instrument. Denmark, for example, has no recognized national instrument, though the ancient lur has been seen as a national symbol. Some countries that do not have a widely recognized national instrument have been home to movements that seek to give a particular instrument that status. The United States is home to an organization—led by kazoo player and composer Barbara Stewart—that seeks to make the kazoo the national instrument, calling it "uniquely American" and "the most democratic of instruments". This accomplishment may turn out to be unachievable given a belief widely held in the banjo player community. Frank Rossi ardently promotes the belief that President Harry S. Truman declared the banjo the National Instrument of the United States via Presidential Proclamation in 1947.

This list compiles instruments that have been alleged to be a national instrument by any of a variety of sources, and an instrument's presence on the list does not indicate that its status as a national instrument is indisputable, only that its status has been credibly argued. Each instrument on this list has a Hornbostel-Sachs number immediately below it. This number indicates the instrument's classification within the Hornbostel-Sachs system (H-S), which organizes instruments numerically based on the manner in which they produce sound.

Images and recordings are supplied where available; note that there are often variations within a national musical tradition, and thus the images and recordings may not be accurate in depicting the entire spectrum of the given nation's music, and that some images and recordings may be taken from a region outside the core of the national instrument's home when such distinctions have little relevance to the information present in the image and recordings. A number of countries have more than one instrument listed, each having been described as a national instrument, not usually by the same source; neither the presence of multiple entries for one nation, nor for multiple nations for one instrument, on this list is reflective of active dispute in any instance. Alternative names and spellings are given. These mostly come from alternative spellings within English or alternative methods of transliterating from a foreign language to English, such as the Chinese yangqin, also transliterated yang ch'in and yang qin. Others reflect regions or subcultures within a given nation, such as the Australian didgeridoo which is or has been called didjeridu, yidaki, yiraki, magu, kanbi and ihambilbilg in various Australian Aboriginal languages. All non-English words are italicized.

Nation	Instrument	Description	H-S number	Image
Afghanistan	rubab rabab	Short-necked three-stringed lute with sympathetic and drone strings, fretted and plucked with a plectrum, with a double-chambered body, the lower part of which is covered in skin, and with three main strings	321.321-6
Albania	Çiftelia Gajde Lahuta
African American, also believed to be of the United States	banjo	Four or five stringed instrument, plucked with a bare thumb and a forefinger covered by a metal thimble, traditionally with four or five strings,	321.312-5
Arab	oud	Pear-shaped fretless stringed instrument, with five courses of two strings and a single eleventh string, a bent back and a bowl-shaped body, often with up to three soundholes, played with a pick	321.321-6
Argentina	bandoneón	Button accordion with a box shape, played with both hands using buttons that produce two sets of notes per hand	412.132
Argentina	guitar	Fretted stringed instrument with a hollow body and a soundboard	321.322
Armenia	duduk daduk	Double-reed pipe with wide reeds made from pieces of cane in a duckbill-type assembly, generally diatonic and with a single octave range	421.211.12
Australian, Indigenous	didgeridoo didjeridu, yidaki, yiraki, magu, kanbi, ihambilbilg	Straight trumpet without fingerholes, traditionally made from a trunk or thick branch of a tree, sometimes with a rim of beeswax around the blowing end, requires circular breathing	423.121.11	50px
Azerbaijan	balaban	Set of cylindrical shawm-like instruments, with an air reservoir like a bagpipe	422.121-62	—
Baganda peoples of Uganda	endongo	Bowl lyre made of lizardskin with strings tied to a piece of wood inserted into two holes on two arms	321.21	—
Balochs	suroz	Bowed string instrument with a long neck, similar to a fiddle or sarangi and played vertically	321.322	—
Bangladesh	dotara	Small stringed instrument, with plucked metal strings, elongated belly as soundboard and narrow neck ending in a pegbox, decorated with carvings of animals and covered with skin	321.322	—
Bashkir	kurai	Long open endblown flute with five fingerholes	421.111.12	—
Basotho	lesiba	Stringed instrument, blown rather than plucked or strummed, with a single string and tuning noose attached both to a bow and a feather quill, with a frame made from a coconut shell	311.121.222	—
Bavaria	zither Volkszither	Stringed instrument with a soundbox, with strings stretched across it, originally with four melody strings and no more than fifteen accompaniment strings	314.122
Bhutan	dranyen dranyen, dramnyen	Seven-stringed lute, fretless, long-necked and double-waisted with rosette-shaped sound hole	321.321	—
Bolivia	charango charanga	Fretted, hollow-bodied bowl lute, usually with four or five doubled strings, with as many as eleven tunings, traditionally made from an armadillo shell	321.321-6
Brazil	guitar violão	Fretted seven-stringed instrument with a soundboard and a hollow body, originally with steel strings, but now more commonly with nylon	321.322
Brazil	berimbau	Single-stringed musical bow Toque de Angola on unaccompanied berimbau	311.121.221
Brazil	pandeiro	Handheld frame drum with metal jingles (platinelas) attached, tuned through adjusting the tension of the head, can also be shaken or rasped	211.311 + 112.122
Bulgaria	gaida	Bagpipe with three types of chanters, one a simple reed, open at one end, another a small, conical tube with eight fingerholes, one of which is the flea-hole (a small hole made out of a tube that can raise any note a half-step), and the last is a long, no-holed drone	422.22-62
China	guqin qin	A plucked seven-string zither with open strings and a range of about four octaves	312.22
China	guzheng zheng, gu-zheng	Half-tube zither, rectangular with three sound holes on the bottom, now with twenty-one strings most typically, pentatonic tuning, strings are plucked by hand	312.22-5
China	pipa	Pear-shaped bowl lute with a neck, played by plucking	321.321-5	50px
China	yangqin yang ch'in, yang qin	Hammered dulcimer, with a trapezoidal sounding board and traditionally bronze strings, struck with rubber-tipped bamboo hammers	314.122-4
Colombia	cuatro	Fretted stringed instrument with a hollow body and with four strings	321.322
Colombia	tiple	Four-stringed small fretted instrument with a hollow body	321.322
Costa Rica	marimba	Xylophone-like instrument with gourd resonators, two sets of overlapping keys, struck with mallets	111.222-4
Crete	lyra	Three-stringed fretted, pear-shaped instrument with a hollow body and a vaulted back, propped up on the knee	321.21	—
Croatia	tamburica tamburitza	Lute-like stringed instrument with a long neck, picked or strummed, variable number of strings	321.321
Cuba	tres	Guitar-like instrument with a neck and three courses of two strings each	321.322	—
Dagara peoples of Ghana	gyil	Xylophone-like calabash gourd with holes covered in spider silk, wooden frame, struck with a hammer	111.222-4
Ecuador	rondador	Set of chorded bamboo panpipes that produces two tones simultaneously, consisting of pieces of cane, placed side by side in order by size and closed at one end, played by blowing across the top of the instrument	421.112.11
Egypt, Ancient	harp	Open harp, used in widely varying forms, though originally semi-circular and with five to seven strings, number of strings increased over time, while the size decreased	322.12	—
Egypt, Ancient	sistrum	U-shaped frame drum with small rings that make sound when shaken	112.112
England	bell	Round framed idiophone, open on one end, with a clapper inside Clock bell at the Great Court of Trinity College, Cambridge University	111.242.122
Etruria	kithara	Stringed instrument with a deep soundbox made of two tables, connected by ribs, with strings attached to a tuning bar, played with a plectrum	321.22
Finland	kantele kannel	Zither–harp, traditionally with five strings, now with up to thirty, held in the lap	314.122
Finland, especially Swedish-speaking Finns	violin	Four stringed instrument, bowed, hourglass-shape and an arched top and back chords on a violin	321.322
Fula	tambin sereendu, fulannu	Diagonal diatonic flute without a bell, made from a conical vine, with three finger-holes and a rectangular embouchere with two wings on either side	411.111.22	—
Galicia	gaita gaita de fole, gaita gallega	Diatonic bagpipe with a conical chanter and at least one bass drone, used to accompany both spiritual and secular, as well as lyric and dance music, usually accompanied by a drum (tambour)	422.211.2-62
Greece, Ancient	aulos auloi	Highly variant double-shawm with a cylindrical bore	422.121
Greece, Ancient	lyre	Stringed instrument, strummed with a plectrum, with the free hand silencing unwanted strings, traditionally made from a tortoise shell	321.21
Greece, Modern	bouzouki	String instrument with a pear-shaped body and a long neck, played with plectrum	321.321
Guatemala	marimba	Xylophone-like instrument with gourd resonators, struck with mallets, with a two level keyboard so it can play the full chromatic scale	111.222-4
Hawaii	ukulele	String instrument derived from the Portuguese braguinha, from the Hawaiian uku lele, jumping flea, referring to the swift fingerwork the instrument requires chords on a ukulele	321.322
Hungary	cimbalom czimbalom, cymbalom, cymbalum, ţambal, tsymbaly, tsimbl, santouri, santur	Chromatic hammered dulcimer with four legs	314.122-4
India	veena vina	Semitonically fretted lute with a long, cylindrical shape, resting on two gourds	311.222	—
Indonesia	angklung	Two bamboo tubes, closed at one end and with tongues, attached to a square frame, played by shaking from side to side, causing the tongues to vibrate	112.122
Iran	santur	Hammered dulcimer, trapezoidal-shaped with 72 strings and two sets of bridges, hit with mallets	314.122-4	—
Ireland	clárseach cláirsach (Scottish), cruit	Polychord wire-strung harp with a fore-pillar	322.221
Israel	kinnor David's harp	Biblically described historic instrument, probably a cithara; in modern Hebrew, refers to the violin	321.22
Italy	mandolin	Stringed instrument Mandolin performance	321.321
Japan	koto	Long and hollow thirteen-stringed instrument	312.22-7
Jewish	shofar	Horn, flattened by heat and hollowed, used for more religious than purely secular purposes, made from the horn of an animal, most typically a ram or kudu	423.121.1
Kazakhstan	dombra	Fretted, long-necked lute with a round body, played by plucking with a plectrum	321.321-6
Kenya	nyatiti	3-foot-long (0.91 m) harp, plucked with both hands, made of wood and goat or antelope skin	321.21-5	—
Khoikhoi	goura	Single stringed instrument, blown rather than plucked or strummed, with the string attached to a coconut shell resonator and with a tension noose wrapped around the string to adjust the pitch	311.121.222	—
Korea	gayageum kayagum, kayago	zither-like string instrument, with 12 strings.	312.22-5
Kyrgyzstan	komuz kopuz	Three-stringed fretless lute, made from wood with gut strings	321.321
Lanna (Northern Thailand)	pin pia	Chest-resonated stick zither with two to five strings	311.221	—
Laos	khene khaen	Mouth organ with bamboo tubes, attached in pairs to the mouthpiece, and with fixed free reeds	412.132
Latvia and Latvian-Americans	kokle	Diatonic, lute-like string instrument	314.122
Lebanon	darbuka debakeh	Goblet-shaped hand drum	211.261.21
Lithuania	birbyne	Aerophone, can be single- or double-reed, with or without a mouthpiece	422	—
Lithuania	kanklės	Stringed instrument	314.122
Lobi peoples of Ghana	gyil	Keyed calabash gourds with holes covered in spider silk, wooden frame	111.222-4
Madagascar	valiha	Tubular zither	312.11
Mandinka of West Africa	balo behlanjeh	Set of wooden pieces, mounted on gourds, in a frame and played using two rubber-tipped mallets, held in hands with iron cylinders and rings attached to add a jingling sound	111.212 + 112.111	—
Maroons of Jamaica	abeng	Aerophone made from the end of a cow horn with the tip broken off on the side, which is blown into	423.122.2	—
Mexico	marimba	Xylophone-like instrument with wooden square tubes resonators, struck with mallets, with a two level keyboard so it can play the full chromatic scale	111.222-4
Mongolia	morin khuur horse-head fiddle, igil	Two-stringed instrument, held between the legs, with a trapezoidal body and a horse's head typically carved on the upper edge of the pegbox	321.322
Montenegro	gusle	Stringed instrument, round, typically with one string bound at the top of the neck with a tuning peg	321.321-71	—
Myanmar	saung-gauk saung, Burmese harp	Arched harp with sixteen strings, attached to the harp with red cotton tassels	322.11
Nepal	madal	Double-headed cylindrical drum, slightly bulging at the waist, held horizontally and played double-handed	211.212.1	—
Netherlands	fiddle	Four-stringed instrument, bowed	321.322	—
Nicaragua	marimba	Xylophone-like instrument with gourd resonators	111.222-4
Norway	Hardingfele Hardanger fiddle	Ornately decorated fiddle with four main strings and four resonating strings beneath them, which are not touched by the bow	321.322-71
Norway	langeleik	Rectangular zither with five or six strings, one melody string and several drone strings	314.122
Pakistan	Dafli Daf	The dafli, also popularly known as daf, dappler or tambourine, is a must for weddings. Made of wooden ring with a double row of bells and a playing surface with a 10" diameter, our dafli is a perfect accompaniment to the dholki. The pleasant sound of the dafli will elevate the tempo and mood of all celebrations. Easy to play with no beforehand practice required - with these daflis anyone can add to the music played in weddings and other celebrations.	?
Paraguay	harp, Paraguayan	Diatonic harp with 32, 36, 38 or 40 strings, made from tropical wood and with songs in the Guarani language, with an exaggerated neck-arch, played with the fingernail	322.211	—
Peru	cajón	Wooden box with a hole in one side, derived from containers used to transport agricultural products by portworkers	111.221
Peru	charango charanga, chillador	Guitar-like instrument, most commonly with ten strings in two courses and made from an armadillo back	321.321-6
Philippines	Rondalla	rondalla tradition of ensemble playing of plucked instruments including bandurias, octavinas, laúds, guitars, and basses.	321.321	—
Polynesia	nose flute	Flute, made from a single piece of bamboo, with three holes to blow into from the nostrils, with fingerholes	421.111.22
Portugal	Portuguese guitar	Fretted stringed instrument with a hollow body	321.322
Puerto Rico	cuatro	Fretted stringed instrument with a hollow body, derived from the Spanish tiple and other stringed instruments, made from carved wood with strings (ten, in five sets of two) of leather strips or dried animal gut	321.322
Rome, Ancient	tibiae	Double-reed shawm, played paired	422.122	—
Russia	accordion	Accordion, bellow-driven free reed with keys or buttons to modify the air flow chords on an accordion	412.132
Russia	balalaika	Family of triangle-shaped lute-type instruments	321.32
Russia	gusli	Zither-like instrument with between eleven and thirty-six strings, tuned diatonically	314.122
Russia	spoons	Painted wooden teaspoons, used as a percussion instrument	111.141	—
Ryukyus of Japan	sanshin	Three stringed banjo-like instrument, covered with snakeskin	321.312-6
Sakha	khomus	jaw harp, made from a reed attached to a frame, plucked	121.221
Sardinia	launeddas	Set of three single-reed pipes, all three mouth-blown simultaneously using circular breathing, with two chanters and one drone	422.221.2
Scotland	bagpipe, highland	Bagpipe with a chanter, blowpipe, two tenor drones and a bass drone	422.112.2-62 + 422.221.1-621
Serbia	accordion	Accordion, bellow-driven free reed with keys or buttons to modify the air flow chords on an accordion	412.132	—
Serbia	frula	End-blown wooden flute with six fingerholes	421.211.12	—
Serbia	gajda Surle	Bagpipe with three types of chanters, one a simple reed, open at one end, another a small, conical tube with eight fingerholes, one of which is the flea-hole (a small hole made out of a tube that can raise any note a half-step), and the last is a long, no-holed drone	422.22-62
Serbia	gusle	Stringed instrument, round, typically with one string bound at the top of the neck with a tuning peg Serbian gusle	321.321-71
Slovakia	fujara	Endblown long bass diatonic fipple flute	421.211.12
Slovenia	accordion	Accordion, bellow-driven free reed with keys or buttons to modify the air flow chords on an accordion	412.132
South Africa	Vuvuzela Kuduzela	Straight plastic natural horn	423.121.12	—
Spain	guitar	Fretted stringed instrument, long-necked with a flat soundboard and back, and incurved sides	321.322
Sweden	drejelire	Hurdy-gurdy that uses a rosined wheel to create sound	321.322-72
Sweden	nyckelharpa	Bowed keyed fiddle	321.322-71
Swedish Estonia	talharpa	Bowed lyre with no fingerboard	321.22-71	—
Switzerland	alphorn	Long wooden conical trumpet, bent at the end, with turned boxwood mouthpieces, traditionally used by herdsmen	423.121.12
Trinidad and Tobago	steelpan	Barrel-shaped percussion instruments, tuned chromatically, originally made from discarded 55 gallon drums	111.241.2
Turkey	saz bağlama, kopuz	Fretted lute with a long neck, pear-shaped body, and three courses of seven steel strings	321.321-6
Turkmenistan	dutar	Plucked string instrument with two strings and a long neck, strummed or plucked	321.322	—
Tuva	igil Horse-head fiddle	Small fiddle	321.322
Tuva	khomus	Jaw harp, made from a reed attached to a frame, plucked	121.221
Tuva	morin khuur Horse-head fiddle	Large fiddle with a wooden sound box and two strings attached to tuning pegs in the neck	321.322
Ukraine	bandura	Diatonic, unfretted lute-like string instrument, traditionally carved from a single block of wood	321.321
Uzbekistan	doira	Round, flat drum with shakers made of metal inside and a horse-skin head	211.311 + 112.113
Uzbekistan	karnay	Long brass trumpet with a mouthpiece	423.121.12	—
Venezuela	cuatro	Guitar-like lute with four strings, usually strummed	321.322
Venezuela	harp, Venezuelan	Diatonic harp, with an exaggerated neck arch, similar to the Paraguayan harp	322.211
Vietnam	đàn bầu		321.22	—
Wales	crwth	Six-stringed instrument with a flat fingerboard, fretless	321.22
Wales	harp, triple telyn	Harp with no blades or levers, with three rows of strings, the outer two tuned in a diatonic scale and the inner one tuned to the extra semitones of the chromatic scale	322.212.1
Yugoslavia	gusle	Stringed instrument, round, typically with one string bound at the top of the neck with a tuning peg Serbian gusle	321.321-71
Zimbabwe	mbira thumb piano	Plucked lamellophone, consisting of staggered keys attached to a board, with a halved calabash gourd as resonator	122.12

Famous quotes containing the words list, national and/or instruments:

“Shea—they call him Scholar Jack—
Went down the list of the dead.
Officers, seamen, gunners, marines,
The crews of the gig and yawl,
The bearded man and the lad in his teens,
Carpenters, coal-passers—all.”
—Joseph I. C. Clarke (1846–1925)

“It is accordance with our determination to refrain from aggression and build up a sentiment and practice among nations more favorable to peace ... that we have incurred the consent of fourteen important nations to the negotiation of a treaty condemning recourse to war, renouncing it as an instrument of national policy.”
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933)

“I rejoice that America has resisted. Three millions of people, so dead to all the feelings of liberty, as voluntarily to submit to be slaves, would have been fit instruments to make slaves of the rest.”
—William Pitt, The Elder, Lord Chatham (1708–1778)