The Balalaika is a lute-like folk instrument of northern and central Russia, a descendant of the 16th century dombra. The Balalaika has a triangular body and a long neck with frets. It has a flat back and a thin, slightly arched soundboard.

The banjos referred to here are not the typical Kentucky banjos. These banjos are keyboard dulcimers. The keyboard dulcimer has strings and keys, and is played by depressing keys while plucking or strumming the strings.

The berimbau is a Brazilian instrument with African roots that was later successfully incorporated into capoeira. The berimbau is a single steel stringed bow with an attached metal resonator to amplify the sound.

The Bouzouki is a Greek string instrument. The mid size is called Tsouras and the mini is called Baglama. The Bouzouki is produced in tetrachordo or trichordo, which means 3 or 4 course strings. If you can play a fretted instrument, you can learn to play the Bouzouki.

Chickara is a three stringed instrument played with a bow. The Chikara is used by tribal people from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

The Cumbus was developed in Istanbul in the 1900s. Its development is believed to be inspired by the Oud. The modern cumbus has a Mylar soundboard held in place by a bolted tension ring. It is a sturdy and loud string instrument.

The Dilruba is a fiddle-like instrument which is played with a bow. The Dilruba is carved from wood, has a goatskin soundboard, has main and sympathetic strings. A bow is drawn across the strings which causes them to resonate, and the bridges are moveable to adjust the tone.

There are several varieties of dulcimer: mountain dulcimer, american hammered dulcimer, and persian hammered dulcimer. The hammered dulcimer is played by striking the strings with small hammers, with the dulcimer resting either on the lap or on a table or stand. The mountain dulcimer is played by strumming the strings with the fingers or a pick.

The Ektara is simple and fun to play. One string can be made to give a range of tones by applying pressure at various points along the neck. Gopiyantro, often called ektara, means one string and that is the most popular instrument for a Baul singer. Baul is one of the few widely known and appreciated types of folk music in Bengal. Baul is not only a kind of music, it is basically a Bengali religious sect. Watch this video to see how to play the ektara and dotara, along with tuning tips..

The Erhu is sometimes referred to as a Chinese violin or 2-string Chinese fiddle.  It is a bowed Chinese instrument used in ensembles or played as a solo instrument.

The Esraj is held upright in your lap and played with a bow like a small bass fiddle. You press the strings between the frets while stroking the strings with a bow.

The gopichand, also, known as gopiyantra or khamak, is a very popular folk instrument of Bengal. The sound of the gopichand is most distinctive. The two legs of the bamboo are squeezed together by the left hand while the right hand plucks the string, producing a peculiar bending of the pitch. The gopichand is typically a rhythmic instrument rather than a melodic instrument.

The Gu Zheng (or guzheng) is a Chinese string instrument which is a member of the zither family. It is a plucked Chinese musical instrument with movable bridges. The number of strings on a Gu Zheng can vary from 15 to over 30 strings.

The harp is one of the largest of all string instruments. There are three basic forms of harp: bowed, angle, and frame. Most harps are played with the fingertips, although some harps are played with the fingernails. Most of the harps offered here are intended for playing, although they also make a beautiful home decor item. Both Celtic Irish harps and contemporary harps are available for sale. Some of the larger harps indicate shipping by freight carrier.

The lyre harp is a stringed musical instrument. The lyre harp is smaller than the traditional harp and is usually held on the lap when played.  However the size is not what distinguishes it as a lyre harp; it is constructed differently than a traditional harp.

This predecessor of the piano, the Kanoon is mentioned in 10th century Arabic writings. Today it's popular throughout North Africa, the Middle East, Turkey, Persia and even Eastern Europe.

The Khamak is a two stringed instrument similar to the Ektara. The Khamak is set up like a one-headed drum with a string attached to it which is plucked.  The Khamak is used in all Indian folk music as a rhythmic percussion instrument.

Throughout history, versions of the laouta instrument have made their mark in various civilizations from Spain to China. Today, the oud is known as ut or ud in Turkey, laouta in Greece, udi in Africa and barbat in Iran.

The medieval lute was characterized by its vaulted body and flat soundboard. One of the most notable features of the lute is the pegbox, which is placed almost at a right angle to the neck.

Throughout history, versions of the oud instrument have made their mark in various civilizations from Spain to China. Today, the oud is known as ut or ud in Turkey, laouta in Greece, udi in Africa and barbat in Iran. The oud is considered the most important Arab instrument and is called the prince of the instruments.

The Pipa is a Chinese string instrument sometimes referred to as a Chinese Lute.  It is plucked and has a pear shaped body.

An ancestor of the modern European zither is the psaltery, a development of the Turkish qanun that reached Europe in the 11th century. The psaltery is played with a bow or sometimes plucked with the fingers, either resting on the lap or leaning against the chest. The psaltery looks like the hurdy gurdy but differs because the hurdy-gurdy is able to sound one or two notes while it produces a continuous drone.

As part of the generic "lute" family, there are two basic types of rebab: wooden fiddles with pear-shaped or elongated bodies, and spiked fiddles, named for the extension or spike on the bottom of the instrument on which it stands when played. The word rebab is an Arabic term that can be translated as bowed string instrument. Dating back at least to the 8th century, the rebab has been closely associated with Islamic culture and is thought to be the earliest ancestor of the contemporary violin. While its roots are probably in Arabia or Persia, the rebab's influence has reached as far east as Indonesia and west to regions of Europe and Africa. Its diffusion is closely tied to the growth of the Islamic world and the development of extensive trade routes after the 10th century.

This category features Rebecs and Kemences, the Turkish Rebec.

The Indian Santoor is the oldest known string instrument of India. While it had originally been part of the classical music in Persia, the santoor was a highland folk instrument in India. The Indian Santoor is a flat shaped instrument in the form of a trapezoid. Two light wooden hammers are included to play along the metal strings providing an exotic sound.

The Sarangi has no frets or fingerboard. It has four main strings that lay over the sympathetic strings. The bow is held palm upwards. It is drawn across the main strings, just above the bridge. The fingers of the left hand note the strings. This is done by pressing and sliding the bottom of the fingernail against the side of the string. Players often use talcum powder on their palms to facilitate the gliding of the hand up and down the neck. The gliding of your nails along the strings creates the sound characteristic of Hindustani music.

The Sarod evolved from the Rebab; some refer to it as a bass Rebab. It is a relatively recent instrument, having its origins perhaps no more than 200 years ago. There are 8 played strings, 2 drone strings and 7 sympathetic strings. Floral inlays and a brass toomba add to the visual interest. It is played with a pick made of coconut shell. Listen to the Sarod.

The Saz is a chordophone and is a member of the long necked Lute family. Such long necked Lutes have an ancestry that can be traced as far back as the ancient cultures of Babylon and Sumeria. Today the Saz is the most important instrument of the Turkish folk. The Saz may even define the poetic heart of the Turkish people. Its general shape is similar to the Bouzouki and Oud. The traditional method of playing the Saz is to pluck with the fingers of the right hand and note the strings with the fingers, and occasionally the thumb, of the left hand. Today however, most players use a plastic plectrum to strum the strings. Professional players also use electronic pickups to amplify the sound. When playing with the fingers or a plectrum, players can add rhythm, by hitting the soundboard with the right hand.

The Sitar is the most popular instrument of North Indian classical music. It can have up to four main strings, three or four drone strings and thirteen sympathetic, or resonating strings. There are a few versions that are available today. The Sitar is made of seasoned gourd and wood.

The spike fiddle is considered a rebab, which is part of the lute family, and typically has 2 or 3 strings. The word rebab is an Arabic term translated as bowed string instrument. It is closely associated with Islamic culture, and dates back to at least the 8th century. Its roots are probably in Arabia or Persia, and its influence has reached from Indonesia to Europe and Africa (it is thought to be the earliest ancestor of the violin). There are two basic types of rebab: wooden fiddles with pear-shaped bodies, and spiked fiddles, named for the spike on the bottom of the instrument on which it stands while being played. Spiked rebabs typically have no frets, but instead, the fingers of your left hand become movable bridges.

The Sur Bahar is also called the bass sitar. It is a large instrument (21 inches x 60 inches) with double toombas. This instrument is tuned by as much as a full octave lower than a Sitar. The playing of this instrument and the Sitar are similar enough that one should be able to play both comfortably. The Sur Bahar has much longer sustainable tones, and is suited well to playing slow alaps. The Sur Bahar does lend itself to complex melodies, since the skilled player can create a glissando of up to one octave on a single fret.

Classified as chordophones, Tamburas are in the lute family. Tambura is the southern Indian pronunciation while Tanpura is the name commonly used in northern India. Tamburas (or tanpuras) are the classical drone lute of Indian music. While they look somewhat like a single toomba sitar, they differ in significant ways. Compared to the sitar, tamburas have fewer strings, no sympathetic strings, no frets, and a moveable bridge used to adjust the pitch. These instruments look as exotic as they sound.

Chromatic tuners are great for tuning string instruments. There are electronic tuners and a pickup, which clips directly to the instrument, eliminating background noise interference.

Veena, also known as Vina, was a type of stick zither with the fingerboard stretched between two gourds, but it underwent structural changed in teh 16th century. The modern Veena instrument is a kind of lute, with a hollow neck attached to a large hollow body and a soundboard made of wood. It has a softer, sweeter tone than the sitar and is the principal instrument of classical southern Indian music. The Saraswati Veena, Rudra Veena and Vitchitra Veena are featured.

The Yue Qin (yueqin) is also referred to as a Chinese lute, moon guitar, or moon zither.  The Yue Qin has a short fretted neck. The body of this Chinese stringed instrument is typically circular, thus the nickname of moon guitar.

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