Instruments & Artists
Arts & Culture · वाद्य यंत्र और कलाकार
📋Quick Overview
Indian musical instruments are classified into 4 categories: Tata (stringed), Sushira (wind), Avanaddha (percussion), Ghana (solid). Matching instruments with their famous players is a very common exam question.
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Sitar — Ravi Shankar, Sarod — Amjad Ali Khan, Tabla — Zakir Hussain, Shehnai — Bismillah Khan, Flute — Hariprasad Chaurasia
📖Instruments & Famous Artists
| Instrument | Type | Famous Artist |
|---|---|---|
| Sitar | Stringed (Tata) | Pt. Ravi Shankar, Vilayat Khan |
| Sarod | Stringed | Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ali Akbar Khan |
| Tabla | Percussion (Avanaddha) | Ustad Zakir Hussain, Alla Rakha |
| Shehnai | Wind (Sushira) | Ustad Bismillah Khan |
| Flute (Bansuri) | Wind | Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia |
| Veena | Stringed | Goddess Saraswati holds it; E. Gayathri |
| Santoor | Stringed (struck) | Pt. Shivkumar Sharma |
| Violin | Stringed | L. Subramaniam, N. Rajam |
| Mridangam | Percussion | Palghat Mani Iyer (South Indian drum) |
| Sarangi | Stringed (bowed) | Pt. Ram Narayan |
| Nadaswaram | Wind | T.N. Rajarathinam Pillai (South Indian) |
| Pakhawaj | Percussion | North Indian barrel drum |
📝4 Types of Instruments
- •Tata (Stringed) — Sitar, Sarod, Veena, Santoor, Violin, Sarangi
- •Sushira (Wind) — Flute, Shehnai, Nadaswaram, Harmonium
- •Avanaddha (Percussion) — Tabla, Mridangam, Pakhawaj, Dholak
- •Ghana (Solid) — Manjira, Ghatam, Jaltarang, Chimta
- •Amir Khusro is credited with inventing Sitar and Tabla
- •Tansen was the greatest musician in Akbar's court (one of 9 gems)