Persian musical instruments or Iranian musical instruments can be broadly classified into three categories: classical, Western and folk. Most Persian musical instruments spread in regions under the control of former Persian Empires across West Asia and the Caucasus, Central Asia and through adaptation, relations, and trade, to Europe and the far regions of Asia. In the ancient era, the Silk Road had an effective role in this distribution.
String instruments Orchestral Tar Setar Kamancheh Ghaychak Barbat Chang (instrument)/Angular harp Santur Qānūn Shurangiz
Folklore Dutar Tanbur Tar (Azerbaijani instrument) Divan (diwan or divan sazı, type of Bağlama) Sallaneh Sorahi Suroz Rubab (instrument)
Wind instruments Orchestral Ney Folklores Balaban (instrument) Donali Duduk Dozaleh Garmon Karna Ney-anbān Sorna
Historical Nafir
Percussion instruments While Arabic and Persian are separate languages, to a great extent the cultures intermixed during and after the Muslim conquest of Persia. Arabic became the lingua franca from North Africa to Central and South Asia, much as Latin was in Europe. As a result, the list below may contain Arabic words that don't belong, but may also include words shared by both languages. An example is daf (دف), for which the Arab word is also daf or duff (plural dofuf). Similarly, conquests and cultural intermixing have made Turkish words available, such as kudum.
Membranophones Name in English Name in Persian or other names Description Picture Arkal A kind of drum, possibly of the frame type. Arabaneh A kind of frame drum, sometimes fitted with jingles. Possibly same as arbana, drum of Muslims in Kerala, India. Batare A kind of frame drum, maybe the same as Daf. It should be mentioned that Bateri is the same as the English word Battery (sound of drum and also a kind of percussion instrument). Bendir بندیر Bendayer A large frame drum with thumb-hole on side. Today the Bendir is a typical frame drum. Similar instruments are common in the whole Near East from Morocco to Iraq and also in Northern Africa. A distinctive feature of this instrument is the set of snare strings fitted to the interior of the drum skin. Chumlak-dombolak A kind of Turkish-Egyptian Dombak with clay body Dabdab kettledrum. Daf دف
Dayereh دایره_(ساز)
Riq رق Dafif, Dap, Dareh, Dariye, Kichik Dap, Dizeh, Dofuf, Duff, Dup, Kafeh, Raq, Req, Rik, Riqq The daf is one of the most ancient frame drums in Asia and North Africa. As a Persian instrument, in the 20th century, it is considered as a Sufi instrument to be played in Khaghan-s for Zikr music but now this percussion instrument has recently become very popular and it has been integrated into Persian art music successfully. Dap/Dup Some believe that Dap or Dup is a Hebraic word (Hebrew תוף tof), which means stroke or beat and Daf is Arabicized of Dap. In Uyghuristan (Xinjiang of China) there are two kinds of frame drums. One is Dap and other that is smaller is Kichik Dap (Kichik literally means small). In Malaysia, Dup is a double-headed drum and is cylindrical in shape. Dup is usually used in the Ghazal and 'Gambuh' performance. The drumhead is of goat hide and it is beaten either with the hand or with cloth-padded drumsticks. The word "Dup" is an onomatopoeia.Dup - Malay community in Johor Dofuf: Arabic pl. of Daf. Dareh A kind of Persian frame drums same as Dayereh. It is played in folk music of Dezful city in Khuzestan province of Iran. There is a proverb that is: Dara seda nadara, which means Dareh, has not sound! Dara is a dialect of Dareh and Dareh in Dezful is called Dara. In Dezful Dar means coarse sieve. Dayereh literally means circle. It is Persian frame drum, though Dayereh is an Arabic word. Some believe that Dayereh is the same as the Persian word Dareh. Kafeh: A kind of Daf (frame drum) to be played by the palm of the hand. Kaffeh means circular thing. Daf-e-chahar-gush A kind of squared Daf. This percussion-skinned instrument is played in Egypt and Syria. Dammam دمام (ساز) Damameh May denote both a drum of bowl shape and a type of cylindrical drum. Damz A kind of frame drum. Davat A kind of drum to be stroke by Ghazib (drumstick). Dā'ira دایره (ساز)
Dayereh-zangi (دایرهزنگی) Dayera Frame drum. Dā'ira means round tambourine (a reminder that older tambourines may have been square. The modern dayera looks like a tambourine, without jingles. The dayereh-zangi has those jingles and is the same as the Tambourine. It's not absolute, but a difference between the daf and the dayereh-zangi can be the size; the daf is often larger, the dayereh smaller. Dohol دهل Dobol, Gapdohol, Jure A big cylindrical two-faced drum to be played by two special drumsticks. One is wooden thick stick that is bowed at the end and its name is Changal (or Kajaki). The other is thin wooden twig and its name is Deyrak. (In Hormozgan province of Iran, Dohol is played by two hands.) Dohol is the main accompaniment of Sorna (Persian Oboe, Turkish Zurna, Indian Shehnay and Chinese Suona). Dabal, big drum. Dabalzan means Dabal player Dobol: A dialect of Dohol in Shushtar city of Khuzestan province of Iran. Dohol-e-baz: Small brazen Dohol to be played in the time of hunting in order to encourage the prey hawk (falcon) for hunting. Gapdohol: A kind of Dohol to be played in Hormozgan province of Iran. Jure: A kind of cylindrical drums same as Dohol to be used in folk music of Hormozgan province of Iran for accompanying Sorna (Persian Oboe, Turkish Zurna, Indian Shehnay and Chinese Suona) in wedding ceremonies or any other festive occasions. Keser: A kind of Dohol to be played in Hormozgan province. Tanbal: Tablak or Dohol. Timbook: A kind of cylindrical drums same as Dohol. Doholak A Dohol from Baluchestan, played with both hands. Called Nal in Pakistan, Dholki in Mahashtra, India. The Dholak in India is a folk drum characterized by a cylindrical wooden shell covered with skin on both sides. Nal. Another name for Doholak. Dulab Sarcastic or ironical name of drum. Dulakvat A kind of cylindrical drum, like the dohol, of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Ghaval Azerbaijani frame drum with or without rings. Ghavalchi means Ghaval player. Ghodum Kudum (in Turkey) A kind of drum to be played in Turkish Sufi music. Jam-Danbolak A kind of drum similar to the Tonbak. Jam means "cup". Kaseh (کاسه)
Kaseh-pil (کاسهپیل) elephant (پیل)
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bowl (کاسه)Kaseh means "bowl"; in music is referring to a kettledrum. Kasehzan and Kasehgar both mean Kaseh player.
Kaseh-pil: A kind of drum that was banded on elephant. See Ayine-pil. Khom Kettledrum. Khom-e-ruyin: A kind of Khom with brazen body. Koli A Persian frame drum. Kube In Arabic, Al-kube. An hourglass drum. Kube comes from the Persian verb Kubidan (to strike). Kus کوس (ساز) Kas Persian/Arab/Turkish Kettledrum. Kös Turkish, from Persian. Gavorga(ke): also called Kus (Kettledrum). Kurka (e): A Turkish word. Same as Gavorga . Kus-e-Ashkebus: Kus attributed to Ashkebus, famous commander of King Afrasiyab mentioned in masterpiece Shahnameh of the famous poet of Persia, Ferdosi. Kus-e-dolat: Kettledrum to be played during the victories. Kus-e-id: Kettledrum to be played during id (festival). Kus-e-Iskandar: Kus attributed to Iskandar. Kus-e-jang: Kettledrum used in wars in order to embolden and encourage the soldiers. Kus-e-khaghani: Kettledrum for Khaghan (title of Chinese emperors). Kus-e-Mahmudi: Kettledrum attributed to King Mahmud Ghaznavi. Kus-e-rehlat: Kettledrum to be played during the decamping. Kus-e-ruyin: Kettledrum with brazen body. Kust: Another name of Kus mentioned in Shahnameh of Ferdosi. Ruyin-khom: Kettledrum. Same as Khom-e-ruyin. Mohre A war drum Naqara ناقارا Azerbaijani drum *Naqareh نقاره
Naqqāra Desarkutan, Naghghareh, Naker A kind of drum to be stroke by Ghazib (drum stick). Naqqāra, a kettledrum Nakers were made of wood, metal, or clay and were sometimes equipped with snares. They were almost always played in pairs and were struck with hard sticks. They were probably tuned to high and low notes of identifiable pitch. Desarkutan A kind of drum to be played in Mazandaran province of Iran. See Naghghareh-ye-Shomal Naghghareh-ye-Fars: A kind of Naghghareh to be played in Fars province of Iran. Naghghareh-ye-Sanandaj: A kind of Naghghareh to be played in Sanandaj city of Kurdistan province of Iran. Naghghareh-ye-Shomal: A kind of Naghghareh to be played in North of Iran. Its name in Mazandaran province of Iran is Desarkutan. Desarkutan is the combination of the words De, Sar and Kutan that they respectively mean two, head and to beat. Samma A frame drum used in Sufi (mystic) music of Sistan-Baluchestan and other parts of southern Iran . Shaghf A frame drum. Shahin-Tabbal shahin-tabl Pipe and tabor. shāhin (شاهین) is a fife. ṭabl (فایف) is a drum. The two were allowed to be played together (with reservations as an old/pre-Islamic combination). Shahin means royal falcon, but refers here to a wind instrument. Tabbal means drummer. Shahin-Tabbal is a person who plays Shahin by one hand and Tabl (drum) by the other one. Tabare Tabire Tabire means drum. In Arabic it means Tabl. In French encyclopedia of Littreé it has been mentioned that the French word Tabur (small drum used in medieval times to accompany folk-dancing) comes from the Persian word Tabire. Tabur An Eastern percussion instrument called Tambour there, which immigrated westward. Taburak: A kind of frame drum. The word comes from Tabire, with a diminutive suffix "ak" and means small Tabire. Ṭabl طبل Kabar Drum. ṭabl is a generalized word for drum, any kind of drum ṭabl-e-baz: A kind of drum to be used in the time of hunting. See Dohol-e-baz. ṭabl ṭawīl, ordinary long drum ṭabl al-mukhannath, hourglass-shaped drum Tablak Doplak, Gushdarideh Small drum Tanbal: Tablak or Dohol. Tas طاس (ساز) Tasht Small copper bowl drum covered with sheep or cow skin and beaten with a drumstick, or leather or rubber straps. The instrument may be related to the Indian Tasa or Tasha drums. Alternatively is copper bowls without skin, called Jal-Tarang in India. Tasht means tub or basin. Tashtgar means Tasht player. Tempo A goblet drum similar to Turkish-Arabic Dumbek or Darbuka. Tiryāl Tirpal a type of frame drum/tambourine Tombak تمبک
Tonbak (تنبک)
Zarb (ضَرب) Dombak, Dombalak, Donbak, Zarb Tonbak: Persian goblet drums. There are many names for this instrument. Some of them are: 1. Dombar 2. Dombarak 3. Tabang 4. Tabnak 5. Tobnak 6. Tobnok 7. Tobnog 8. Tonbik 9. Tonbook 10. Tontak 11. Khonbak 12. Khombak 13. Khommak 14. Damal 15. Dambal 16. Donbalak 17. Dombalak 18. Khoorazhak 19. Khomchak 20. Tonbak 21. Tombak 22. Donbak 23. Dombak 24. Zarb. Dombak: Another name of Tonbak. It is derived from the Pahlavi (Persian ancient language) word, Dombalak. Dombalak: Pahlavi name of Tonbak. Dombalak-e-ayyubi: Dombalak attributed to Ayyub (a Middle Eastern rhythm played in belly dance). Donbak: Another name of Tonbak. Donbalak-e-Moghren: An ancient drum that was a pair of Tombaks. Khombak: Another name for Tonbak. Khomak: Khom-e-ruyin. It literally means small barrel. There is a kind of cylindrical drum in Bengal and its name is Khomok. The khomok of the Baul people of Bengal is also known as a khamak, anandalahari, and gubgubi. It looks like a small drum with a wooden body and a skinhead. The head is pierced with a string attached to a small piece of wood or metal to prevent it from passing all the way through the skin. The other end of the string travels through the instrument to come out the bottom opening and is attached to a small brass handle. The khomok is played by placing the drum body under the arm and pulling on the handle thus pulling the string and placing tension on the drum skin. The string is plucked while the tension on the string is varied, producing a surprising vocal-like sound. Some khomok have two strings that are played at the same time increasing both the volume and complexity of the sound. Khonb: Khom. Same as Khonbak.