Famous Musical Instruments and their Exponents, Instruments Types

Discover famous Indian musical instruments and their legendary exponents like Ravi Shankar, Zakir Hussain, and more across wind, string, and percussion types.

Famous Musical Instruments and their Exponents

Musical instruments extensions of human expression that have shaped cultures across centuries. Over time, certain instruments have become closely tied to legendary musicians who created a legacy. India has given the world some legendary musicians including Pandit Ravi Shankar made the sitar internationally known, Ustad Zakir Hussain transformed the tabla into a global rhythm, and Dr. L. Subramaniam showcased the expressive power of the violin. Their mastery continues to inspire learners and listeners worldwide. Keep reading the article to get to know about the Famous Musical Instruments and their Exponents.

Famous Musical Instruments and their Exponents

From the sitar and tabla to the violin and flute, every instrument has had legends who’ve taken it to new heights. List of Famous Musical Instruments and their Exponents is discussed below.

Famous Wind Instruments and their Exponents

The table below includes the List of Famous Wind Instruments and their Exponents who mastered them. 

Famous Wind Instruments and their Exponents
Wind Instruments Exponents

Harmonium 

Shri Purushottam Walawalkar, Appa Jalgaonkar, Jnan Prakash Ghosh

Flute 

TR Mahalingam, Hariprasad Chaurasiya, N. Ramani, Pannalal Ghosh 

Shehnai 

Daya Shankar, Bismillah Khan, Ali Ahmad Hussain

Nadaswaram 

Rajaratanam Pillai, Sheikh Chinnamaula, Neeruswami Pillai

Famous Percussion Instruments and their Exponents

The table below includes the List of Famous Percussion Instruments and their Exponents who mastered them.

Famous Percussion Instruments and their Exponents
Percussion Instruments  Exponents

Ghatam 

TH Vinayakram, EM Subramaniam 

Kanjra 

Pudukottai Dakshinamurthy Pillai

Tabla 

Zakir Hussain, Sabir Khan, Allah Rakha, Pt Kishan Maharaj, Sandeep Das, Ustaad Shafaat Ahmad Khan, Pt Jnan Prakash Ghosh

Pakhawaj 

Totaram Sharma, Gopaldas, Ramshankar Pagaldas, Pt Ayodhya Prasad 

Mridangam

SV Rajarao, KV Prasad, Palghat Mani Iyer, Palghat Raghu, Karaikudi R Mani

Famous String Instruments and their Exponents

The table below includes the Famous String Instruments and their Exponents who mastered them.

Famous String Instruments and their Exponents
String Instruments Exponents

Guitar 

Braj Bhushan Kabra 

Mandolin

S Balamurali Krishna, Nagen Dey, Khagen Dey, U Srinivas

Rudra Veena 

Asad Ali Khan

Piano 

V Balsara 

Been 

Asad Ali Khan

Vichitra Veena 

Abdul Aziz Khan, Ahmed Raja Khan

Mohan Veena 

Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhat

Santoor 

Bhajan Sopori, Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pt Tarun Bhattacharya 

Sarangi 

Abdul Latif Khan, Ustad Binda Khan, Ramesh Mishra, Sultan Khan, Pt Ram Narayan, Shakoor Khan

Sitar 

Ustad Vilayat Khan, Pt Ravi Shankar, Shujaat Hussain Khan, Shahid Parvez Khan, Anushka Shankar, Nikhil Banerjee, Mustaq Ali Khan, Budhaditya Mukherjee 

Sarod 

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Allaudin Khan, Bahadur Khan, Zarin S Sharma, Sharan Rani, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan

Violin 

Lalgudi Jayaram, VG Jog, M Chandrasekharan, NR Murlidharan, MS Gopalakrishnan 

Musical Instruments Types

Musical Instruments come in many forms, each with its own sound and style. To make things easier, they’re usually grouped into four main types which are discussed below in brief:

Percussion Instruments

Instruments that create sound when they are struck, shaken, or rubbed fall under the category of percussion instruments which are mentioned in the table below

Percussion Instruments
Instruments Name of the Instrument

Percussion Instrument

Mridangam

Drums

Xylophone

Snare Drum

Tabla

Triangle

Cymbal

Bass Drum

Maracas

Chimes

Tambourine

Timpani

Marimba

Keyboard Instruments

Keyboard Instruments produce sound through the pressing of keys, which trigger hammers, strings, air, or electronic signals depending on the instrument type. Some widely recognized keyboard instruments include:

Keyboard Instruments
Instruments Name of the Instrument

Keyboard Instruments

Harmonium 

Celeste 

Piano

Claviola 

Pipe organ

Accordion

Harpsichord

Organ

Harmonica 

Synthesiser

Brass/Wind Instruments

Brass/Wind Instruments produce sound when air is blown into a tube, creating vibrations that resonate through the body of the instrument. Here are some well-known examples:

Brass/Wind Instruments
Instruments Name of the Instrument

Brass/Wind Instruments

Flute

Mouth Organ

Piccolo

Trombone

Euphonium

Oboe

Bassoon

Trumpet

Saxophone

Tuba

Bassoon

French Horn

Cornet

Clarinet

String Instruments

String Instruments create sound when their strings are plucked, bowed, or struck, causing vibrations that resonate through the instrument’s body. Some of the most well-known String Instruments include:

String Instruments
Instruments Name of the Instrument

String Instruments

Guitar 

Violin

Cello

Harp

Sitar 

Veena

Mandolin

Viola

Lute

Banjo

Ukulele

Important Musical Instruments and their Exponents

From classical legends to cultural icons, the table below includes the List of Important Musical Instruments and their Exponents they’re known for.

Important Musical Instruments and their Exponents
Instrument Description Indian Exponents

Harmonium 

Harmonium is a keyboard instrument that blows sounds through reeds.

Shri Purushottam Walawalkar, Appa Jalgaonkar, Jnan Prakash Ghosh

Flute 

Flute is a wind instrument, and makes sound through air vibrations.

TR Mahalingam, Hariprasad Chaurasiya, N. Ramani, Pannalal Ghosh 

Tabla 

Similar to drums, Tabla is a common percussion instrument played in Asia. 

Zakir Hussain, Sabir Khan, Allah Rakha, Pt Kishan Maharaj, Sandeep Das, Ustaad Shafaat Ahmad Khan, Pt Jnan Prakash Ghosh

Sitar 

Used in Hindustani classical music, Sitar is a plucked string instrument.

Ustad Vilayat Khan, Pt Ravi Shankar, Shujaat Hussain Khan, Shahid Parvez Khan, Anushka Shankar, Nikhil Banerjee, Mustaq Ali Khan, Budhaditya Mukherjee 

Guitar 

A six-stringed fretted instrument, guitar is a famous international string instrument.

Braj Bhushan Kabra 

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Famous Musical Instruments and their Exponents FAQs

Q1. Who is known for playing the sitar in India?+

Q2. Which artist is associated with the tabla?+

Q3. Who is a famous exponent of the sarod?+

Q4. Which instrument is L. Subramaniam famous for?+

Q5. Who is the maestro of the shehnai?+

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Vajiram Editor
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