Classification of instruments

The fourfold classification

Bharata's Natya Shastra divides musical instruments (vadya) into four classes according to how the sound is produced. This system is still used in India and is close to the later Western scheme (chordophones, membranophones, aerophones and idiophones).

1. Tata vadya (stringed instruments)

Sound comes from vibrating strings. Examples: veena, sitar, sarod, tanpura, santoor, violin, sarangi. They can be plucked (sitar, sarod, veena, tanpura), bowed (sarangi, violin, esraj) or struck with hammers (santoor).

2. Avanaddha vadya (membrane instruments)

Sound comes from a stretched skin or membrane that is struck. Examples: tabla, pakhawaj, mridangam, dholak, khol, damaru, chenda.

3. Sushir vadya (wind instruments)

Sound comes from vibrating air blown through a tube or reed. Examples: bansuri (flute), shehnai, nadaswaram, shankh (conch), harmonium.

4. Ghana vadya (solid instruments)

Sound comes from striking a solid body made of metal, wood, clay or similar material, with no string, skin or air column. Examples: manjira, kartal, jal tarang, ghatam, ghungroo, gong.

Tips for classifying

• Ask: what vibrates first? String = tata; skin = avanaddha; air = sushir; the solid body itself = ghana.
• Ghatam is a clay pot, so it is ghana, even though it is a rhythm instrument.
• Jal tarang uses porcelain bowls with water, struck with sticks: ghana.
• Santoor is struck, but its sound comes from strings, so it is tata.

Key points

• Classification comes from the Natya Shastra.
• Tata = strings; avanaddha = covered with skin; sushir = air; ghana = solid.
• Tabla, mridangam, pakhawaj are avanaddha.
• Shehnai and nadaswaram are sushir.

Common mistakes

• Putting every percussion instrument in avanaddha; manjira, ghatam and jal tarang are ghana.
• Putting santoor in ghana because it is struck.