This list includes 27 Musical instruments that start with E, from “E-flat clarinet” to “Euphonium”. They cover winds, strings, brass, percussion, and electronic instruments used in orchestras, folk traditions, bands, and teaching.
Musical instruments that start with E are playable, named instruments whose common English names begin with the letter E. Notable examples include the erhu from China and the euphonium, a brass band mainstay in Western traditions.
Below you’ll find the table with family, origin, and materials.
Family: Identifies the instrument’s broad grouping (strings, winds, brass, percussion, electronic) so you can compare similar sound sources.
Origin: Shows the country or region and approximate era of development, giving you cultural and historical context.
Materials: Lists primary construction materials like wood, brass, skin, or electronics so you can assess timbre and care.
Musical instruments that start with E
| Name | Family | Origin | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| English horn | Woodwind (double-reed, alto) | Western Europe, 18th century | Wood body, metal keys, reed |
| E-flat clarinet | Woodwind (single-reed, soprano) | Europe, 19th century | Wood body, metal keys, reed |
| Euphonium | Brass (valved tenor) | Britain/Europe, 19th century | Brass tubing, valves, lacquer |
| Electric guitar | String (electric, fretted) | United States, 1930s | Wood body/neck, steel strings, pickups |
| Electric bass | String (electric, bass guitar) | United States, 1950s | Wood body/neck, steel strings, pickups |
| Electric piano | Keyboard (electro-mechanical) | United States, 1940s–1970s | Wood/metal case, tines/reeds, pickups |
| Electric organ | Keyboard (electric/electronic) | 20th century, global | Wood/metal, electrical components, keys |
| Electric violin | Strings (electric, bowed) | 20th century, global | Wood/carbon fiber body, metal strings, pickups |
| Electric cello | Strings (electric, bowed) | 20th century, global | Wood/carbon body, metal strings, pickups |
| Electric upright bass | Strings (electric, bass) | 20th century, global | Wood/metal frame, metal strings, pickups |
| Electric sitar | Strings (electric, hybrid) | United States/India, 1960s | Wood body, steel strings, sympathetic strings, pickups |
| Electric mandolin | Strings (electric, fretted) | 20th century, global | Wood body, steel strings, pickups |
| Egg shaker | Percussion (idiophone, shaker) | 20th century, global | Plastic or wood shell, beads/seeds |
| Erhu | Strings (bowed fiddle) | China, centuries (Song dynasty) | Wood neck, snakeskin resonator, metal strings |
| Erxian | Strings (bowed lute) | China, Cantonese opera | Wood body, metal strings |
| Esraj | Strings (bowed, Indian) | North India, 19th century | Wood body, metal/gut strings, sympathetic strings |
| Ektara | Strings (drone lute) | Indian subcontinent, folk | Wood or gourd, single string, bamboo |
| Ekwe | Percussion (slit drum) | Nigeria (Igbo), traditional | Hollowed hardwood |
| Endongo | Strings (lyre) | Uganda, Baganda region | Wood soundbox, gut/nylon strings |
| Erke | Aerophone (natural trumpet) | Andes (Argentina/Bolivia), traditional | Cane or metal tube, mouthpiece |
| Epinette des Vosges | Strings (zither) | France, Vosges region, medieval | Wood soundbox, metal strings |
| English concertina | Free-reed (concertina) | England, 19th century | Wood/metal ends, leather bellows, metal reeds |
| English smallpipes | Bagpipe (chantered) | England, traditional/revival | Wood chanter, leather bag, reeds |
| E-flat trumpet | Brass (valved trumpet) | Europe, orchestral use | Brass tubing, valves |
| Electronium | Electronic (electro-composer) | United States, 1950s experimental | Electronic circuits, controls, keyboard |
| Electric dulcimer | Strings (electric, zither) | 20th century, modern folk | Wood body, metal strings, pickups |
| Electronic wind instrument | Electronic (wind controller) | 1980s, modern | Plastic body, electronic sensors, keys |
Descriptions
English horn
Also called cor anglais; an alto member of the oboe family with a bulbous bell and a warm, melancholic tone used in orchestral and chamber music.
E-flat clarinet
Smaller, higher clarinet pitched in E♭; bright, piercing sound used in orchestras, wind bands and military music.
Euphonium
Conical-bore brass instrument like a small tuba with a warm tenor voice, central to brass bands and wind ensembles.
Electric guitar
Solid- or hollow-body guitar using pickups for amplification; a defining instrument of rock, blues, jazz and pop with many designs.
Electric bass
Four- or more-stringed electric bass guitar supplying low-end rhythm and harmony in modern ensembles and recordings.
Electric piano
Electro-mechanical keyboard (e.g., Rhodes, Wurlitzer) using tines or reeds plus pickups for warm, bell-like sounds in jazz and pop.
Electric organ
Electronic or electro-mechanical organ that emulates pipe or Hammond tones; used in churches, jazz, soul and rock.
Electric violin
Violin with pickups or solid-body design for amplification and effects; used in contemporary, rock and experimental music.
Electric cello
Cello adapted with pickups or solid body for stage use and effects while retaining cello tuning and range.
Electric upright bass
Amplified upright-bass alternative with reduced body; plays like acoustic double bass but designed for portability and stage amplification.
Electric sitar
Guitar-based instrument styled to imitate sitar timbre with sympathetic strings and a buzzing bridge; popular in 1960s pop and fusion.
Electric mandolin
Mandolin fitted with pickups for amplification; retains paired-string courses and is used across folk, rock and bluegrass.
Egg shaker
Small egg-shaped handheld shaker producing a soft rhythmic rattle; popular in classrooms, percussion kits and world-music setups.
Erhu
Two-stringed Chinese bowed instrument with a remarkably expressive, vocal-like tone central to Chinese classical and folk traditions.
Erxian
Two-stringed bowed instrument used in Cantonese opera; similar family to erhu but with distinct tuning and playing style.
Esraj
Indian bowed instrument with sympathetic strings, producing a sustained, resonant sound used in Hindustani classical and devotional music.
Ektara
Simple one-stringed drone lute (name means “one string”) used by minstrels and devotional singers across South Asia.
Ekwe
Igbo slit drum carved from a hollow log and struck with sticks; used for musical performance, communication and ceremonies.
Endongo
Ugandan bowl lyre with a warm harp-like sound, traditionally important in Buganda court and folk music.
Erke
Long ceremonial trumpet from the Andes made of cane or metal, producing deep, droning tones for ritual use.
Epinette des Vosges
Fretted French zither played by plucking or strumming; an ancestor of the Appalachian dulcimer with a bright, nasal timbre.
English concertina
Hexagonal buttoned free-reed instrument; the English system favors chromatic, keyboard-like fingering for melodies and harmony.
English smallpipes
Quiet, bellows-blown English bagpipes with a closed-ended chanter that allows staccato articulation, common in English folk revival.
E-flat trumpet
Smaller trumpet pitched in E♭ with a bright, penetrating sound used in orchestral, military and marching-band contexts.
Electronium
Early electronic/compositional instrument by Raymond Scott blending synthesis and automated sequencing; experimental machine for sound and arrangement generation.
Electric dulcimer
Dulcimer modified with pickups or built electrically for amplification, used in contemporary folk and experimental music.
Electronic wind instrument
Also called EWI; a wind-controller that mimics sax/clarinet fingering to trigger synth sounds and MIDI-controlled tones.