This list includes 21 Musical instruments that start with F, from “Fa’atete” to “Fula Flute”. They range from folk aerophones and drums to classical strings and modern electronic keyboards, used in performance, ritual, and education.
Musical instruments that start with F are named items across instrument families, often tied to local traditions. Notable examples include the Tahitian “Fa’atete” and the West African “Fula Flute,” both rooted in strong cultural contexts.
Below you’ll find the table with family, origin, and materials.
Family: Shows each instrument’s general group (for example, aerophone, chordophone), so you can quickly understand its playing method.
Origin: Lists the country or region and era where the instrument developed, helping you trace cultural background and context.
Materials: Notes primary construction materials, so you can see typical timbre and care considerations at a glance.
Musical instruments that start with F
| Name | Family | Origin | Materials | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiddle | String/Bowed | Europe, Medieval era, folk traditions | Wood body (spruce, maple), horsehair bow, steel or gut strings | A colloquial name for the violin, especially when used in folk music. It’s played by drawing a bow across the strings and is central to many traditional music genres worldwide. |
| Flute | Aerophone/Woodwind | Ancient, found globally; modern concert flute from 19th-century Germany | Metal (silver, gold, nickel), wood, bone, or plastic | A family of instruments producing sound from the flow of air across an opening. The modern Western concert flute is a staple in orchestras, bands, and solo performance. |
| French Horn | Aerophone/Brass | France and Germany, late 17th century | Brass, nickel silver | A brass instrument made of over 20 feet of coiled tubing with a flared bell. It has a distinctive mellow tone and is a core member of the modern symphony orchestra. |
| Fife | Aerophone/Woodwind | Europe, Middle Ages | Wood (grenadilla, rosewood), metal, or plastic | A small, high-pitched, transverse flute, similar to a piccolo. Historically associated with military fife and drum corps, it’s known for its shrill, piercing sound that carries over long distances. |
| Flugelhorn | Aerophone/Brass | Germany, early 19th century | Brass | A valved brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, more conical bore. This gives it a mellower, darker tone, making it popular in jazz and brass bands. |
| Fagotto | Aerophone/Woodwind | Italy, 16th century | Wood (maple, rosewood), metal keys | The Italian name for the bassoon, a double-reed woodwind instrument. Its name means “bundle of sticks,” referring to its construction, and it provides the bass voice of the woodwind family. |
| Frame Drum | Membranophone/Drum | Ancient, found in many cultures (Middle East, Europe, Americas) | Wood or plastic frame, animal skin or synthetic head | One of the oldest drum types, consisting of a single head stretched over a shallow frame. It’s played with hands or beaters and is used in rituals and folk music globally. |
| Flageolet | Aerophone/Woodwind | France, late 16th century | Wood (boxwood, ebony), ivory, plastic | A small fipple flute from the recorder family, popular from the 17th to 19th centuries. It has a distinctively sweet and bird-like tone and was played by amateurs and professionals alike. |
| Fujara | Aerophone/Woodwind | Central Slovakia, pastoral culture | Wood (elder, maple, ash) | A very large overtone fipple flute, often over 5 feet long. Unique to Slovak shepherds, it produces a deep, meditative sound and is a UNESCO-recognized cultural instrument. |
| Finger Cymbals | Idiophone/Percussion | Ancient, Middle East and Asia | Brass or bronze | Small metallic cymbals, usually worn on the thumb and middle finger of each hand. Known as ‘zills’ in Turkish, they produce a high-pitched ring and are famously associated with belly dancing. |
| Frottoir | Idiophone/Percussion | Louisiana, USA, 20th century, Zydeco music | Corrugated metal (stainless steel, aluminum) | A wearable, corrugated metal vest-like instrument. It is scraped with thimbles or spoons to create the distinctive rhythmic scratching sound central to Zydeco music. Also called a washboard. |
| Flexatone | Idiophone/Percussion | United States, early 1920s | Flexible steel sheet, wire frame, wooden beaters | A percussion instrument that creates a spooky “boing” sound. Shaking it causes beaters to strike a steel sheet, while thumb pressure on the sheet alters the pitch. |
| Friction Drum | Membranophone/Drum | Various cultures worldwide | Gourd or wood body, animal skin head, cord or stick | A drum that produces sound through friction instead of being struck. A rosined string or stick attached to the head is pulled or rubbed, creating a unique grunting or roaring sound. |
| Fula Flute | Aerophone/Woodwind | Fula people of West Africa | Conical vine, wood, or metal | A transverse flute from West Africa, also known as the tambin. It typically has three finger holes and produces a rich, breathy sound central to the music of the Fula people. |
| Frula | Aerophone/Woodwind | The Balkans, particularly Serbia | Wood (plum, acacia, boxwood) | A traditional Balkan fipple flute, similar to a recorder but without a thumb hole. It’s a pastoral instrument known for its bright, clear tone and is central to Serbian folk music. |
| Fa’atete | Membranophone/Drum | Tahiti, French Polynesia | Hollowed wood log (coconut, milo), sharkskin or calfskin head | A small, single-membrane Tahitian drum played with two light sticks. It produces a high-pitched, staccato sound and is used to play fast, complex rhythms in traditional dance music. |
| Fairlight CMI | Electrophone/Synthesizer | Australia, 1979 | Metal case, CRT monitor, keyboard, electronics | A groundbreaking early digital synthesizer and sampler. It was one of the first instruments to allow for digital sampling of sounds, revolutionizing music production in the 1980s. |
| Fanfare Trumpet | Aerophone/Brass | Ancient, ceremonial use across cultures; modern form from Europe | Brass or other metals | A long brass instrument, often with a banner attached, used for ceremonial signals. It can be a natural trumpet (no valves) or a valved instrument built in a long, straight style. |
| Footed Drum | Membranophone/Drum | Various cultures, particularly in Africa and the Pacific Islands | Hollowed log, animal skin head | A large, single-headed drum carved from a log with integrated ‘feet’ at the base, allowing it to stand on its own. It is played with hands or sticks, often in ceremonies. |
| Fotdella | String/Bowed | Sweden, modern experimental folk | Wood, metal strings | A modern Swedish folk instrument resembling a cello, sometimes with sympathetic strings. It’s played while seated and is used to create rich, resonant sounds in contemporary Nordic folk music. |
| Folgerphone | Aerophone/Brass | United States, late 20th century, experimental | Brass tubing, coffee can, mouthpiece | An experimental low-brass instrument constructed from brass tubing and a Folgers coffee can for a bell. It creates deep, resonant tones and is part of the experimental music scene. |
Descriptions
Fiddle
Flute
French Horn
Fife
Flugelhorn
Fagotto
Frame Drum
Flageolet
Fujara
Finger Cymbals
Frottoir
Flexatone
Friction Drum
Fula Flute
Frula
Fa’atete
Fairlight CMI
Fanfare Trumpet
Footed Drum
Fotdella
Folgerphone