This list includes 23 musical instruments that start with I, from “Ili’ili” to “Iyá”. They range across strings, winds, percussion, and electronic types from many world regions.
Musical instruments that start with I are playable devices whose names begin with the letter I. Many reflect local languages and long traditions, revealing cultural variety and distinct sound practices.
Below you’ll find the table with the following columns: family, origin, and materials.
Family: You can see the instrument’s family (common name or Hornbostel‑Sachs), helping you compare similar types.
Origin: You can find country or region and era, which gives useful cultural and historical context.
Materials: You can view primary construction materials so you understand typical sound character and care needs.
Musical instruments that start with I
| Name | Family | Origin | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Igil | Bowed chordophone | Tuva (Siberia), ancient | Wood, horsehair, skin |
| Ipu | Idiophone (stamped gourd) | Hawaii, ancient | Gourd |
| Irish Bouzouki | Plucked chordophone (lute) | Ireland, c. 1960s | Wood, steel strings, metal frets |
| Irish Flute | Aerophone (transverse flute) | Ireland (from Germany/England), 19th c. | Wood (often blackwood), metal keys |
| Irish Harp (Clàrsach) | Plucked chordophone (harp) | Ireland, ancient (modern form 19th c.) | Wood, gut or wire strings |
| Idakka (Edaykka) | Membranophone (hourglass drum) | Kerala, India, ancient | Wood, animal skin, cotton strings |
| Israj (Esraj) | Bowed chordophone | Northern India, 19th c. | Wood, goat skin, metal strings |
| Inanga | Plucked chordophone (trough zither) | Great Lakes region, Africa | Wood, animal gut or fiber strings |
| Imzad (Anzad) | Bowed chordophone (spike fiddle) | Tuareg people (Sahara), ancient | Gourd, skin, horsehair |
| Igba | Membranophone (cylindrical drum) | Igbo people, Nigeria | Wood, animal skin |
| Ichigenkin | Plucked chordophone (zither) | Japan, Heian period (c. 794-1185) | Wood (paulownia), silk string, ivory |
| Iyá | Membranophone (hourglass drum) | Yoruba people (Nigeria/Cuba) | Wood, animal skin, brass bells |
| Itótele | Membranophone (hourglass drum) | Yoruba people (Nigeria/Cuba) | Wood, animal skin |
| Iharkila | Bowed chordophone (bowed lyre) | Estonia | Wood, horsehair strings |
| Ikiliğ | Bowed chordophone (spike fiddle) | Turkey | Gourd or wood, skin, horsehair |
| Ichaka | Idiophone (shaken rattle) | Igbo people, Nigeria | Gourd, seeds, beads, shells |
| Indang | Membranophone (frame drum) | West Sumatra, Indonesia | Wood, goat skin |
| Ingoma | Membranophone (kettle drum) | Burundi, Rwanda | Wood, cowhide |
| Ikom | Idiophone (slit drum) | Igbo people, Nigeria | Wood |
| Indian Harmonium | Aerophone (free-reed organ) | India (from France), 19th c. | Wood, metal reeds, plastic keys |
| Imphalamphala | Aerophone (natural trumpet) | Southern Africa | Animal horn (kudu) |
| ‘Ili’ili | Idiophone (concussion stones) | Hawaii, ancient | Lava stone (basalt) |
| Ironbens | Idiophone (lamellophone) | Cameroon | Wood, iron keys |
Descriptions
Igil
A two-stringed Tuvan fiddle, often with a horse-head scroll. It is central to Tuvan music and accompanies throat singing.
Ipu
A Hawaiian percussion instrument made from a single or double gourd. It’s played by stamping on the ground and slapping the sides to create rhythm for hula.
Irish Bouzouki
An adaptation of the Greek bouzouki, featuring a flat back and four courses of strings. It’s a staple in contemporary Irish traditional music.
Irish Flute
A simple-system wooden transverse flute used in Irish traditional music. It has a distinctive breathy tone compared to the modern metal concert flute.
Irish Harp (Clàrsach)
The national symbol of Ireland, this harp has a curved pillar and is traditionally wire-strung, played with the fingernails to produce a bell-like tone.
Idakka (Edaykka)
An hourglass-shaped pressure drum from South India. The player squeezes the central strings to alter the pitch of the drum heads, mimicking vocal sounds.
Israj (Esraj)
A bowed string instrument with a sitar-like neck and a small body covered in skin. It has both main playing strings and numerous sympathetic strings.
Inanga
An oval-shaped trough zither from Burundi and Rwanda. The strings are stretched across the hollowed-out wooden body and are plucked to accompany songs.
Imzad (Anzad)
A single-stringed bowed fiddle traditionally played by Tuareg women in North Africa. Its gourd body is covered with skin, and it accompanies poetry.
Igba
A cylindrical or conical wooden drum of the Igbo people, played with the hands or a stick. It is a key part of ensembles for ceremonies and celebrations.
Ichigenkin
A one-stringed Japanese zither. The player plucks the silk string while using a sliding tube on a finger of the left hand to change the pitch.
Iyá
The “mother drum,” the largest and lowest-pitched of the three sacred double-headed Batá drums used in Santería religious music. It leads the ensemble.
Itótele
The middle-sized drum in the sacred Batá drum trio. It engages in conversation with the larger Iyá drum, playing counter-rhythms and responses.
Iharkila
An Estonian bowed lyre with a wooden body and typically four strings. It is a rare folk instrument related to the Finnish jouhikko.
Ikiliğ
A two-stringed Turkish folk fiddle with a small resonator made from a gourd or carved wood, covered with skin. It is played in a vertical position.
Ichaka
A rattle made from a gourd that is woven into a net of beads or shells. When shaken, the beads strike the gourd to produce a sharp, rhythmic sound.
Indang
A small, single-headed frame drum, similar to a tambourine but without jingles. It is played in groups in Minangkabau culture to accompany dance and song.
Ingoma
A large, semi-spherical royal drum from Burundi and Rwanda, symbolizing power. Played in large ensembles, often numbering over 20 drums, for ceremonies.
Ikom
A log drum or slit drum made from a hollowed-out tree trunk. It has carved slits that produce different pitches when struck, used for music and communication.
Indian Harmonium
A portable, pump-operated reed organ adapted for Indian music. One hand pumps a bellows at the back while the other plays the keyboard.
Imphalamphala
An end-blown trumpet made from a spiral kudu horn, used for signaling and in ceremonies by various peoples in Southern Africa.
‘Ili’ili
Smooth, water-worn lava stones that are clicked together like castanets. Dancers hold two stones in each hand to create rhythmic accompaniment for hula.
Ironbens
A type of thumb piano or lamellophone from Cameroon. It consists of tuned iron strips attached to a wooden soundboard, played by plucking with the thumbs.