This list includes 40 Musical instruments that start with P, from “Pahu” to “Pyrophone”. It highlights percussion, strings, winds, and several electronic or experimental instruments used in performance, education, and folk music.
Musical instruments that start with P are named devices used to produce musical sounds, ranging from simple folk tools to orchestral and experimental instruments. For example, the Pahu is central to Hawaiian ceremonial drumming while the Pyrophone reflects 19th-century experimentation with sound.
Below you’ll find the table with family, origin, and materials.
Family: Shows the instrument’s broad family (e.g., percussion, string, wind), helping you understand how it produces sound and where it fits.
Origin: Lists the geographic region and approximate era, so you can see cultural context and historical background at a glance.
Materials: Notes primary construction materials like wood, metal, skin, or electronics, which helps you compare timbre and building techniques.
Musical instruments that start with P
| Instrument Name | Family | Origin | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piano | keyboard — chordophone (hammered) | Italy/Europe, 18th c. | spruce soundboard, hardwood case, steel strings |
| Piccolo | woodwind — transverse flute (aerophone) | Italy/Europe, 18th c. | silver, nickel or wood |
| Piccolo trumpet | brass — valved trumpet (aerophone) | Europe, 19th c. | brass, piston or rotary valves |
| Piccolo saxophone | woodwind — soprillo sax (single-reed aerophone) | France, 20th c. | brass body, cane reed |
| Pipe organ | keyboard — aerophone (pipe organ) | Ancient origins; major European development medieval | wood, metal pipes, wind chests |
| Portative organ | keyboard — portable pipe organ (aerophone) | Medieval Europe, 12th c. | wood, metal pipes, bellows |
| Positive organ | keyboard — small pipe organ (aerophone) | Baroque Europe, 17th c. | wood, metal pipes |
| Pedal piano | keyboard — piano with pedalboard (chordophone) | Europe, 19th c. | spruce, hardwood, steel strings |
| Player piano | keyboard — mechanical piano (electro-mechanical) | USA/Europe, late 19th c. | wood, paper rolls, metal action |
| Pedal harp | string — pedal harp (chordophone) | Europe, 19th c. | spruce soundboard, metal strings, brass pedal mechanism |
| Paraguayan harp | string — folk harp (chordophone) | Paraguay, 19th c. | cedar or pine, nylon or metal strings |
| Pedal steel guitar | string — electric console guitar (chordophone, electro) | USA, 20th c. | steel neck, maple body, metal strings, pickups |
| Portuguese guitar | string — plucked lute-like (chordophone) | Portugal, 18th c. | spruce top, mahogany or cedar body, metal strings |
| Pandura | string — ancient lute (chordophone) | Greece, ancient | wood body, gut or nylon strings |
| Panduri | string — fretted Georgian lute (chordophone) | Georgia, medieval | walnut or pear wood, metal strings |
| Puerto Rican cuatro | string — plucked folk guitar (chordophone) | Puerto Rico, colonial era | cedar or mahogany, metal or nylon strings |
| Pipa | string — Chinese lute (chordophone) | China, early centuries BCE | pear or paulownia wood, nylon-wrapped or steel strings |
| Psaltery | string — box zither (chordophone) | Ancient/Medieval Europe | wood soundboard, gut or metal strings |
| Psalmodikon | string — bowed monochord (chordophone) | Scandinavia, 19th c. | wood body, single string, bow |
| Pungi | woodwind — reed pipe (aerophone) | India, folk | gourd, bamboo pipes, cane reed |
| Pan flute (panpipes) | woodwind — multiple tube flute (aerophone) | Ancient Greece; global folk traditions | bamboo, cane, wood or reed |
| Penny whistle (tin whistle) | woodwind — fipple flute (aerophone) | British Isles, 19th c. | tin or nickel-plated brass, plastic mouthpiece |
| Pibgorn | woodwind — hornpipe (aerophone) | Wales, medieval | wood body, cow horn bell, reed |
| Piri | woodwind — double-reed (aerophone) | Korea, pre-1500s | bamboo body, cane reed |
| Pahu | percussion — membranophone (percussion) | Hawaii, pre-contact | hollowed koa or coconut, shark or goat skin |
| Pandeiro | percussion — frame drum with jingles (membranophone) | Brazil, 18th c. | wood frame, goatskin head, metal jingles |
| Pandero (Spanish tambourine) | percussion — frame drum (membranophone) | Spain, folk tradition | wood frame, animal skin head, sometimes jingles |
| Pakhawaj | percussion — barrel drum (membranophone) | India, medieval | wooden shell, goatskin heads |
| Paigu | percussion — tuned Chinese drums (membranophone) | China, modern orchestral | wood shells, calfskin heads |
| Phorminx | string — ancient lyre (chordophone) | Ancient Greece | wooden soundbox, gut strings |
| Phin | string — fretted lute (chordophone) | Thailand/Laos, 19th c. | teak or rosewood body, metal strings |
| Post horn | brass — valveless signaling horn (aerophone) | Europe, 18th c. | brass tubing and bell |
| Pocket trumpet | brass — compact trumpet (aerophone) | 20th c., USA/Europe | brass, valves |
| Pump organ (harmonium) | keyboard — free-reed organ (aerophone) | France/Europe, 19th c. | wood case, metal reeds, bellows |
| Pyrophone | percussion/aerophone — flame organ (aerophone) | France, 19th c. | metal tubes, burners, glass |
| Pantalon | string — large hammered dulcimer variant (chordophone) | Germany/France, 18th c. | wood soundboard, metal strings, hammers |
| Piano accordion | keyboard — free-reed instrument (aerophone) | Italy/Europe, 19th c. | wood or plastic, metal reeds, piano keys |
| Puzzle drum | percussion — variable-pitch drum (membranophone) | Medieval Europe references | wood shell, skin heads, tension cords |
| Pommer | woodwind — large double-reed (aerophone) | Medieval/Renaissance Europe | wood body, double reed |
| Pu’ili | percussion — bamboo rattles (idiophone) | Hawaii, traditional | split bamboo sticks |
Descriptions
Piano
Large keyboard instrument where felt hammers strike strings; central to classical and popular music, dynamic and versatile.
Piccolo
Very small, high-pitched flute; doubles orchestral flute parts and adds brilliant upper registers.
Piccolo trumpet
Compact trumpet pitched an octave higher than standard; common in Baroque repertoire and modern solos.
Piccolo saxophone
Extremely small saxophone pitched higher than soprano, rare but used for extreme high-register effects.
Pipe organ
Large wind-driven keyboard instrument using pipes; central to church and concert traditions.
Portative organ
Small, portable organ played by one person, common in medieval liturgical and secular music.
Positive organ
Compact small organ for church continuo and chamber music, larger than portative but still movable.
Pedal piano
Piano equipped with organ-style pedalboard for bass lines; used by composers experimenting with organ-like textures.
Player piano
Self-playing piano using punched rolls or pneumatics; popular in the early 20th century for automated performance.
Pedal harp
Concert harp with foot pedals to change string pitches; orchestral and solo instrument.
Paraguayan harp
Lightweight folk harp central to Paraguayan music, brighter timbre than concert harp.
Pedal steel guitar
Console electric guitar played with slide and foot pedals to bend pitches; staple of country music.
Portuguese guitar
Distinct teardrop-shaped instrument with courses of steel strings used in fado singing.
Pandura
Ancient three- or four-string lute; ancestor of many Mediterranean plucked instruments.
Panduri
Three-string folk lute used for accompaniment and song in Georgian traditions.
Puerto Rican cuatro
Family of cuatro instruments; common Puerto Rican variant often has ten strings arranged in five courses.
Pipa
Four-stringed pear-shaped lute played upright with rapid finger techniques and plectra.
Psaltery
Flat, triangular or rectangular zither plucked or bowed; ancestor of the hammered dulcimer and zither.
Psalmodikon
Simple bowed instrument designed for church hymn accompaniment and teaching in rural churches.
Pungi
Double-chantered reed instrument associated with snake-charmers and folk rites; nasal reedy tone.
Pan flute (panpipes)
Row of tuned tubes of varying length blown across the top; widely used in Andean and folk music.
Penny whistle (tin whistle)
Simple six-holed whistle central to Irish and British traditional music; bright, piercing tone.
Pibgorn
Welsh single-reed folk pipe with horn bell, used in dance and folk ensembles.
Piri
Korean oboe-like instrument with warm, nasal tone used in court and folk music.
Pahu
Traditional Hawaiian drum used in religious and hula ceremonies; deep resonant bass.
Pandeiro
Brazilian tambourine-like drum central to samba, choro and capoeira, played with hand techniques.
Pandero (Spanish tambourine)
Spanish folk tambourine with regional tunings and playing styles used in dances and rituals.
Pakhawaj
Large two-headed drum used in dhrupad and classical accompaniment in North India.
Paigu
Set of three or more tuned drums used in Chinese orchestral and theatrical music.
Phorminx
Ancient Greek lyre-like instrument, predecessor of the kithara and important in classical myth and poetry.
Phin
Three- or four-string plucked lute from Isan and Laos with bright, twangy tone.
Post horn
Small natural horn used historically by postal coaches and for orchestral effect; no valves.
Pocket trumpet
Small-sized trumpet with tightly wound tubing producing same pitch as standard B-flat trumpet, travel-friendly.
Pump organ (harmonium)
Portable keyboard powered by hand or foot bellows; widely used in homes, churches, and Indian classical music.
Pyrophone
Novel instrument that produces tones by combustion heating resonance tubes; visually dramatic and rare.
Pantalon
Large early hammered-string instrument named for performer Pantaleon Hebenstreit; precursor to the pianoforte in expressiveness.
Piano accordion
Accordion with a right-hand piano-style keyboard and left-hand button bass; popular in folk and popular music.
Puzzle drum
Double-headed drum that changes pitch when twisted; used for novelty and historical reconstructions.
Pommer
Large shawm-like instrument of the Renaissance family, predecessor to modern bass oboes and shawms.
Pu’ili
Pair of split bamboo sticks used in hula for rhythmic accompaniment, played by striking or shaking.