This list includes 29 Musical instruments that start with R, from “Rabab (Afghan)” to “Ryuteki”. It features string, wind, percussion, and electronic instruments used in solo, ensemble, and traditional contexts.
Musical instruments that start with R are named items across many cultures and playing traditions. For example, the Afghan rabab is a centuries-old lute central to regional music.
Below you’ll find the table with family, origin, and materials.
Family: Shows the instrument’s common family or Hornbostel-Sachs category, helping you compare similar instruments easily.
Origin: Describes country or region and era so you can understand cultural context and historical background.
Materials: Lists primary construction materials so you can judge timbre, durability, and practical handling or care considerations.
Musical instruments that start with R
| Name | Family | Origin | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorder | Woodwind | Europe (Medieval) | Wood or plastic |
| Rhodes Piano | Electronic Keyboard | USA (c. 1946) | Metal tines, wood case, electronic pickups |
| Ruan | String | China (Han Dynasty) | Wood, silk or steel strings |
| Rebab | String | Middle East/N. Africa (c. 8th c.) | Wood, coconut, animal skin, horsehair |
| Rebec | String | Europe (Medieval) | Wood, gut strings |
| Riq | Percussion | Middle East/North Africa | Wood, skin, brass jingles |
| Rainstick | Percussion | South America | Dried cactus, bamboo, pebbles or seeds |
| Rauschpfeife | Woodwind | Europe (Renaissance) | Wood, double reed |
| Ravanahatha | String | India/Sri Lanka (ancient) | Coconut shell, bamboo, horsehair, skin |
| Russian Guitar | String | Russia (c. 1800) | Wood, metal or nylon strings |
| Rototom | Percussion | USA (1968) | Metal frame, synthetic head |
| Rudrā vīṇā | String | India (Classical) | Teak wood, gourds, metal frets |
| Ryuteki | Woodwind | Japan (8th c.) | Bamboo |
| Ratchet | Percussion | Global (ancient origins) | Wood, metal |
| Repinique | Percussion | Brazil | Metal shell, plastic head |
| Regal | Keyboard | Europe (Renaissance) | Wood, metal reeds |
| Roneat Ek | Percussion | Cambodia | Bamboo or hardwood bars, wood frame |
| Roneat Thung | Percussion | Cambodia | Hardwood bars, wood frame |
| Rin | Percussion | Japan/East Asia | Metal alloy |
| Rhythmicon | Electronic | USA (1931) | Electronic components |
| Rommelpot | Friction Drum | Netherlands/Belgium | Clay pot, skin, reed or stick |
| Rondador | Woodwind | Ecuador/Andes | Cane or bamboo |
| Rackett | Woodwind | Europe (Renaissance) | Wood, double reed |
| Rabab (Afghan) | String | Afghanistan/Central Asia | Mulberry wood, skin, gut strings |
| Ranat Ek | Percussion | Thailand | Hardwood or bamboo bars, wood frame |
| Ranat Thum | Percussion | Thailand | Hardwood or bamboo bars, wood frame |
| Rabel | String | Spain | Wood, gut or metal strings |
| Rolmo | Percussion | Tibet | Brass or bronze alloy |
| Rocar | Percussion | Brazil | Metal or wood cylinder, beads or seeds |
Descriptions
Recorder
A popular fipple flute known for its clear, gentle tone. It’s a common first instrument for children and was a serious concert instrument during the Baroque period.
Rhodes Piano
An iconic electric piano famous for its mellow, bell-like tone. Its sound defined much of the jazz, pop, and soul music of the 1960s and 70s.
Ruan
A Chinese plucked lute with a round body, fretted neck, and four strings. It is often called a “moon guitar” and comes in various sizes for a full range of tones.
Rebab
A bowed or plucked spike fiddle with one to three strings. It is a direct ancestor of many European bowed instruments, including the rebec and eventually the violin.
Rebec
A pear-shaped, bowed string instrument from the Middle Ages. As a key ancestor of the violin, it was a popular folk and courtly instrument for centuries.
Riq
A type of tambourine with a wooden frame, a thin head, and multiple sets of cymbals. It is a staple of Arabic music, played with complex finger techniques.
Rainstick
A long, hollow tube filled with small objects that, when tilted, produces a sound resembling falling rain. It is used for both musical and ceremonial purposes.
Rauschpfeife
A loud, powerful double-reed instrument with a windcap over the reed, similar to a shawm. Its name means “noise pipe,” and it was used in outdoor bands.
Ravanahatha
An ancient bowed fiddle believed to be one of the oldest stringed instruments in the world. Legend connects its origin to the mythical king Ravana.
Russian Guitar
A seven-string acoustic guitar, distinct from the classical six-string version. It’s traditionally tuned to an open G chord, which facilitates playing chords and bass lines.
Rototom
A shell-less drum that can change pitch by being rotated. This unique design allows for glissando-like effects and quick tuning, making it popular in rock and fusion.
Rudrā vīṇā
A large plucked zither used in Hindustani classical music. It has a deep, rich tone and is considered a highly respected but challenging instrument to master.
Ryuteki
Meaning “dragon flute,” this is a Japanese transverse flute made of bamboo. It is a lead melodic instrument in gagaku, the classical court music of Japan.
Ratchet
Also known as a cog rattle, this instrument creates a loud clattering noise when a wooden gear strikes a flexible strip of wood as the handle is turned.
Repinique
A small, high-pitched, two-headed drum played with one stick and a bare hand. It is a key instrument in samba music, used for calls, solos, and rhythmic patterns.
Regal
A small, portable reed organ with a distinctive buzzing and nasal tone. It was popular from the 15th to the 17th centuries for both sacred and secular music.
Roneat Ek
The lead high-pitched xylophone in a Cambodian pinpeat ensemble. It features boat-shaped resonators and is played with two hard mallets to create a brilliant, clear sound.
Roneat Thung
A low-pitched xylophone that plays a complementary role to the higher roneat ek in Cambodian classical music. It has a more mellow and resonant tone.
Rin
A bowl-shaped standing bell, often used in Buddhist temples and for meditation. It is struck on the rim with a mallet to produce a pure, long-lasting, and peaceful tone.
Rhythmicon
One of the world’s first electronic instruments. It was designed to produce complex polyrhythms and is considered a forerunner of the modern drum machine.
Rommelpot
A folk friction drum made from a pot, a stretched skin, and a stick. Rubbing or sliding the stick creates a comical, grunting sound, often used in festive folk music.
Rondador
A type of panpipe unique to the Andes region of Ecuador. It is constructed so that adjacent pipes are tuned a third apart, allowing it to produce two tones at once.
Rackett
A compact, deep-pitched double-reed instrument. Its tubing is coiled inside a small cylinder, creating a bassoon-like range from a very portable instrument.
Rabab (Afghan)
The plucked, double-chambered national instrument of Afghanistan. Unlike the bowed rebab, it is played like a lute and is celebrated for its deep, resonant sound.
Ranat Ek
The leading high-pitched xylophone in a Thai piphat classical ensemble. Its bright, percussive sound cuts through the ensemble to carry the main melody.
Ranat Thum
The lower-pitched companion to the Ranat Ek. It plays a syncopated and often improvisational melodic line, providing a rich contrapuntal texture to Thai music.
Rabel
A small, rustic folk fiddle found in Spain, often with a simple, elongated body. It is related to the medieval rebec and is used to accompany songs and dances.
Rolmo
A type of hand cymbal with a large central boss, used in Tibetan Buddhist rituals and music. The cymbals are played vertically, striking them against each other.
Rocar
A type of shaker, or chocalho, from Brazil, often a long metal or wooden tube filled with seeds or beads. It provides a steady, driving rhythm in samba and other styles.