This list includes 15 Musical instruments that start with Y, from “Yamato-goto” to “Yuka”. They span traditional strings, wind and percussion instruments, and a few modern or regional variants. These instruments appear in folk music, ritual settings, education, and ensemble performance.
Musical instruments that start with Y are instruments whose common names begin with the letter Y. Many come from distinct regional traditions, such as the Yamato-goto, a Japanese court zither with deep cultural history.
Below you’ll find the table with family, origin, and materials.
Family: Shows the instrument’s broad classification, like string, wind, percussion or keyboard, so you can compare similar types.
Origin: Lists country or region and approximate era so you can understand cultural background and historical roots.
Materials: Identifies primary construction materials so you can judge likely tone, weight, and traditional building methods.
Musical instruments that start with Y
| Instrument | Family | Origin | Primary materials | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yangqin | Struck strings (hammered dulcimer) | China; likely 17th–18th c. | Wood, metal strings, bamboo bridges | Chinese hammered dulcimer played with small mallets; bright, percussive tone used in opera, ensembles and solo repertoire. |
| Yueqin | Plucked lute (moon lute) | China; Tang–Ming eras (historic to modern) | Wood, metal or nylon strings | Round-bodied Chinese lute with short neck, used in folk music and Chinese opera for rhythmic accompaniment and melody. |
| Yehu | Bowed lute (huqin family) | Southern China; regional traditional use | Wood or coconut shell, snakeskin, horsehair bow | Small bowed fiddle with a round or coconut-shell resonator; nasal, penetrating tone used in Cantonese and southern ensembles. |
| Yazheng | Bowed zither | China; Tang–Song eras (historic) | Wood, silk/metal strings, bow | Ancient Chinese zither bowed with a stick; predecessor to some later bowed zithers, now mainly of historical interest. |
| Yidaki | Aerophone (end-blown/ductless drone) | Arnhem Land, Australia; Indigenous, ancient | Hollowed eucalyptus wood | Traditional Yolŋu name for the didgeridoo: a long hollowed timber blown with circular breathing to make continuous drone tones for ceremony and music. |
| Yatga | Plucked zither | Mongolia; ancient to modern | Wood, metal or gut/nylon strings | Long Mongolian zither with movable bridges; plucked or strummed to accompany singing and epic recitation. |
| Yazh | Plucked harp | Tamilakam (South India/Sri Lanka); ancient | Wood, gut or silk strings | Ancient Tamil harp (also spelled yal), used in classical poetry and court music; distinctive curved shape and lyrical timbre. |
| Yuka | Membranophone (hand drums) | Cuba; Afro-Cuban traditions, colonial era | Wood shells, animal-skin heads | Tall hand drums used in yuka ritual music of western Cuba; played by hand in dance and communal performance. |
| Yaogu | Membranophone (waist drum) | China; folk festival tradition | Wood shell, animal skin, cloth straps | Small barrel drum tied at the waist and struck with hands or sticks in folk dance and parade music. |
| Yayli tambur | Bowed lute | Turkey; Ottoman-era to present | Wood body, metal strings, bow | Long-necked Turkish lute bowed to produce sustained, resonant tones in classical and folk contexts. |
| Yayli kemenche | Bowed fiddle | Turkey; modern/folk traditions | Wood body, horsehair bow, metal strings | Small spike fiddle played upright with a bow; used in regional Anatolian and Black Sea music for expressive melodies. |
| Yayli baglama | Bowed lute (baglama family) | Turkey; contemporary folk practice | Wood, metal strings, bow | Bowed version of the bağlama/ saz, producing sustained, vocal-like tones in modern and traditional repertoires. |
| Yokobue | Transverse flute (fue family) | Japan; ancient to modern | Bamboo | General term for Japanese side-blown flutes (e.g., shinobue, ryūteki); used in Noh, kabuki, folk music and festivals. |
| Yaybahar | Acoustic/electro-acoustic experimental string instrument | Turkey; 2010s (modern invention) | Wood, springs, strings, pickups | Invented acoustic instrument with long strings and bass springs producing deep, reverberant, cinematic sounds used in experimental and film music. |
| Yamato-goto | Plucked zither (koto family) | Japan; ancient (Nara period references) | Wood, silk/nylon strings | Ancient Japanese box zither (also called wagon), plucked with plectra in gagaku court music; fewer strings than the koto, delicate timbre. |