Here you’ll find 31 Musical instruments that start with A, organized from “Accordion” to “Axatse”. These entries cover a broad range—strings, winds, keyboards, and percussion—and are commonly used in folk, classical, and popular music.
Musical instruments that start with A are named musical devices whose common English names begin with the letter A. They include iconic items like the accordion, central to many European and Latin American folk traditions.
Below you’ll find the table with family, origin, and materials.
Family: Explains the instrument’s broad group (strings, winds, percussion, etc.) so you can quickly see its playing style and role.
Origin: Shows the country or region and typical era, giving you cultural and historical context for each instrument.
Materials: Lists primary construction materials so you understand typical timbre, durability, and care considerations.
Musical instruments that start with A
| Name | Family | Origin | Materials | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accordion | Aerophone (free-reed) | Europe — early 19th c. | wood, metal reeds, bellows, leather | Handheld free‑reed instrument with bellows; versatile for folk, jazz and classical music, available in piano and button types. |
| Acoustic guitar | Chordophone (necked lute) | Spain/Europe — 19th c. | wood, metal or nylon strings, bone/plastic nut | Six‑string plucked guitar with hollow body; central to folk, pop, classical and many traditions for harmony and soloing. |
| Autoharp | Chordophone (zither) | Germany/USA — 19th c. | wood, metal strings, felt, chord bars | Strummed zither with chord bars that mute strings; easy for accompaniment in folk and country music. |
| Alphorn | Aerophone (natural horn) | Alpine regions (Switzerland) — traditional | wood | Long wooden natural horn played outdoors; produces harmonic series notes and is iconic in Alpine folk music. |
| Angklung | Idiophone (lamellophone/shaken) | Indonesia (Sunda) — pre‑19th c. | bamboo, rattan, rope | Shaken bamboo tube instrument tuned to a single pitch; played in ensembles to make melodies and interlocking patterns. |
| Agogo | Idiophone (bells) | West Africa/Brazil — traditional | metal | High‑pitched double bell used to keep rhythm in African and Brazilian music styles like samba. |
| Aulos | Aerophone (double‑pipe reed) | Ancient Greece — classical era | wood/reed, occasionally bone | Ancient double‑pipe reeded instrument with a penetrating, nasal sound used in ceremonies and theater. |
| Aeolian harp | Chordophone (plucked) | Europe — 18th c. concept | wood, strings | Wind‑played string box left in breezes to produce haunting drones and harmonic overtones. |
| Armonica | Idiophone (friction) | Europe — 18th c. | glass bowls, wood, metal spindle | Ben Franklin’s glass instrument; rotating glass bowls rubbed with wet fingers make ethereal, sustained tones. |
| Ajaeng | Chordophone (bowed zither) | Korea — Joseon era | paulownia wood, silk or metal strings, bow | Large bowed zither with a raspy, low timbre used in Korean court and chamber music. |
| Agung | Idiophone (gong) | Philippines — traditional | bronze | Large bossed gong producing deep bass; central to kulintang ensembles and ceremonial music. |
| Arghul | Aerophone (double‑pipe reed) | Egypt/Levant — ancient/traditional | cane or reed, wood | Two‑pipe reed instrument with one drone pipe and one melody pipe; used in Middle Eastern folk traditions. |
| Adungu | Chordophone (arched harp) | Uganda — traditional | wood, gut or nylon strings | East African arched harp played by plucking; used in storytelling and court music. |
| Alboka | Aerophone (double‑pipe reed) | Basque Country — traditional | horn, cane, wood, leather | Small double‑pipe reed horn with sharp, reedy sound used in Basque folk music. |
| Anglo concertina | Aerophone (free‑reed) | England — mid‑19th c. | wood, metal reeds, bellows | Hexagonal free‑reed hand instrument; bisonoric layout gives push‑pull note differences popular in folk music. |
| Atabaque | Membranophone (hand drum) | Brazil/West Africa — colonial era | wood, animal skin, rope | Tall hand drum used in Afro‑Brazilian religious and dance music, played with hands and sticks. |
| Atumpan | Membranophone (kettle drum) | Ghana (Akan) — traditional | wood shell, goat skin, lacing | Pair of large talking drums used in royal and ceremonial Akan music to convey messages. |
| Antara | Aerophone (panpipe) | Andes (Peru/Bolivia) — pre‑Columbian | cane | Traditional Andean panpipes with stacked tubes producing soulful, breathy melodies in ensembles. |
| Agidigbo | Idiophone (lamellophone/box zither) | Nigeria (Yoruba) — traditional | wood box, metal tongues | Large thumb‑piano style instrument providing melodic and rhythmic bass lines in Yoruba music. |
| Ashiko | Membranophone (hand drum) | West Africa/Brazil — traditional | wood, skin | Tapered cylindrical drum played with hands; used in West African and Afro‑Brazilian drumming traditions. |
| Apito | Aerophone (whistle) | Brazil/Portugal — modern usage | metal or plastic | High‑pitched whistle used by samba leaders and referees; clear, piercing cut‑through sound. |
| Anvil | Idiophone (percussive metal) | Europe — orchestral use 19th c. | iron | Heavy metal anvil struck in orchestral and folk contexts for a metallic rhythmic or pitched effect. |
| Alfaia | Membranophone (bass drum) | Brazil (Pernambuco) — traditional | wood shell, animal skin, rope | Large rope‑tuned bass drum used in maracatu and Afro‑Brazilian street ensembles for deep beats. |
| Appalachian dulcimer | Chordophone (fretted zither) | Appalachia (USA) — 19th c. | wood, metal strings | Fretted lap zither with diatonic tuning; gentle, drone‑centered sound common in American folk music. |
| Alghoza | Aerophone (paired flute) | South Asia (Pakistan/India) — traditional | wood | Twin flute played simultaneously with melody and drone, common in Punjabi and Sindhi folk music. |
| Aulochrome | Aerophone (double soprano sax) | Europe — early 21st c. | brass, pads, keys | Modern double soprano sax allowing polyphony and close harmonies by a single player. |
| Arpa llanera | Chordophone (harp) | Venezuela/Colombia — 18th–19th c. | wood, metal strings | Diatonic folk harp central to joropo; rhythmic, percussive plucking and fast melodic runs. |
| Akadinda | Idiophone (xylophone) | Uganda (Buganda) — traditional | hardwood slats, gourds | Large horizontal xylophone played by multiple musicians for interlocking rhythmic patterns in court music. |
| Amadinda | Idiophone (xylophone) | Uganda (Buganda) — traditional | wood slats, resonators | Slightly different tuning and technique from akadinda; used for intricate polyrhythms and communal performance. |
| Axatse | Idiophone (shaker) | Ghana (Ewe) — traditional | dried gourd, beads, netting | Beaded gourd shaker producing crisp, dry rhythms; essential in Ewe percussion ensembles. |
| Angelique | Chordophone (lute‑type) | Europe — Baroque era | wood, gut strings | Baroque pear‑shaped lute relative with bright, resonant tone used in 17th–18th century music. |
Descriptions
Accordion
Acoustic guitar
Autoharp
Alphorn
Angklung
Agogo
Aulos
Aeolian harp
Armonica
Ajaeng
Agung
Arghul
Adungu
Alboka
Anglo concertina
Atabaque
Atumpan
Antara
Agidigbo
Ashiko
Apito
Anvil
Alfaia
Appalachian dulcimer
Alghoza
Aulochrome
Arpa llanera
Akadinda
Amadinda
Axatse
Angelique