Here you’ll find 29 Musical instruments that start with D, organized from “Appalachian Dulcimer” to “Hammered Dulcimer”. They span strings, winds, percussion, and keyboards, and serve folk, classical, popular, and educational uses.
Musical instruments that start with D are named items across many families, from regional folk to concert instruments. The dulcimer appears in both Appalachian and hammered forms, showing how one letter can link diverse traditions.
Below you’ll find the table with family, origin, and materials.
Family: Shows the instrument’s classification (strings, winds, percussion, etc.), so you can compare sound and playing technique.
Origin: Indicates country or region and era, helping you understand cultural context and historical development.
Materials: Lists primary construction materials so you can judge tone, care needs, and likely weight or durability.
Musical instruments that start with D
| Name | Family | Origin | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Dulcimer | Plucked zither (chordophone) | Appalachian Mountains, USA (19th century) | Wood, metal strings, bone |
| Dabakan | Goblet drum (membranophone) | Philippines (Maguindanao people) | Wood, animal skin (goat, carabao) |
| Daf | Frame drum (membranophone) | Middle East, Persia, Central Asia (ancient) | Wood frame, animal skin, metal rings |
| Daiko | Barrel drum (membranophone) | Japan | Wood (hollowed log), animal skin (cowhide), metal tacks |
| Damaru | Hourglass drum (membranophone) | India, Tibet (ancient) | Wood or human skull, leather, cotton cords with beads |
| Darbuka | Goblet drum (membranophone) | Middle East, North Africa, Balkans | Clay, metal (aluminum, copper), fish/goat skin or plastic |
| Davul | Double-headed bass drum (membranophone) | Turkey, Balkans, Middle East | Wood frame, goat or sheep skin, rope |
| Descant Recorder | Fipple flute (aerophone) | Europe (Renaissance/Baroque era) | Wood, plastic |
| Dhol | Double-headed barrel drum (membranophone) | South Asia (India, Pakistan) | Wood (mango, sheesham), animal skin, rope or metal turnbuckles |
| Dholak | Double-headed hand drum (membranophone) | South Asia, Caribbean | Wood (mango, sheesham), animal skin, rope or metal hardware |
| Dholki | Double-headed hand drum (membranophone) | Indian subcontinent | Wood, animal skin, rope, masala paste |
| Didgeridoo | Natural trumpet (aerophone) | Northern Australia (Aboriginal peoples) | Wood (eucalyptus hollowed by termites), beeswax |
| Digital Piano | Electronic keyboard (electrophone) | Global (20th century) | Plastic, metal, electronics, weighted keys |
| Dizi | Transverse flute (aerophone) | China (ancient) | Bamboo, paper membrane, silk thread |
| Djembe | Goblet drum (membranophone) | West Africa (Mali Empire, c. 1,230) | Wood (hardwood log), goat skin, rope |
| Dobro | Resonator guitar (chordophone) | United States (1928) | Wood or metal body, spun aluminum cone, steel strings |
| Dombra | Long-necked lute (chordophone) | Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan) | Wood, gut or nylon strings |
| Donso Ngoni | Spike-lute harp (chordophone) | West Africa (Mali, Guinea) | Gourd, wood, animal skin, gut strings |
| Dotara | Plucked lute (chordophone) | Bengal region (India, Bangladesh) | Wood, animal skin, metal strings |
| Double Bass | Violin family (bowed or plucked chordophone) | Europe (16th century) | Wood, metal strings, horsehair bow |
| Doumbek | Goblet drum (membranophone) | Middle East, North Africa | Clay, metal, fish/goat skin or plastic |
| Dranyen | Long-necked lute (chordophone) | Tibet, Bhutan | Wood, animal skin, gut or nylon strings |
| Drum Machine | Electronic percussion (electrophone) | Global (20th century) | Plastic, metal, electronics, rubber pads |
| Duduk | Double-reed woodwind (aerophone) | Armenia (ancient, 1,500+ years old) | Apricot wood, cane (for the reed) |
| Dudy | Bagpipe (aerophone) | Poland, Czechia, Central Europe | Leather or skin bag, wood pipes (chanter, drones), reed |
| Dulcian | Double-reed woodwind (aerophone) | Europe (Renaissance, 16th century) | Wood (maple, sycamore), metal keys, cane reed |
| Dungchen | Long trumpet (aerophone) | Tibet | Copper, brass, silver, often decorated |
| Dutar | Long-necked lute (chordophone) | Central and South Asia (Persia) | Wood (mulberry), silk or metal strings |
| Hammered Dulcimer | Struck zither (chordophone) | Ancient Middle East, spread globally | Wood frame, numerous metal strings, small hammers |
Descriptions
Appalachian Dulcimer
A fretted string instrument laid on the lap and played by plucking or strumming. It is a cornerstone of American folk music, known for its sweet, gentle sound.
Dabakan
A goblet-shaped drum from the southern Philippines, part of the Kulintang ensemble. It’s the only non-gong instrument in the group, providing a rhythmic foundation.
Daf
A large hand-held frame drum often fitted with metal rings or chains on the inside. The jingles create a buzzing texture essential to spiritual and classical music.
Daiko
A generic term for a large Japanese drum (also Taiko). Played with large wooden sticks called bachi, they are central to festivals and performing arts ensembles like Kumi-daiko.
Damaru
A small two-headed drum used in Hindu and Tibetan Buddhist traditions. It’s played by twisting the wrist, causing beads tied to a cord to strike the drumheads.
Darbuka
A goblet-shaped hand drum known for its crisp high tones (tek) and deep bass tones (dum). It’s a key rhythm instrument in Middle Eastern and North African music.
Davul
A large, two-headed drum worn with a strap. It is played with a thick mallet on one side for the bass beat and a thin rod on the other for sharp, accent notes.
Descant Recorder
A high-pitched member of the recorder family, often called the soprano recorder. It is a popular introductory instrument for children due to its simple fingering.
Dhol
A large, loud barrel-shaped drum played with two different sticks. It produces a powerful beat that is the heart of Bhangra music and is played during festivals.
Dholak
A versatile, smaller two-headed hand drum. One side produces a high, sharp pitch and the other a low bass, creating complex folk rhythms for songs and dances.
Dholki
A smaller, feminine version of the dholak. It is often used to accompany folk songs, especially during pre-wedding celebrations, and is typically played by women.
Didgeridoo
An ancient wind instrument of Indigenous Australians. It produces a low, resonant drone and requires a circular breathing technique to sustain the sound continuously.
Digital Piano
An electronic keyboard designed to simulate the sound and feel of an acoustic piano. It offers features like volume control, different instrument sounds, and headphone use.
Dizi
A Chinese transverse flute, known for its bright, buzzing timbre created by a thin paper-like membrane (dimo) covering a special hole between the mouthpiece and finger holes.
Djembe
A rope-tuned, skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands. Originally from West Africa, it’s now globally popular for its wide range of tones (bass, tone, and slap).
Dobro
A type of acoustic guitar with a large metal resonator cone built into its body. The cone acts as a mechanical amplifier, giving it a distinctive, loud metallic tone.
Dombra
A traditional long-necked, two-stringed lute from Central Asia. It is a defining instrument of Kazakh culture, used to accompany epic songs and as a solo virtuoso instrument.
Donso Ngoni
A large, six-string harp-lute of the Wasulu hunter’s societies in West Africa. It has a deep, buzzing sound and is used to accompany songs about hunting and history.
Dotara
A small, fretless string instrument from Bengal, played by plucking. Its name means “two-stringed,” though modern versions often have four or more strings for a fuller sound.
Double Bass
The largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra. It is also a standard instrument in jazz, blues, and folk music ensembles.
Doumbek
Another common name for the Darbuka, a goblet-shaped hand drum. It is a cornerstone of rhythm in Middle Eastern music, played with intricate finger techniques.
Dranyen
A traditional Himalayan lute with a distinctive, often un-fretted neck and a dragon-head scroll. It typically has seven strings and accompanies songs and dances.
Drum Machine
An electronic instrument that creates percussion sounds and drum beats through synthesis or samples. It was a key element in the development of hip-hop, techno, and pop music.
Duduk
An ancient Armenian double-reed woodwind instrument. It is renowned for its mournful, soulful, and lyrical sound, often featured in film scores and world music.
Dudy
A type of bagpipe found in Central and Eastern Europe. Like other bagpipes, it uses a reservoir of air in a bag to feed a melody pipe (chanter) and one or more drones.
Dulcian
A Renaissance-era double-reed instrument and the direct ancestor of the modern bassoon. It was made from a single piece of wood with two parallel bores drilled into it.
Dungchen
A very long, telescopic metal trumpet used in Tibetan Buddhist ceremonies. It produces a deep, low, moaning sound and is played in pairs to represent the voice of elephants.
Dutar
A traditional two-stringed lute found throughout Central Asia. Its name literally means “two strings” in Persian, and it is used in both folk and classical music.
Hammered Dulcimer
A large, trapezoidal string instrument. Unlike the Appalachian dulcimer, its many strings are struck with small mallets or “hammers,” creating a cascade of bright notes.