10 Traditional Middle Eastern Instruments: Sounds, Roles & Origins

Middle Eastern music does not belong to a single country, language, religion, or style. Arabic maqam, Turkish makam, Persian dastgah, Kurdish, Armenian, Greek, North African, and other regional traditions share instruments and ideas while preserving distinct repertories, tunings, rhythms, and performance practices.

The older English label “oriental instruments” is still used in some shops and search queries, but it is too broad to describe this musical diversity precisely. “Traditional Middle Eastern instruments” is clearer for the ten instruments below. Even that phrase is only a convenient umbrella: many of these instruments also belong to the Balkans, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and North Africa.

Traditional Middle Eastern instruments at a glance

Instrument	Family	Common musical role
Oud	Fretless plucked lute	Melody, taqsim, accompaniment, ensemble lead
Qanun	Plucked box zither	Melody, ornamentation, modulation, ensemble texture
Ney	End-blown reed flute	Lyrical melody, improvisation, spiritual and classical repertory
Darbuka	Goblet drum	Rhythmic foundation, fills, solos
Riq	Jingled frame drum	Detailed classical rhythm and ensemble color
Bendir	Large frame drum	Deep pulse, folk, devotional, and ensemble rhythm
Saz/bağlama	Long-necked fretted lute	Folk melody, song accompaniment, regional styles
Santur	Hammered dulcimer	Melody, rapid patterns, ornamented texture
Kamancheh	Spike fiddle	Sustained melody, ornamentation, improvisation
Zurna	Double-reed shawm	Powerful outdoor melody for dance and ceremony

This is not a ranking. It is a practical introduction to ten influential instruments heard across several living traditions.

1. Oud

The oud is a fretless, short-necked lute with a rounded bowl, wooden soundboard, bent-back pegbox, and strings arranged in courses. It is central to many Arabic and Turkish ensembles and has important histories in Iraq, Syria, Egypt, the Levant, the Gulf, North Africa, Armenia, Greece, and Iran. Construction, scale length, course count, and tuning differ by region and maker.

Its lack of frets allows the performer to shape intonation and ornaments required by maqam or makam practice. The oud can lead an ensemble, accompany a singer, or perform an unmetered solo improvisation such as a taqsim. A risha—a long flexible pick—produces its characteristic attack.

Choose an oud according to the tradition and tuning you plan to study. Arabic and Turkish string sets are not automatically interchangeable because scale and tension differ. See our complete oud choosing guide for detailed buying checks.

2. Qanun

The qanun is a trapezoidal plucked zither played horizontally on the lap or a stand. Most modern instruments have many strings grouped in triple courses. The player wears small plectra on the index fingers and uses both hands for rapid passages, tremolo, chords, and ornamented melody.

Small levers called mandal in Turkish raise or lower groups of strings by fine intervals. Their design and interval divisions vary between Turkish and Arabic qanuns. Skilled players operate the levers during performance to move between pitches required by different maqam or makam passages.

A qanun is sensitive to tuning, bridge condition, skin or synthetic bridge supports, lever accuracy, and climate. Buyers should choose between Turkish and Arabic layouts according to their teacher’s method rather than treating the two as identical.

3. Ney

The ney is an end-blown flute traditionally made from a hollow reed with finger holes. Related ney traditions extend across Arabic, Turkish, and Persian music, but instrument dimensions, mouth technique, naming, and pitch systems differ. A Turkish ney commonly uses a mouthpiece called a başpare; many Arabic nays are played directly against the reed edge.

The performer directs a narrow air stream across the rim to produce a breath-rich tone. Changing breath pressure and embouchure accesses different registers. Partially covering holes and adjusting the lips help shape pitches that do not correspond to equal-tempered piano notes.

Ney appears in classical ensembles, solo improvisation, devotional contexts, and contemporary arrangements. It can take time for a beginner to produce the first stable note; that initial difficulty should not be confused with a defective instrument.

4. Darbuka

The darbuka is a single-headed goblet drum. Depending on region and context, related names include tabla, derbake, and doumbek. Traditional bodies may be ceramic or metal with skin or synthetic heads; modern metal darbukas with replaceable synthetic heads are common for stage use.

The fundamental vocabulary contrasts a resonant center stroke often called dum with brighter edge strokes such as tek. Finger rolls, snaps, muted tones, and ornaments create detailed patterns. Darbuka supports song and dance, but it is also a sophisticated solo instrument.

“Darbuka” and “doumbek” are not always two entirely different instruments. Usage changes by language, country, construction, and marketing. When buying, compare head diameter, body material, weight, tuning system, rim comfort, and the sound you need.

5. Riq

The riq is a small frame drum fitted with pairs of metal jingles. It is especially important in Arabic classical ensembles, where a skilled player can articulate complex rhythmic cycles with remarkable precision. The membrane and jingles provide two contrasting sound worlds within one compact instrument.

Players use several grips and playing positions. With the jingles free, the riq produces a bright, continuous texture; with controlled jingles, the membrane strokes become dry and sharply defined. Traditional fish-skin heads remain valued, while synthetic heads offer greater stability in changing humidity.

A riq may look like a tambourine, but its technique and musical role are specialized. Good jingle response, a comfortable frame, accurate head tension, and balance matter more than decoration.

6. Bendir

The bendir is a larger frame drum used in North African, Middle Eastern, Turkish, Kurdish, and devotional traditions. Its broad membrane produces a deeper pulse than the small riq. Some bendirs have one or more snares stretched against the inside of the head, adding a buzzing response; others are unsnared.

It is held vertically and played with fingers and hands near the edge and center. Tone changes with striking position, finger shape, pressure, and head tension. Bendir can anchor folk dance, accompany voice, support Sufi or devotional repertory, and blend with other percussion.

Diameter, frame depth, head material, tuning hardware, weight, and snare design affect comfort and sound. A large drum is not automatically deeper if its head and tension are unsuitable.

7. Saz or bağlama

The bağlama is a family of long-necked lutes strongly associated with music in Turkey and neighboring regions. “Saz” can mean a musical instrument in general, but in international retail it often refers to a bağlama. Different members of the family vary in bowl size, scale length, stringing, tuning, and register.

Modern bağlamas usually have tied, movable frets that allow interval patterns used in regional practice. Short-neck and long-neck instruments are associated with different common tunings and techniques, although the boundaries are not absolute. The instrument accompanies song, carries melody, and expresses regional plectrum styles known as tavır.

Before buying, match neck type, scale, fret layout, strings, and tuning to the teacher and repertory. Our short-neck versus long-neck bağlama guide explains the choice in detail.

8. Santur

The santur is a trapezoidal hammered dulcimer whose strings are stretched over movable bridges and struck with light wooden mallets. It has a major role in Persian classical music and related instruments appear in Iraq, India, Turkey, the Caucasus, and other regions. Layout, bridge count, tuning, mallet shape, and technique vary substantially.

Each bridge divides strings into sounding sections, giving the player access to several registers. Rapid alternating strokes, rolls, and ornamented patterns create a shimmering texture. Because many strings must be tuned and bridge position affects pitch, setup requires patience and a clear reference system.

Do not select a santur only by the number of bridges. A 9-kharak and 12-kharak instrument may serve different musical systems or ranges, and quality also depends on geometry, wood, pins, strings, bridges, and tuning stability.

9. Kamancheh

The kamancheh is a bowed spike fiddle with a small resonating body and a long neck. A spike at the base rests on the player’s knee or the floor, allowing the instrument to rotate subtly as the bow moves. It is central to Persian and Azerbaijani classical traditions and appears in Kurdish, Armenian, and neighboring musical cultures.

Modern kamanchehs commonly have four strings, though historical and regional examples vary. The bow and rotating instrument produce sustained, vocal-like lines, slides, ornaments, and subtle intonation. It performs melody, improvisation, and dialogue with singers or other instruments.

Bridge placement, skin or soundboard condition, neck alignment, bow, strings, and peg stability all affect playability. Violin experience helps with bow control but does not replace learning the instrument’s posture and regional phrasing.

10. Zurna

The zurna is a loud double-reed shawm used for outdoor celebrations, dances, weddings, processions, and ceremonies across Turkey, the Balkans, the Caucasus, the Middle East, and Central Asia. It is often paired with a large double-headed drum such as the davul.

Its conical bore and double reed produce a penetrating sound that carries outdoors without amplification. Circular breathing may be used to sustain long phrases. Zurnas come in different sizes and pitches, and regional reed-making and fingering practices are essential to the style.

Because of its volume and demanding reed control, zurna is not a quiet apartment instrument. Beginners should obtain a compatible reed and learn from a player familiar with the chosen regional type.

How these instruments work together

There is no rule that a Middle Eastern ensemble must contain three instruments, or that more than five cannot play together. Ensemble size depends on genre, place, period, and purpose. A small takht ensemble in Arabic art music may combine oud, qanun, ney, violin, riq, and voice. A Turkish classical ensemble may include oud, tanbur, kanun, ney, bowed instruments, and percussion. Folk and ceremonial groups use different combinations.

In many traditions, instruments do not simply divide into Western-style melody, chords, and beat. Several melodic instruments may perform the same line with individual ornaments, creating heterophony. Percussion articulates named rhythmic cycles, while improvisation and interaction shape the performance.

Melodic systems: maqam, makam, and dastgah

Arabic maqam, Turkish makam, and Persian dastgah are related but distinct modal traditions. They are not merely scales. Each includes characteristic melodic movement, important tones, phrases, modulation practices, ornamentation, and repertory. Pitch does not always align with twelve-tone equal temperament.

Fretless instruments such as oud, ney, and kamancheh can shape pitches continuously. Qanun players use levers, while bağlama makers and players place tied frets according to the intended system. Electronic “oriental” keyboards can imitate some pitch sets and timbres, but they are not substitutes for the acoustic instruments or their performance knowledge.

How to choose your first Middle Eastern instrument

• Start with the music: identify the tradition, performers, and pieces you want to learn.
• Find a teacher or method: regional tunings and techniques affect which instrument version to buy.
• Consider the sound role: choose melody, bowed sustain, breath, or percussion according to what attracts you.
• Check practical limits: volume, portability, climate sensitivity, tuning time, and maintenance differ greatly.
• Buy for playability: correct setup and stable tuning matter more than ornate decoration.
• Ask for exact specifications: regional name alone may not define scale, pitch, stringing, or size.

Frequently asked questions

Is “oriental instrument” an accurate term?

It is a broad historical label and remains a search or retail term, but it can flatten many distinct cultures into one category. Name the region, tradition, or instrument whenever possible.

Are darbuka and doumbek different?

The names often overlap. In some markets they distinguish shapes, materials, or regional styles; elsewhere they refer to the same goblet-drum family. Check specifications rather than relying on the label.

Which instrument is easiest for a beginner?

No instrument is universally easiest. Darbuka or bendir can produce a basic sound quickly, while mastery of rhythm remains demanding. Oud, ney, qanun, and bowed instruments usually require more initial control. A good teacher and playable instrument matter more than the category.

Can these instruments play Western music?

Yes. Musicians use them in jazz, classical, film, electronic, and popular music. Their traditional tunings and techniques offer possibilities beyond Western equal temperament, so adaptation should respect the instrument rather than forcing it to imitate another one.

Do I need an instrument from the country where the tradition originated?

Not necessarily. Skilled makers work in many countries. Judge whether the instrument is correctly designed and set up for the musical system, tuning, and teacher you will follow.

A shared family of living traditions

Oud, qanun, ney, darbuka, riq, bendir, saz, santur, kamancheh, and zurna reveal only part of the region’s musical diversity. They cross borders, change with communities, and continue to develop in concert halls, homes, ceremonies, studios, and new genres. The best way to understand one is to hear respected players, learn its repertory, and approach its name and history with regional precision.

Reference points: UNESCO documentation on oud craftsmanship and performance; UNESCO’s Mediterranean living-heritage report on Arab music teaching; The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s musical-instrument collection and publications.