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Folk music instruments
Folk music has always been played on whatever people could make, carry or afford. These guides explain how each instrument works, where it comes from, and how a beginner can start.
Guide
The mouth bow
The oldest string instrument there is, still played in Appalachia, Africa and Brazil.
GuideThe jaw harp
A 4,000-year-old pocket instrument played with your mouth as the soundbox.
Coming soon
| Instrument | Family | Heard in |
|---|---|---|
| Banjo | Plucked strings, drum body | Bluegrass, old-time |
| Mandolin | Plucked strings, paired courses | Bluegrass, Celtic, Italian folk |
| Fiddle | Bowed strings | Almost every tradition |
| Appalachian dulcimer | Plucked or strummed zither | Appalachian ballads |
| Tin whistle | Fipple flute | Irish and Scottish music |