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.
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.
GuideThe banjo
Five-string, open-back or resonator, clawhammer or bluegrass: how to choose and start.
GuideThe fiddle
Same instrument as the violin, played a different way. Styles, buying and first tunes.
GuideThe mandolin
Eight strings tuned like a fiddle: A-style or F-style, and how to get started.
GuideThe Appalachian dulcimer
The easiest string instrument to start on: noter and drone, tunings and first songs.
GuideThe tin whistle
Six holes and the heart of Irish music: which whistle to buy and how to play.
At a glance
| 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 |
| Mouth bow | Struck string, mouth resonator | Appalachia, Africa, Brazil |
| Jaw harp | Plucked reed, mouth resonator | Worldwide |