Music of Israel

Israeli’s tambourine, consists of a single drumhead mounted on a ring with small metal jingles.

• Riq

• Sistrum

• Rababa

It is a percussion instrument that originated in ancient Egypt. It is a type of rattle with a handle and U-shaped metal frame, usually in brass or bronze.

• Shofar

• Sistrum

• Zurna

It is a ten-stringed lute.

• Kinnor

• Birch

• Psaltery

•It consists of two circular concave plates of brass or other metal. It is similar to the Western cymbals.

• Kinnor

• Birch

• Zurna

this is the Hebrew name for an ancient stringed instrument. It is a member of the zither family and the national instrument of Israel.

• Psaltery

• Kinnor

• Birch

•It is a musical instrument used for religious and non-religious purposes. It is made from a ram’s horn. It is similar to a bugle.

• Shofar

• Zurna

• Psaltery

It is a common wind instrument found in Kurds and Iraqis. It is a double reed instrument similar to the oboe.

• Zurna

• Shofar

• Rababa

•This can be found among Arab and Bedouin tribes living in Israel. It has a similar construction with the violin, having strings, bow, and a sound box.

• Shofar

• Qanun

• Rababa

It is one of the precursors to the piano. It has 50-100 strings. This is one of the focal points of Israeli music.

• Rababa

• Qanun

• Oud

It is an ancient Arabic instrument with five strings. It is traditionally played with an eagle feather but modern players today uses a pick to play it. This is similar to the guitar but the playing style is different.  It is a monophonic instrument while the guitar is a polyphonic instrument.

• Birch

• Zurna

• Oud