The Music Instrument Petting Zoo is in need of more music instruments to include in our mobile interactive world music instrument exhibit for kids!
You can sponsor an instrument directly to the exhibit today! Simply use our Instrument Wishlist linked at the top of this page.
Your name will be included in the instrument display information of the instrument you choose to sponsor, or you can choose to sponsor/donate anonymously.
Can't decide which instrument you'd like to sponsor? Learn more about the instruments we would like to include below:
cuatro
Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Cuba Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados a small, four-stringed or ten-string guitar-like instrument, used in genres such as música jíbara, joropo, parang, and salsa.
pandero
Puerto Rico, Brazil, Spain, Dominican Republic a frame drum with a tunable head and sometimes has cupped metal jingles that rattle, used in plena music, folk dances, martial arts accompaniment, and street festivals.
steel pan
Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Turks and Caicos Island a percussion instrument tuned from the bottom of an oil barrel, used in calypso, soca, and steel band ensembles.
tambora
Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico a double-headed, cylindrical bass drum suspended by a strap and played with a wooden stick and the palm of the other hand, used in merengue music and folk dances.
vihuela
Mexico a small, five-stringed instrument with a vaulted, convex back, used in mariachi ensembles, ranchera, and huapango
balalaika
Russia, Ukraine, Belarus a plucked string instrument with a triangular body and three strings (or occasionally six, tuned in pairs), used in in Russian folk music and folk orchestras.
bandura
Ukraine a plucked string instrument hybrid of a zither and a lute with a flat, asymmetric wooden body and up to 60 metal or gut strings (both fretted and unfretted), the national instrument of Ukraine and used to accompany traditional Ukrainian folk music and singers.
davul
Turkey, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Albania, Azerbijan, Iran a large, double-headed cylindrical drum played with two different beaters, used for leading outdoor processions, Anatolian folk music and folk dances, and wedding celebrations.
kemenche
Turkey, Greece, Armenia, Iran a small, bottle-shaped bowed string instrument with a wooden body and a skin-covered or thin wooden resonato, used in fast-paced Horon dances of the Black Sea coast, and traditional vocal accompaniment.
saz
Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran, Armenia, Bosnia, Albania Greece a long-necked, plucked lute with a deep, pear-shaped body and movable frets, used in folk storytelling, Ashiq minstrels to accompany epic poems, troubadour music, and Sufi poetry.
ghaychak
Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan a bowed string instrument with a double-chambered, skin-covered body, short neck, and metal or gut strings, used in traditional folk music, classical ensembles, and spiritual rituals.
banhu
China a bowed string instrument with a small, coconut-shell body covered by a thin wooden soundboard, used in northern Chinese opera (especially Peking Opera) and folk ensembles.
janggu
South Korea, North Korea a double-headed, hourglass-shaped drum with two "dual-tone heads" (meant to represent the "masculine" and "feminine" or Yin/Yang) , used in folk dance, shamanic rituals, and traditional percussion ensembles.
koto
Japan a long, plucked zither with thirteen strings stretched over movable bridges, used in classical court music, traditional chamber ensembles, and contemporary solo compositions.
kouxian
China a small instrument made of multiple thin bamboo or metal strips arranged like a fan, used for personal communication, courtship, and mimicking the sounds of nature.
morin khuur
Mongolia, Russia (Buryatia, Kalmykia) a two-stringed bowed lute with a carved horse-head scroll and a trapezoidal body, used in traditional nomadic songs, storytelling, and spiritual rituals.
omnichord
Japan, United States, United Kingdom an electronic accompaniment instrument with a touch-sensitive strumplate and chord buttons that allow users to trigger synthetic arpeggios and rhythmic backing tracks, used in indie pop, lo-fi, and experimental music.
pipa
China, Macau a four-stringed, pear-shaped instrument with a shallow wooden body, used in ancient court music, modern avant-garde compositions, and film scores
sanxian
China a long-necked, three-stringed lute with a fretless fingerboard and a rounded rectangular body covered in python skin, used in traditional ensemble music, opera accompaniment, Suzhou pingtan and northern shushuo, ballad singing, and solo folk performance.
tibetan singing bowls
Tibet, Nepal, India, Bhutan bowl-shaped, bell-like instruments that produce sustained, harmonic vibrations when struck or rubbed with a mallet, used in sound therapy, meditation, and spiritual ceremonies to promote relaxation and mindfulness.
yueqin
China, Taiwan a round-bodied, plucked string instrument with a short fretted neck and four strings tuned in pairs, used in Beijing opera, folk ensembles, and chamber music.
bendir
Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt a circular frame drum with a wooden rim, a skin head, and internal snares,used in folk, traditional, celebration music, and spiritual Sufi rituals.
darbuka
Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Morocco, Tunisia a goblet-shaped hand drum with a single head, used in belly dance, folk celebrations, and Middle Eastern pop music.
sagat
Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria a pair of small, circular brass finger cymbals worn on each hand each hand, used in belly dance performances, Levantine cabaret, and Egyptian folk music, traditional percussion ensembles, and modern fusion music.
santur
Iran, Iraq a trapezoidal hammered dulcimer with 72 or more metal strings stretched over small wooden bridges that are struck with lightweight wooden mallets, used in classical art music and modal improvisations.
setar
Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan a long-necked lute with a pear-shaped body, fingerboard with 25 to 28 movable frets, and four strings, used in Persian classical music, prized for its intimacy and its ability to convey deep "hal" (a state of musical ecstasy).
tar
Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia a long-necked, plucked string instrument with a figure-eight shaped body covered in a stretched membrane, which plays the main melodic line, used in Persian classical music and Azerbaijani folk music.
tombak
Iran a goblet-shaped wooden drum, covered with goatskin, used in Persian classical and contemporary music.
ankle rattle
Worldwide, United States (Native American), Mexico a percussion instrument worn around the ankle that produces rhythmic jingling sounds, typically used to accompany dance and ceremonial performances.
appalachian dulcimer
United States (Appalachia) a fretted hourglass-shaped string instrument with three or four strings, laid flat and plucked or strummed with a "noter" (small stick), used in Appalachian folk songs, ballads, and to accompany singing.
autoharp
United States, Germany a fretted zither instrument with chord bars that mute specific strings when pressed, used for easy self-accompaniment in Appalachian folk, "old-time music", country, and bluegrass music
cigar box guitar
United States a simple stringed instrument made from a cigar box resonator and a neck, born out of necessity and resourcefulness, used in blues, jug bands, and the American DIY "maker" movement.
dobro
United States, Canada a wood-bodied acoustic guitar with an internal metal resonator cone that acts as a physical amplifier, used in bluegrass, country, and blues music.
bluegrass mandolin
United States, Canada a small, eight-stringed, pear-shaped instrument, used to play fast melodic lines and rhythmic accompaniment in bluegrass and folk music.
spoons
United States, Ireland, Canada, United Kingdom, Falkland Islands a simple percussion instrument consisting of two ordinary spoons clapped together, used in folk music and jug bands.
turtle shell rattle
United States, Mexico a percussion instrument made from a dried turtle or tortoise shell containing pebbles, corn, or beans, used in accompaniment for dances and ceremonies.
vest frottoir
United States (also called "washboard") a ribbed, metal percussion instrument worn over the shoulders like a vest, played by scraping across the metal surface with spoons, bottle openers, or other implements, used in Cajun and Zydeco music, old time music, and jug bands.
didgeridoo
Australia a long wooden wind instrument traditionally played by Aboriginal people that requires the use of circular breathing to produce a continuous, deep drone, used in ceremonial dance accompaniment, meditation, and contemporary world fusion music, storytelling, ritual music, contemporary world and ambient music.
hawaiian steel guitar
Hawaii, United States, Japan, Australia a type of guitar played with a metal slide and on the lap or on a horizontal stand, used in traditional Hawaiian island melodies, country-western, and blues music.
ipu
Hawaii, French Polynesia/ Tahiti a percussion instrument made from a large dried gourd that is played by striking with the hand or against a padded mat, used in traditional chants and hula dancing.
pū‘ili
Hawaii a percussion instrument made from a length of split bamboo, used in storytelling, hula, and traditional dance movements.
ʻulīʻulī
Hawaii a rattle made from a dried gourd or la'amia fruit filled with seeds or small pebbles, attached to a handle topped with a circular cloth disk fringed with colorful feathers, used in hula dances and traditional Hawaiian chanting.
khim
Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar a trapezoidal hammered dulcimer with metal strings, two rows of bridges played with bamboo beaters, used in classical ensembles, folk music, and meditative compositions.
t'rung
Vietnam a percussion instrument made from a series of varying length bamboo tubes, suspended horizontally and struck with mallets, used in folk music and ceremonial performances in the Central Highlands.
agogô
Brazil, Nigeria, Benin, Togo a percussion instrument with two or more conical metal bells of different sizes connected by a U-shaped handle, which is struck with a wooden stick, used in samba, capoeira, and Candomblé religious practices.
charango
Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile a small, Andean ten-stringed lute made from the shell of an armadillo, used in Andean folk music, carnavalito dances, and nueva canción.
ektara
India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan a one-stringed lute instrument with a skin-covered resonator and a split bamboo neck that is squeezed to vary the string's tension, used in devotional chants, wandering bards, and rhythmic folk songs.
esraj
India, Bangladesh a bowed string instrument with a wooden body, a skin-covered resonator, and a long, fretted neck, used in North Indian classical music, Sikh devotional kirtan, and film scores.
harmonium
India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh a free-reed keyboard instrument that produces sound as air from hand- or foot-operated bellows vibrates metal tongues, used in devotional chanting, folk songs, and various classical traditions.
khamak
India, Bangladesh a plucked friction drum with a small wooden body and a long string attached to a handheld tensioner, producing a "talking" or "boing" sound with sliding pitches, used in Bengali Baul music.
sitar
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal a long-necked plucked string instrument with a large gourd resonator and movable frets, used in Hindustani classical music, Bollywood film scores, world fusion music, and psychedelic rock fusion.
tabla
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal a pair of small, tunable hand drums, where the smaller drum (dayan) plays the treble and the larger drum (bayan) plays the bass, used in Hindustani classical music, Bollywood film scores, and Indian popular music.
ashiko
Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Haiti a tapered hand drum with a rope-tuned animal skin head, use in dance music, community celebrations, folk music, and as a "talking drum" to mimic speech..
caxixi
Brazil, Cuba, Angola, Mozambique, Ghana, Nigeria, Benin a small woven flat-bottomed basket shaker filled with seeds or beads, used in capoeira, samba, and contemporary world music.
mbira
Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia a sophisticated plucked thumb piano with 22 to 28 tuned metal keys fixed to a wooden soundboard, and shells, beads, or bottle caps attached to the soundboard or the "deze", used in Shona spiritual ceremonies (Bira ceremony) and social storytelling.
talking drum
Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Gambia an hourglass-shaped, double-headed drum with tension cords running between the two heads the player to squeezes with their arm to change the drum's pitch and mimic the tonality of West African languages, used in griot storytelling and traditional ceremonial music.
udu
Nigeria a large clay pot with two holes (a main opening and a side hole), which produces a deep, resonant, water-like bass sound when the larger opening is quickly struck with the palm, used in ceremonial music and world fusion music.
hand pan
Switzerland, United States, Germany, France, Worldwide a convex steel percussion instrument played with the hands, used in ambient, world, and meditative music.
keytar
United States, Worldwide (Popular Music) a portable synthesizer or MIDI controller shaped like a guitar with a piano-like keyboard and a neck with expressive controls, used in Synth-pop, New Wave, Glam Rock, Funk, and modern Electronic Dance Music (EDM).
minimoog
United States United Kingdom, Germany, Japan an analog monophonic synthesizer with three oscillators and a "ladder" filter to produce a powerful, warm sound, used in progressive rock, jazz fusion, funk, and electronic music.
ocean drum
United States, Worldwide a circular frame drum containing small metal beads or seeds that create a washing, wave-like sound when tilted or shaken, used in ambient soundscapes, meditation, and therapeutic relaxation.
sampler-based groovebox
Worldwide (Popular Music) an all-in-one electronic instrument that allows musicians to sequence, sample, and manipulate sounds for genres like hip-hop, EDM, experimental music, and live electronic performance.
theramin
Russia, United States an early electronic instrument that uses two antennae to allow the player to control pitch and volume simply by moving their hands in the air without touching the device, used in horror film scores, avant-garde classical compositions, and psychedelic rock.
vocoder
United States, Worldwide an electronic device or software effect that analyzes the spectral content of the human voice and imposes that content onto a synthesizer or organ (called the carrier)to create robotic, singing-synthesizer voice effects, used in electronic dance music, funk, pop, and film soundtracks.
waterphone
United States, Worldwide a modern, acoustic idiophone made of a stainless steel resonator bowl containing water and surrounded by bronze rods, played by bowing or striking the rods while tilting the instrument to use the shifting water to create unsettling, pitch-bending sounds, used in film scores, particularly horror film scores.
bodhrán
Ireland, Canada (Newfoundland), Falkland Islands a circular frame drum played with the hands or a double-headed wooden mallet called a tipper, used in folk, traditional ensemble music, and lively dance tunes.
bouzouki
Greece, Cyprus a long-necked, pear-shaped lute with a round bowl back and metal strings, used in greek urban folk music (rebetiko).
castanets
Spain, Andorra, Gibraltar, Wordwide (Western Classical) a pair of concave shells made of hardwood joined by a string that produces a sharp, rhythmic clicking when struck together, used in flamenco, classical Spanish ballet (Escuela Bolera), and orchestral "Spanish-style" compositions.
celtic harp
Ireland, Scotland, Wales a small, triangular frame harp that serves as a symbol of Gaelic heritage, used in traditional folk performance sessions, folk-rock, and cultural ceremonies.
concertina
Germany, United Kingdom, Ireland, United States, South Africa a portable, bellows-driven free-reed instrument with buttons on both ends, used in folk dance accompaniment, folk ensemble performances, and maritime sea shanties.
kantele
Finland, Karelia region (Finland/Russia) a plucked box zither with a trapezoidal wooden body and varying numbers of strings, used for ancient epic storytelling, traditional folk dances, and modern experimental music.
talharpa
Estonia, Sweden a bowed lyre with a rectangular wooden frame and three or four strings, used in Scandinavian folk music.
uillean pipes
Ireland, United Kingdom a sophisticated set of bellows-blown bagpipes with a two-octave chromatic scale chanter and "regulators" that allow the player to provide their own rhythmic chordal accompaniment, used in traditional Irish folk music.