The fingers are used to tap and make sounds that can vary based on how tightly or loosely the strings are maintained. The body of this instrument is made from mango, mulberry or sheesham wood and the heads are covered in goatskin held taut with cords. The Dhad has the hourglass shape of the damroo and but is slightly larger. At the same time, bells attached to its tail jingles. Attached to the head of the squirrel is a cord, which jerks its head up, “producing a sharp click”. This a stick with a squirrel (galad) on top. It accompanies singing, dances and religious activities. This is a shallow one sided drum, round or sometimes octagonal, 18 to 28 cm in diameter and set with rattling discs around the rim- in essence of a tambourine. It is played by women in marriages and religious gatherings. The dholki is a smaller, feminine version of the dhol. The small metal discs called chaene are “attached on the inner side of the tongs so as to strike against each other like small cymbals when the arms of the chimta are struck”. The chimta are similar to tongs and consist of 122 cm long iron strip that is bent in half and adorned with an iron ring set. It is usually played during neutral occasions and mostly by only men. It is thought to have a much more significant value to the artisans such as the blacksmiths or the cobblers. It is a two-sided drum of mango wood, 48 cm long and 38 cm wide and is played using two slightly curved sticks. Resembles much of the construction of a drum.

A continuous flow of air is necessary as the player blows into the two flutes simultaneously. The algoza “consists of two joined beak flutes, one for melody, the second for drone” and the “flutes are either tied together or may be held together loosely with the hands”. The following instruments are the most popular within Punjabi music. The boom of technology also threatened folk music by creating a new genre of music known as Punjabi Pop, which mixed electronic and folk music.

With several notable artists being killed and major festivals being cancelled there was not a space for folk music to exist. Terrorist events in during the late 1980s threatened the existence of Punjabi folk music and the instruments that accompanied this genre. Additionally, the popularity of certain instruments encourages people to continue learning to play them therefore, maintaining their relevance in Punjabi events. The dhol, for example, continues to be popular because it is important to special proceedings such as weddings and sporting events. It is notable that the instruments used today serve a function that exceeds musical necessity in that they are closely tied to Punjabi culture and heritage.

3.2 Short verse forms and entertainment songsĭuring the past century, Punjabi folk musicians used 87 instruments, 55 of which are still used today.

Best punjabi music site