Hurdy-gurdy
Viola da Gamba
Harp
Bagpipes
Quanoun / kanoun
Bouzouki

Oud
Darbouka
Daf / Def
Guittern
Chifonie
Clari (traditional oboe)

This instrument belong the bowed string family notwithstanding that the bow is replaced by a rosined wheel forming what might be regarded as a never-ending bow. It made its appearance around the XII century in the form of the Orgasnistrum. This was played by two people, one activating the keys and the other turning the wheel. It was used to accompany liturgical chant before its replacement by the organ. In the XIIIth century, it evolved into the Symphonia and the same musician could depress the keys and work the wheel. It was used in composed music ( accessible to a cultured elite). In the XIVth century a rocking bridge was added, variously called the dog, the toad or the cicador ( on the trompet. The same mechanism is found in the Tromba Marina. Known throughout Europe, the Hurdy-Gurdy can traced in Galicia, the Ukraine, Hungary, Northern Italy, England, Gascony, Auvergne and many other places besides.

The Hurdy-Gurdy replaced the the lute in the Baroque era. Many a noble demoiselle took the art of the instrument to a high level of refinement until the XVIIIth century. It stayed in the use for traditional music after the French Revolution and with the traditional music revival movement of the 1970.

Link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurdy-Gurdy

The Viola da Gamba derives from the Rebab, imported into Spain by the Moors around the VIII century. It is the emblematic instrument of Renaissance even though it had reached its full glory wide XVth century in Italy and Spain.

The instrument exists in the variety of sizes; the Treble, Tenor and Bass. Its use was Widespread throughout the whole of Europe until the French Revolution, at which time it was superseded by the Cello. The late XXth century saw its rediscovery through the prevailing interest in period instruments.

The repertoire, performed on Consorts (Groups of two to seven musicians in different combinations) is essentially polyphonic; Motets, Madrigals and Songs.

Link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viola_da_gamba

The open-strings instrument has existed since the remotest antiquity . All systems of tuning are available, leaving free range to the voice and paving the way towards polyphony.

Representations can be found in ancient Persian sculptures. Its use has continued uninterrupted until modern times, in popular as in formal music. There are two types of harps whose history runs through the whole mediaeval period: the one-foot harp, a development of the heptachord with a range of one octave and a bigger harp of about two octaves as well as some bourdons and boasting 17 to 21 strings.

Link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harp

This instrument belong to the continuously blown family. It was known as far back as Greek and Roman times. Since the middle Ages and until nowadays it has been used principally in Europe, albeitst with the exception of Tunisia. With the harp it the most often depicted instrument in ancient manuscripts. This popular- music -par -excellence instrument assumed a particularly elaborate form in Baroque Tunes as the courtly Musette or the Uillean Pipes in Ireland. The instrument attained its golden age in Renaissance which firmly re-established it all over Europe. Although used for ceremonial occasions in the Middle Ages, the Church considered it in the XV and XVIth centuries as having diabolical overtones.

Link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagpipes

Belonging to the family of instruments including the Psaltery, the Zither, the Persian Santour and the Cymbalom (In contrast to the instruments named here, the quanoun's "soundboard" is a stretched skin membrane. The levers referred to also permit quarter-tone intervals) , this is plucked strings instrument. The player puts a ring on each index finger in which is fixed a plectrum, or Mandnotz and which impinges on the strings. It is known from archaeological reseach that the Quanoun has existed for a long period of time in Armenia and is now widespread throughout the Arab world. The form is a right angled trapezium with the strings running on the axis of the long and short parallel sides. There are 75 strings, disposed in groups of three and tuned diatonically. The mode can changed by deploying levers, variously referred to as Pornag or Mandal, whose use, in common to those of the harp of the Western world, is for shortening the strings by predetermined amount.

Link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanun_%28Instrument%29

Link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouzouki

After making its appearance with the Arabo-Andaloucian civilisation, its form underwent several evolutions in the Middle Ages. It's the best-known successors are the Vihuela and the Renaissance Lute, together with a plethora of Githerns, Mandolas, and the Guitar as we know it.

Link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oud

Here we have a percussion instrument from the membranophone family, very widespread from the Middle East to North Africa. Notwithstanding, illustrations exist in the European Mediaeval iconography in the form of chalice-shaped drums. The Darbouka has been traced back into antiquity, 1000 years B.C . The shell can be either terra-cotta or wood, its original form and covered with sheep, goat or fish-skin. Nowadays the shell is metal with a synthetic skin, offering greater power and improved stability.

Link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darbouka

This hand-percussion instrument has a deep-toned sound well-suited to accenting beats and is found in Eurasia and all the way the the far East. Illustrations abound in Mediaeval prints, which goes for a variety of different frame-drums, with or without small cymbals attached.

Link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daf

Link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gittern

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