SUSHIR VADYA

These are wind instruments. Sound is produced primarily by causing a body of air to vibrate, without the use of strings or membrane and without the vibration of the instrument itself adding considerably to the sound. The tonal quality of these instruments depends on the size and shape of the tube used. They are capable of producing loud and voluminous sound, from deep bass to piercing shrill notes. They are hollow instruments where the wind is the producer of sound. The pitch of the note is controlled using fingers to open and close the holes in the instrument. The Shehnai is a popular wind instrument in India. These can be further classified by mode of playing:

• the wind is supplied mechanically such as in harmonium
• the wind is supplied by the breath in shehnai or flute (mouth-blown).