The sitar is a plucked stringed instrument. It uses sympathetic strings along with a long hollow neck and a gourd resonating chamber to produce a very rich sound with complex harmonic resonance.  Predominantly used in Hindustani classical, sitar has been ubiquitous in Hindustani classical music since the Middle Ages. This instrument is used throughout the Indian subcontinent, particularly in Northern India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. It was also used in popular American jazz in the 1950's.

The tabla is a popular North Indian percussion instrument used in the classical, popular and religious music of the Indian subcontinent and in Hindustani classical music. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres. The smaller drum, played with the dominant hand, is sometimes called dayan but is correctly called the "tabla." The larger drum, played with the other hand, is called bāyāñ. The playing technique for both drums involves extensive use of the fingers and palms in various configurations to create a wide variety of different sounds; these are reflected in the mnemonic syllables (bol).