| Name | Image | Tradition | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jal Tarang |  | India | The jal tarang (or jaltarang, jal-tarang, jal-yantra, jalatarangam) is an ancient musical instrument. It is rarely seen or heard, even though the gentle tinkle of its unique sound is quite pleasing. Literally Jaltarang means "waves in water" but indicates motion of sound created or modified with the aid of water. Cups, of varying sizes were made of either bronze or porcelain. Today only China bowls are preferred by artistes, numbering around sixteen in normal use. |
| Janggu |  | Korea | The janggu is the representative instrument for jangdan which refers to various rhythmic units among the Korean drum family. It is widely used as a principle rhythmic percussion instrument in not only Aak and jeong-ak, but also in sock-ak. It is also used in accompaniment of Korean dances. |
| Jarana |  | Mexico | A jarana is a guitar-shaped fretted stringed instrument from the southern region of the state of Veracruz, Mexico. The strings are usually nylon, although they were gut in the past. The body is somewhat narrower in proportion to a guitar; this is due to its direct lineage from the Spanish baroque guitar of the sixteenth century. Sometimes mistaken for a ukulele, the jarana jarocha comes in at least four sizes, the smallest being the 'mosquito', about the size of a soprano ukulele; the 'primera', about the size of a concert ukulele; the 'segunda', in length between a tenor and a baritone ukulele; and the 'tercera', which is somewhat longer than the baritone ukulele. |
| Jembe |  | Senegal | A jembe (or djembe) is a skin covered hand drum, shaped like a large goblet, and meant to be played with bare hands. Jembe is a member of the membranophone family of musical instruments: a frame or shell covered by a membrane or drumhead made of one of many products, usually rawhide. The jembe also has metal rings, rope, and skin. The jembe is an integral part of the West Africa’s musical tradition and culture. It is now popular all over the world. |
| Jhyali |  | Nepal | Jhyali or Jhyalis are traditional percussion instruments from Nepal. They are a pair of round plates (cymbals) made from alloys. They are used in folk as well as classical music in Nepal. |
| Jing |  | Korea | The jing is a gong made of brass and is called by several different names such as the chong, ching, geum, geumna, and na. It is used in various types of Korean traditional music and played with a padded stick. The jing is approximately 37.27 centimeter in diameter and the daegum, a bigger gong, is about 48.48 centimeter. |
| Jing Bangu |  | China | The jing bangu (Jing: Beijing; ban: flat board; gu: drum) leads the percussion section in the instrumental ensemble of the Peking opera. It is also commonly called danpi (single drumhead). The drum's frame is constructed of thick wedges of hard wood glued together in a circle, wrapped with a metal band. Its body is bell mouthed in shape, open at the bottom. Its top surface (C.25cm), covered with a piece of pig or cow-hide, has a small convex central circular opening (about 5 or 6 cm in diameter), which is called the Guxin (drum heart), the actual sounding position. The player strikes on this central area with a pair of bamboo sticks. |
| Jinghu |  | China | The jinghu (京胡) is a Chinese bowed string instrument in the huqin family, used primarily in Beijing opera. It is the smallest and highest pitched instrument in the huqin family. The jinghu has two strings which were formerly made of silk, but in modern times are increasingly made of steel or nylon. |
| Jouhikko |  | Finland | The jouhikko is an ancient, usually three-stringed Finnish bowed lyre, also called jouhikannel. Its strings are traditionally of horsehair. The strings are stopped traditionally by pressing against them with the back of the fingers (the knuckles), as there is no fingerboard to press the strings against, though some players use the nails or the front of the fingers. To touch the melody string the hand is inserted through a hole in the flat wooden board that makes up the top third of the instrument. |
| Jug |  | United States | A jug is a musical instrument when the musician holds the mouth of the jug about an inch from his or her mouth and emits a blast of sound, made by a "buzzing" of the lips, directly into it. The jug does not touch the musician's mouth, but serves as a resonating chamber to amplify and enrich the sound made by the musician's lips. Changes in pitch are controlled by loosening or tightening the lips, and an accomplished jug player might have a two octave range. Some players augment this sound with vocalizations, didgeridoo style, and even circular breathing. |
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