Drums: Some are made entirely of wood while others have animal skin membranes. These vary from small drums held in the arms to others which are either heavy or tall. These are planted on the ground while being played.
Horns: There are various sizes of these instruments, mostly made of animal horns such as the Kudu and cattle and one made of an elephant tusk. There are also metal and wooden horns which vary in size up to around 60cm.
Pipes: These are made of various lengths of reeds from a few cm up to around 25cm.
String instruments: These are made of wood and animal fibres are used for strings. Some of them have animal skin membranes and strings consisting of various fibres such as animal material or grasses. They vary in size from hand held ones to the large kora which has to be placed on a mount while being played.
Mbiras: These consist of wood, iron, calabashes. They are in various sizes from small hand held ones to others which must be placed on the lap when being played. The sizes vary from a few centimetres up to around 40 cm. Some have heights of up to around 15 cm.
Bells: These are made of iron. The sizes vary from being small ones which are placed around the fingers to others big in size which are held with one hand while the other hand strikes the bell with a stick.
Zithers: Consisting of troughs carved out of wood over which strings of various lengths are tied. They vary in length and height from around 50cm to the one from Madagascar being more than a metre.
Marimbas: They are made of wood and calabashes. The sizes vary from the timbilas which one can carry around the waist. These are more than a metre in length. The other one from Uganda is a few metres in length, has heavy keys and has to be placed on the ground when played.
Flutes: Animal horns, reeds. Sizes vary from reed pipes which are handheld to large trumpets made of horns such as an elephant tusk for instance.
