Reviews, guides and buying advice for folk and world instruments including banjo, mandolin, bouzouki, sitar, djembe and steel pan for UK players.
- 62 topics
- 275 articles
Inside Folk & World Instruments
All 62 topicsThe 12 most-searched of 62 topics. The full index is at the foot of the page.
Ukulele
Popular portable instrument with a bright sound and several sizes for folk and acoustic playing.
14 topics
Mandolin
Mandolin instruments deliver a bright, ringing tone with strong folk and acoustic appeal across many styles.
2 topics
Harmonica
Harmonicas are compact, expressive instruments ideal for folk, blues and acoustic performance.
Banjo
The banjo offers bright, rhythmic attack and wide stylistic range across folk, bluegrass and traditional acoustic music.
3 topics
Accordion
The accordion is a versatile folk instrument with rich tone, expressive bellows and many layouts for traditional and mod...
2 topics
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are powerful traditional instruments with strong regional identities, used across Scottish, Irish and wider fol...
Sitar
Iconic South Asian plucked instrument with ringing resonance, bends and rich sympathetic strings.
1 topic
Ocarina
Compact vessel flute with a clear, haunting tone and simple, portable appeal.
Didgeridoo
Resonant Australian drone instrument with powerful sustained tone, circular breathing and distinctive rhythmic effects.
1 topic
Erhu
The erhu is a distinctive two-string bowed instrument valued for its lyrical, expressive sound.
Harp
Harps offer resonant, expressive sound for folk, classical and contemporary acoustic playing.
3 topics
Melodica
Melodica instruments are compact keyboard wind instruments with a clear, expressive tone for learning and performance.
2 topicsArticles on Folk & World Instruments
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Darbuka for Beginners: A Complete Guide
A genuinely welcoming instrument to start on — here's exactly how to begin with your first darbuka, from holding it to your first dum and tek.
A Guide to Lap Harp
Common Erhu Mistakes to Avoid
Most erhu trouble isn't a lack of talent, it's a handful of small habits working against the instrument. Here are the ones that come up most often.
Makala Ukulele: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Buying a Makala ukulele is one of the simpler instrument decisions available. This buyer's guide covers size, model, starter packs, and what to check when the instrument arrives.
Tabla Drumming for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Nobody's first year on tabla sounds like music, and that's meant kindly. Here's where the tradition actually wants you to start.
Ocarina: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Before you buy an ocarina, know what actually matters: tuning, hole count, material and fingering — and the warning signs worth walking away from.
Banjo Ukulele: A Complete Buyer's Guide
The market is smaller than for conventional ukuleles, which means fewer choices but also less confusion. Here's what to look for and which brands are worth your money.
Bass Ukulele Explained: Features, Types and Tips
A compact instrument with a big musical role — this guide covers everything you need to know about the bass ukulele, from its origins and types to strings, amplification and whether it suits your play...
Jaw Harp: A Complete Buyer's Guide
From toy shop novelties to precision handmade instruments — what to look for in tongue quality, frame alignment and materials, and what to spend at each level.
Bagpipes for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Bagpipes ask for patience, physical conditioning and proper guidance. Here is a gentle, step-by-step guide to getting started the right way.
Harp: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Lever or pedal, new or used, nylon or gut — a patient, unhurried walk through everything worth checking before you commit to your first harp.
Singing Bowl for Beginners: A Complete Guide
A squeaky first attempt doesn't mean you're doing it wrong. Here's a patient, step-by-step guide to actually playing a singing bowl.
The Best Autoharps for the Money
There's no single best autoharp, only the right one for the music you want to make. Here's an honest tier-by-tier map of the market instead of a fake top-five list.
Common Makala Ukulele Mistakes to Avoid
The Makala ukulele is forgiving, but consistent mistakes slow progress and make the instrument harder than it needs to be. Here is what to watch for and how to correct it.
Erhu Explained: Features, Types and Tips
The erhu is China's best-known bowed instrument — a two-stringed, fingerboard-free fiddle with a voice closer to singing than playing. Here's how it's built and why it sounds the way it does.
Celtic Harp for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Persistent resonance is the first thing to understand about the harp. Get damping right and the rest of the instrument follows naturally.
The Best Blues Music Artists to Know
This is the tradition's real cast list — the names that shaped Delta, Piedmont, Chicago and electric guitar blues, one region at a time.
Concert Lighting: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Before you buy any lighting gear, work out what your venues actually need — this guide walks through fixtures, control and the details that matter most.
The Best Piano Accordions for the Money
The right accordion is not the most expensive one — it is the one that suits your size requirements and playing context. Here is an honest account of what each budget tier actually provides.
Beginner Ukulele: A Complete Buyer's Guide
The ukulele market has improved considerably — the challenge now is knowing which qualities actually matter and which are marketing noise.
Common Blues Harmonica Mistakes to Avoid
A handful of persistent habits hold most blues harmonica players back early on. This guide identifies the most common mistakes — from using too much air pressure to ignoring cross harp — and explains...
How to Set Up and Use Fender Ukulele
From unboxing to first chord — here's the full first-session walkthrough for getting your ukulele ready to play.
The Best Celtic Harps for the Money
Value in the lever harp market comes from matching instrument capability to actual use. Here is how the field breaks down by price level.
What Folk & World Instruments Covers
This category brings together an extraordinarily diverse range of acoustic and traditional instruments from British roots music and global traditions. From the Irish bouzouki to the West African djembe, this category is home to the instruments that carry the musical identities of cultures across every continent — and it has never been more accessible to UK players wanting to explore beyond the mainstream.
Acoustic Folk Instruments for UK Players
The category includes much-loved British and Celtic staples: the five-string banjo used in clawhammer and bluegrass styles, the mandolin beloved in Irish and Americana sessions, the Greek-rooted bouzouki adopted into Irish traditional music, and the ukulele, whose popularity in the UK has grown steadily for over a decade. Folk guitars — typically steel-string acoustics from brands such as Tanglewood, Alvarez, and Sigma — sit alongside resonator guitars, harmonicas, and fiddles to complete the acoustic picture. Whether you're joining a weekly session at a local pub or exploring American old-time music at home, there is an instrument here to suit every interest.
World Instruments and Global Traditions
Beyond European folk, this section reaches into North Indian classical music with the sitar and tabla, West African percussion with the djembe and kora, and Caribbean rhythms with the steel pan. These instruments introduce entirely different playing approaches, tuning systems, and rhythmic languages. UK buyers should seek out reputable specialist retailers or makers — quality varies widely, and a poorly set-up sitar or an unresponsive djembe head can make learning unnecessarily difficult. Hobgoblin Music and dedicated Indian and world music suppliers are well-regarded starting points.
Getting Started: Beginner Considerations
Choosing your first folk & world instruments entry point starts with identifying the music you love. Budget realistically — a playable banjo from Barnes & Mullins or Ozark costs from around £100 to £300 new, while quality sitars and koras range higher. Prioritise comfortable action and reliable tuning over cosmetics. Ukulele remains the most accessible starting point, while tabla, sitar, and kora benefit from specialist tuition from the outset. Always budget for a case, spare strings or heads, and a clip-on tuner.
Brands and Where to Buy in the UK
The UK market is well-served by specialist retailers alongside the major online players. Brands including Deering, Epiphone, Mahalo, and Ozark cover the folk end of the spectrum, while specialist importers and luthiers handle higher-end world instruments. Buying from a dedicated music retailer — rather than a general marketplace — provides better quality control, proper setup, and access to after-sales support that makes a real difference for beginners and experienced players alike.
