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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Concertina: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Choosing your first concertina feels overwhelming—Anglo or English, new or vintage, how much to spend. This grounded guide cuts through the confusion and helps you find the right instrument.
Chromatic Harmonica: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Format, budget and serviceability are the three questions that decide the right harmonica. Here is how to answer each one before you buy.
The Best Oud Instruments for the Money
No fake tests, just an honest look at what separates student, intermediate and professional ouds, and which suits your tradition and playing.
How to Set Up and Use Jaw Harp
Four steps from picking it up to producing a clear, melodic tone — covering grip, lip position, pluck technique and using the mouth cavity to shape the harmonics.
How to Set Up and Use Tenor Banjo
A properly set-up tenor banjo plays and sounds like a different instrument from one that has not been adjusted — here is how to go through the full setup process from strings to intonation.
Common Concertina Mistakes to Avoid
Learning concertina means making mistakes—but some are easier to avoid than others. Discover the pitfalls that catch beginners and how to sidestep them on your path to mastery.
Ibanez Ukulele: A Complete Guide
Ibanez ukuleles combine Japanese precision, modern design and exceptional playability at competitive prices. This guide covers models, quality and what to expect.
Common Accordion Mistakes to Avoid
Most early-stage problems come from bellows tension, left-hand neglect and skipped maintenance — this guide identifies the four most common errors and how to correct them.
5 String Banjo: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Buying the right five-string banjo comes down to knowing your style first: resonator for bluegrass, open-back for clawhammer and old-time. Everything else follows from that.
Shamisen for Beginners: A Complete Guide
You don't need to master a whole tradition on day one — just your first honest sound. Here's a gentle, step-by-step start on the shamisen.
How to Set Up and Use Button Accordion
Guzheng: A Complete Buyer's Guide
What actually matters when choosing a guzheng, from bridge quality and strings to the questions worth asking before you buy.
The Best Bouzoukis for the Money
There's no single best bouzouki, only the right tier for your music and budget. Here's how the market actually breaks down.
The Best Bagpipes for the Money
From the most recommended student sets to the instruments that professionals choose, here are the specific models worth your money at every price point.
Concert Ukulele Explained: Features, Types and Tips
The concert sits between soprano and tenor in the ukulele family. Here is what the size difference actually means in practice.
Mountain Dulcimer for Beginners: A Complete Guide
The mountain dulcimer is one of the most accessible folk instruments for beginners. Here's how to set up, play your first notes, find good resources, and what to work toward in your first month.
Didgeridoo for Beginners: A Complete Guide
The first drone on a didgeridoo is achievable in minutes. Here's what to buy, how to set up and the order to learn in.
How to Set Up and Use Nose Flute
From first breath to first melody — a detailed, step-by-step guide to setting up and playing the nose flute, including how to fix the most common early problems.
Common Kala Ukulele Mistakes to Avoid
Most common problems with a Kala ukulele are avoidable — this guide covers the eight mistakes beginners make most often and explains exactly how to fix them.
Guzheng Explained: Features, Types and Tips
A shimmering cascade of notes and a note that bends and wavers, the Chinese zither explained properly, from movable bridges to its closest cousins.
Common Balalaika Mistakes to Avoid
Most balalaika mistakes aren't about talent at all. Here are the small, common misunderstandings worth catching early, and how to work with the instrument instead of against it.
A Guide to Baritone Ukulele
The largest common ukulele size, explained properly — its tuning, its history, and the guitar-like sound that sets it apart.
Kala Ukulele: A Complete Buyer's Guide
The right Kala ukulele depends on size, construction and budget — this guide works through each decision in order so you buy the right instrument the first time.
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.
