Yanggum – Hammered dulcimer. Korea.
Yaogu – Temple or flower drum. China.
Yaraki – One of the aboriginal names for the didjeridu. Australia.
Yataga – A 13-stringed Mongolian and Buryat plucked zither constructed as a box with a convex rectangular surface and an end bent towards the ground. The yataga resembles an elongated harp laid on its side. It is usually made from different types of wood: the top is made of spruce, the bottom of pine, the frame of the instrument is made of birch. The back has three sound holes to ensure a long and powerful tone. Thirteen strings are stretched along the entire top, each resting on a separate, movable wooden bridge. The instrument is held on the knees of the player or rested on a table. The strings are plucked with the pads of the fingers. The right hand is the leading hand, playing melodies and arpeggios, while the left mainly serves to bend the notes and create vibratos.
The most ancient type of yataga was a box hollowed out of wood in one piece. The strings were made of long veins and the movable bridges were carved from sheep’s bones. Traditionally, the yataga is played while sitting cross-legged, with the ‘playing end’ on the knees and the other end on the floor. The instrument can also be placed on a stand. Similar instruments are known in China (guzheng), Japan (koto) and South Korea (gayageum). Also known as yatga. (source: Buryat band Namgar)
Yidaki – One of the aboriginal names for the didjeridu. Australia.
Yoik – Sami form of unaccompanied solo singing. Sweden and Norway.
Yotsutake – Bamboo castanets. Japan.
Yueqin– Moon-shaped lute, also known as sixian, moon lute, Chinese lute, moon guitar, or moon violin.
Yuka – Long vertical cylindrical drums of Congolese origin. Cuba.
Yun-lo – As set of ten small tuned gongs of different pitches suspended in a wooden frame. Also known as cloud gong. China.
