# List of Asian folk music traditions

This is a list of Asian folk music traditions, with styles, dances, instruments and other related topics. The term folk music can not be easily defined in a precise manner; it definitions depending on the author,ended audience and context within a work. Similarly, the term traditions in this context does not connote any strictly-defined criteria. Music scholars, journalists, audiences, record industry individuals, politicians, nationalists and demagogues may often have occasion to address which fields of folk music are distinct traditions based along racial, geographic, linguistic, religious, tribal or ethnic lines, and all such peoples will likely use different criteria to decide what constitutes a "folk music tradition". This list uses the same general categories used by mainstream, primarily English-language, scholarly sources, as determined by relevant statements of fact and the internal structure of works.
These traditions may coincide entirely, partially or not at all with geographic, political, linguistic or cultural boundaries. Very few, if any, music scholars would claim that there are any folk music traditions that can be considered specific to a distinct group of people and with characteristics undiluted by contact with the music of other peoples; thus, the folk music traditions described herein overlap in varying degrees with each other.

## Central and Northern Asia

* A doshpuluur, a traditional Tuvan instrument
* Traditional Uzbek music and dance
* A Turkish mandolin-banjo
* A Turkish baglama
* A Turkish cümbüş
| Country | Elements | Dance | Instrumentation | Other topics |
| Armenian | ashoug | kochare - shalako | dhol - duduk - k’anon - kemancha - sring - shvi - tar - zurna | |
| Azeri | ashiq - mugam | | balaban - daf - gopuz - kemanche - tanbur - tar - tulum-zurna | |
| Kazakh | akyn - kui | | dombra - kobyz - rubab - sybyzgy - tanbur - temir komuz | |
| Kyrgyz | kui - manaschi | | chopo choor - komuz - kyl kyyak - tanbur - temir komuz | Manas |
| Mongolian | bangnadyr - bogino-duu - borbannadir - duulah - epic song - ger - häälah - holboo - aman huur - magtel - türleg - urtyn duu - throat-singing: isgeree - karkhiraa - khöömii | garuda | dörvon chihtei huur - flute - khuuchir - igil - ikil - khel khuur - limbe - morin khuur - pyzanchy - shanz - tsuur - toshpulur - yatga | üliger - Ge-sar |
| Tajik | falak - shashmaqam | | dutar - gidjak - setar - tanbur | |
| Turkish | bozlak - koşma - türkü - uzun hava | çiftetelli – halay – horon – karsilama – köçek oyunu – semah – sword dance – zeybek kasap havası - hora - | Çığırtma - davul - darbuka - kabak kemane - kaval - kemençe - mey - ney - kanun - saz - sipsi - tar - tulum - zurna | dastan - Dede Korkut - Huseni - ashik – chengi – köçekce |
| Turkmen | bakshy - mukamlar | | dili tuiduk - dutar - gargy-tuiduk - tanbur - tuiduk | |
| Tuvan | throat singing: khoomei - khorekteer - sygyt - kargyraa | | byzaanchy - chanzy - doshpuluur - igil - khomus - shoor - topshur | |
| Uighur | on ikki muqam - sanam | | dap - dotar - kanun - ney - satar - surnei - tambur | |
| Uzbek | shashmaqam | | chang - doira - dombra - dutar - karnay - gidjak - nay - rubab - sato - surnay - tanbur - ud | |
| Yakut | olonkho | | khomus | |

## South Asia

* The tabla, an Indian drum
| Country | Elements | Dance | Instrumentation | Other topics |
| Afghani / Pashto | badala - charbeta - klasik - loba - mursia - neemakai - rowzeh - rubayi - shaan - tappas | attan - khattak - zahir mashohil | dayra - dilruba - dohol - dombura - dutar - ghichak - harmonium - rubab - sitar - sorna - tabla - tambur - zerbaghali | |
| Baluchi | | Do-Chapi - lewa | chang - dohol - ney - saz - sorud - surna - suroz - tanburag - tanbur - tar | |
| Baul | | | dotara (lute) - ektara - khamak (pitched drum) - napur (ankle rattle) | |
| Garo | | | horsehair fiddle - trumpet | |
| Gujarati | dandiya | | | |
| Kashmiri | | | sarangi | |
| Kerala | chenda melam - keli - Kuzhal Pattu - paandi melam - tayambaka | | chenda (barrel drum) - kombu) - kuzhal - maddalam (barrel drum) | |
| Manipuri | | | Dhon Dholok Cholom - Pung Cholak - Rasa Lila - Sita Harana | |
| Maria | | bison-horn dance - wedding dance | drum - flute | |
| Mru | | | plung | |
| Nepalese | panchai baja | | arbajo - barrel drum - jaw harp - kettle drum - maadal - sarangi - shawm | gaine - damai |
| Newari | caca - Dapha - Gunla Bajan - jogi - malasri - | Lakhey - Pulukishi - Jyapu Pyaakhan | barrel drum - Dhime - flute - nava dapha - naykhin - shawm - Bhusyaa | bisket jatra |
| Punjabi | bhangra - dafjan - giddha | bhangra | dhol | |
| Rajasthani | | | bhapang - kamayacha - khatal - harmonium - jantar - murali - pungi - ravanhatha - sarangi - satara - surnai | Bhopa - Jogi - Langa - Manganiyar - Sapera |
| Santal | sohrae | | dhodro banam - phet banam - tamak' - tiriwaw - tumdak' | sohrae |
| Sri Lankan | cantiga - kavi - kaffirinha - kolam - nadagam - nurti - sokari - virindu | bayila - Uda Rata Natum - Pahatha Rata Natum - Sabaragamuwa - Leekeli | geta beraya - hakgediya - horanawa - raban - ravanahatha - thalampata - udákkiya | |
| Tamil Nadu / Ancient Tamil music | urumee melam - Nayandi melam - gaana | Dappan kuthu - Kummi - Kolattam -Kavadi attam- Poikkal Kudirai (dummy horse dance) - Mayil Attam (peacock dance) - Puli Attam (tiger dance) | Urumee - Thavil - Tharrai Thappatai drum - tambourine - Nadaswaram - pullanguzhal (Carnatic flute) - Yaazh | |
| Uttar Pradesh | kajaris | charkula | | |

## Southeast Asia

| Country | Elements | Dance | Instrumentation | Other topics |
| Batak | gendan keteng-keteng - gendang lima sedalanen - gondang | | bonang - garantung - gendang - gordang - hasapi - hesek - kendbang - keteng-keteng - kulcapi - mangkuk - ogung - taganing - trompong - sulim - sarune | |
| Burmese | byaw - mahagita - hsaing waing | | hne - migyaung - palwe - pattala - pat waing - saung gauk | nat pwe |
| Dayak | | | gong | |
| Filipino | kulintang - agung - rondalla - kundiman - gangsa - laji - gabbang tahta - luguh - lelling - kalangan - saunay | singkil - pangalay bumayah - tinikling - janggay - asik - itik-itik - binasuan sublian - maglalatik banog salisid kadal tahaw - kadal blelah - karatong pagapir - kapa malong malong | kulintang - agung - dabakan - kutiyapi - sarunai - suling - kubing - gangsa - guitar - biyula - gabbang - kubing - hegelung - violin - cello - octavina - rondalla - kendang - gambus | |
| Hmong | gaeng | | lusheng | |
| Indonesian | ketuk tilu - kroncong - langgam jawa | ronggeng - tapanuli ogong | agung - angklung - bedug - bonang - cak - calung - cekuntrung - cuk - cello - celumpung - gangsa - genggong - gong - guitar - kacapi - karinding - kecer - kecrek - kempul - kemanak - kendang - kepyak - ketuk - kongahyan - kulintang - mirwas - moko - qanbūs - rebab - rebana - reyong - ronggeng - saluang - sasando - slentho - suling - talempong - ugal - violin | komedi stambul - pelog |
| Karen | | | flute - gong - xylophone - zither | |
| Khmer | jariang - cho-kantrum - ruem-trosh - ayai - kam nap - pleing kar | ramvong | ching - krab - pinpeat - tro | |
| Lao | lam luang - lam phi fa - lam pun - lam tan san - lam tan yao - lam toei - mor khaen - mor lam - mor lam dio - mor lam mu - mor lam pee fah - sarup - soeng - tet lae - wai khru | lamvong | ching - khaen - khui - phin - ranat - so | |
| Lun Bawang / Orang Ulu | bamboo band | | keluré - sapé | |
| Malaysian | asi - ronggeng - Dikir barat | accordion - joget - zapin | violin - gambus - Gendang - kompang - rebana - Seruling - Serunai - Biola - Rebab - Beduk - Gedombak - Geduk - Gendang Jawa - Maruas - Jidur - Nahara - Angklung - Bonang - cak lempong - Canang - Pipa - YangQin - Sheng - erhu - Sitar - tampura - venna - dholo | |
| Thai | bong lang - lam tad - likay - nang taloon - pii klong - pleng choi | fon - ramwong | angklung - grajabpi - jakhe - khaen - khim - khlui - krap - phin - pi - piphat - pong lang - ranat - sueng - wot | Ngan Wat |
| Vietnamese | ca tru - hat - hat chau van - hat cheo - hat noi - hat tuong - hò - gui thu - nhac dan toc cai bien - nhac tai tu - quan ho - Water puppetry | fan dance - múa nón (hat dance) - múa bài bông (lotus dance) - lantern dance - flag dance - platter dance - candle dance - incense dance | đàn bầu - đàn đáy - đàn nguyệt - đàn tranh - đàn hồ - đàn nhị - đàn tam - đàn tứ - đàn gáo - đàn tỳ bà - đàn sến - đàn tam thập lục - kèn - sáo - tiêu - phách - sênh tiền - trống cơm - trống cái - trống đế - tơ rưng | |

## East Asia

| Country | Elements | Dance | Instrumentation | Other topics |
| Ainu | rekuhkara - upopo - yukar | bear ceremony | Ainu fiddle - mukkuri - pararayki - tonkori | |
| China | Chinese opera - chuigushou - Guandong - jiangnan sizhu - nanguan | | banhu - bawu - dizi - erhu - gaohu - gong - guan - guqin - guzheng - huqin - konghou - mangtong - pipa - ruan - sheng - suona - xiao - xindi - xun - yangqin - zhonghu - zhongruan | shijing - yuefu |
| Japan | | | biwa - koto - shakuhachi - shamisen - taiko | |
| Korea | chongak - jeongak - nongak - pansori - pungmul - salpuri - sanjo - sinawi - | | ajaeng - buk - daegeum - danso - gayageum - geomungo - haegeum - janggu - piri - taepyeongso | |
| Ryukyuan/ Okinawan | koten - min'yō - uzagaku - warabe uta - yunta | eisā - kachāshī | fue - hyōshigi - kūchō - kutu - pāranku - sanba - sanshin | |
| Tibetan | hua'er - lhamo - lu | sword dance | dramnyen - dung chen - gyümang - lingbu - piwang - rag-dung - rgya-gling | Ge-sar - Gelgpa |
| Yunnan | baisha xiyue - dongjing - | lezuo | bawu - hulusi - hulusheng - lusheng - mabu - tuhu | |