A percussion instrument which cylindrical body is covered from both sides by leather membranes. It is mentioned many times in Belarusan literature of the 12th-17th centuries.

Andrej Apanovič playing.	Drum by German master Stefan Pitchman, 2008.
A chess piece of a drummer of the 12th c. from Vaŭkavysk.	A fragment of the woodprint "J. K. Chadkievič's coat of arms", Vilnia, 1621.
A fragment of a tapestry of the Radziviłs’ Niaśviž Manufactory, about 1752

A percussion instrument with one membrane. It is mentioned many times in Belarusan literature of the 12th-17th centuries, especially in that of a knightly character.

Siarhiej Tapčeŭski playing.	A drummer of the GDL Army at the picture of 1606. "Rolka Stokholmska" ("Wjazd orszaku slubnego Konstancji Austriaczki i Zygmunta III do Krakowa).
The letter “červ” with the image of a drum, F. Skaryna, Jesus Sirakh’s Book, 16th c.	A drum of Master Siarhiej Smuta

A percussion instrument in the form of a flat brass or bronze disc, suspended vertically by means of 1-2 cords, which is played with beaters or a hand. According to iconographic sources, it is known in Belarus since the 16th c.

A gong by Master Andrej Kapuśnikaŭ, 2005	A demon with a bowl gong, a fragment of a miniature of the Radziviłs’ chronicle "Demons play in Monk Isaiah’s cell, 15th-16th c.
A singer with a bowl gong, a fragment of the miniature "David plays, scribes write, and people blow", Explanatory Psalter, early 16th c., Vilnia School.

The Goblet drum (also Chalice drum, Darbuka, or Doumbek) is a goblet shaped hand drum, a percussion instrument of Arab origin. Prototypes of Goblet drums are known since the times of Neolithic. In Belarus, they are known thanks to the Tartars whom Vitaŭt brought to the GDL in the 15th c.

Goblet drums made in Cyprus and Turkey.	Siarhiej Tapčeŭski playing.
A fragment of the fresco "Christ In Praetorium" of St. Trinity Chapels, 15th c., Lublin, Poland, painted by Belarusan masters under auspices of Artist Andrej	A Neolithic clay Goblet drum, Apatovicy, Poland, reconstruction

The Bagpipe A is a wind reed instrument. Now, under the influence of the Russian language, it is more known as the "volynka" instead of the true Belarusan “duda”. In old Belarusan literature, it is mentioned since the 15th c. The first iconographic sources date back to the 16th c., when bagpipes of a German design spread on the territory of the GDL.

A bagpipe of a German design by Master Todar Kaškurevič, 2007	Źmicier Sasnoŭski playing.
"Rolka Stokholmska" ("Wjazd orszaku slubnego Konstancji Austriaczki i Zygmunta III do Krakowa"). A fragment of an engraving from the book of Swedish traveler Olaus Magnus "History of Northern Peoples", a section dedicated to the GDL, 1555	A bagpiper of the GDL Army at the picture of 1606, "Rolka Stokholmska" ("Wjazd orszaku slubnego Konstancji Austriaczki i Zygmunta III do Krakowa").

The Bagpipe D is a wind reed instrument which consists of a leather bag, a melody pipe (žalejka, pierabor [chanter, pipe]), a drone pipe (huk [sound], bas [bass]), and a pipe to pump air (sapiel [blowpipe]). In old Belarusan literature, it is mentioned since the 15th c.

A bagpipe by Master Todar Kaškurevič, 2005	A bagpipe by Master Todar Kaškurevič, 2005
Źmicier Sasnoŭski playing.	The oldest preserved Belarusan bagpipe, 1872, Lepiel Regional Museum.

The Bagpipe G is a wind reed instrument. In old Belarusan literature, it is mentioned since the 15th c.

A bagpipe by Master Todar Kaškurevič, 2005.	A bagpipe by Master Todar Kaškurevič, 2005
Źmicier Sasnoŭski playing.	“Vilnian Dudar (bagpiper)”, a photo of the late 19th – early 20th c., Belarus’ National History and Culture Museum

The Bagpipe G is a wind reed instrument. In old Belarusan literature, it is mentioned since the 15th c.

A bagpipe by Master Todar Kaškurevič, 2005	Todar Kaškurevič, 2005
Andrej Apanovič playing.	A Belarusan bagpiper of the late 19th – early 20th c.

The helmet-shaped gusli (psaltery) is a multi-string plucked instrument, besides the basic body, it also has an additional resonator – akryłak / kryło. For the first time, it is mentioned in Belarus in the 12th century in Kiryła Turaŭski's works.

A helmet-shaped psaltery from Latgalia by Master Donats Vucis A psaltery of the 19th c. from Sebezh Povet (District) of Vitebsk Gubernia (Region), E. Romanov's ethnographic collection.
Aleś Čumakoŭ playing.	"Belarusan psaltery player (guslar, huślar)", a drawing by N. Pryvałaŭ, 1927

The hurdy gurdy, or hurdy-gurdy (also known as a wheel fiddle; lira karbova, stareckaja skrypka) is a stringed bowed instrument that produces sound by a crank-turned rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. It is known in Belarus since early 17th c. (Nobleman S. Maskievič’s diary, Navahradak, 1611), but indirect sources allow us to believe that it was known here already in the late 16th c. (I. Nazina, Belarusan National Musical Instruments: Stringed. Мinsk, 1982).

Latgalian hurdy gurdy, 20th c., restored by Źmicier Sasnoŭski. "Belarusan Lirnik (hurdy gurdyist)", a drawing by M. Andriolli, 1872
Illa Kublicki playing.
A Belarusan hurdy gurdy of the 16th c., reconstructed by I. Nazina.

The lute is a string plucked instrument with a wooden teardrop-shaped body. According to iconography, the mediaeval lute was known in Belarus since the 15th c. The Italian lute of a Renaissance type spread in Belarus in the 16th c. (thanks to Queen Bona Sforza).

The mediaeval lute by Master Juryj Dubnavicki, 2005.	A fragment of an engraving in A. Sulinski's book "Plausus epithalamicus inter nuptias...", Vilnia, 1644
Illa Kublicki playing.	A fragment of the fresco "Christ In Praetorium" of St. Trinity Chapels, 15th c., Lublin, Poland, painted by Belarusan masters under auspices of Artist Andrej

The rebec is a stringed bowed instrument with a teardrop-shaped body and 3-4 strings. According to iconographic sources, it is known in Belarus since the 15th c.

A rebec by Master Valeryj Zinkievič, 2007	A fragment of the fresco "Christ In Praetorium" of St. Trinity Chapels, 15th c., Lublin, Poland, painted by Belarusan masters under auspices of Artist Andrej
Aleś Čumakoŭ playing.	A fragment of the miniature "David plays, scribes write, and people blow", Explanatory Psalter, early 16th c., Vilnia School.

The tromba marina is a bass one-string bowed instrument of West European origin with a triangular body. There are no precise iconographic sources in Belarus, but there are images of closely related instruments – hudok (gudok) and basetla (a folk instrument similar to the violoncello).

A tromba marina by Master Valeryj Zinkievič.	A musician plays the hudok, a fragment of the miniature "David plays, scribes write, and people blow", Explanatory Psalter, early 16th c., Vilnia School.
Aleś Čumakoŭ playing.	A musician plays the basetla, a fragment of the Belarusan icon of the 18th c. “The Virgin Mary with a choir of angels”.

The cittern D is a stringed plucked instrument of a lute group. It differs from the lute by its longer fingerboard, flat back sounding-board, and a less number of strings.

A cittern by Master Siarhiej Smuta, 2006	Frescos of St. Sofia Cathedral in Kyiv, the South-Western Tower, the wall of the circular corridor with stairs, 11th c.
Illa Kublicki playing.	A fragment of the miniature "David plays, scribes write, and people blow", Explanatory Psalter, early 16th c., Vilnia School.

The cittern G is a stringed plucked instrument of a lute group.

A cittern by Master Siarhiej Smuta, 2006	A fragment of the engraving "March" by A. Tarasievič, an illustration to Mareszałek’s book "Rosarium et officium B. Mariae Virginis …". Vilnia, 17th c.
Illa Kublicki playing.