The malay rebab is an upright bowed fiddle that spread through Islam along the Silk Road trade routes from North Africa through Western and Central Asia to Malaysia and Indonesia where it is played in Gamelan ensembles. The malay rebab has two strings and is similar to the erhu of China and sor duang of Thailand. In Gamelan ensembles its …

The Iranian violin, played throughout the Middle East, is the same construction as the Western violin. In the Middle East, the violin is tuned G-D-G-D, while the Western violin is tuned G-D-A-E. The violin is conventionaly played by holding the body under the chin, whereas in the Middle Eastern context the violin is held in the upright position (gamba style).

The Spanish guitar is a member of the guitar family. It is the type typically used in classical music but it is also used in many other musical styles. The spanish guitar has 6 strings which are made from gut or nylon.

The khim is a hammered dulcimer from Thailand related to the Chinese yangqin. It consists of a flat soundbox with wire strings stretched across in sets of three. The string courses are struck with two thin bamboo mallets with soft leather tips. It is used in solo and ensemble contexts.