The Best Folk & World Instruments 2024

Updated On November 27th, 2024

Looking for the best Folk & World Instruments? You aren't short of choices in 2022. The difficult bit is deciding the best Folk & World Instruments for you, but luckily that's where we can help. Based on testing out in the field with reviews, sells etc, we've created this ranked list of the finest Folk & World Instruments.

Rank Product Name Score
1
Personnel: John McCutcheon (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, hammered dulcimers, autoharp); Pete Kennedy (acoustic & electric guitars); Howard Levy (harmonica, piano, organ); Tom Jones (drums, percussion); Leah Kunkel, Toshi Reagan, Michelle Lanchester, Pam Rogers, Vicky Pratt, Debbi MacFarlan (background vocals).

Personnel: John McCutcheon (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, hammered dulcimers, autoharp); Pete Kennedy (acoustic & electric

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2
Solo performer: Mike Seeger (guitar, banjo, banjo ukelele, mandola, dulcimer, autoharp, fiddle, harmonica).

Solo performer: Mike Seeger (guitar, banjo, banjo ukelele, mandola, dulcimer, autoharp, fiddle, harmonica).

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3
Fuzzy Mountain String Band: Bobbie Thompson, Sharon Sandormirsky (guitar); Tom Carter (banjo, mandolin); Eric Olson, Blanton owen (banjo); Bill Hicks, Malcolm Owen (fiddle); Vicky Owen (dulcimer).

Fuzzy Mountain String Band: Bobbie Thompson, Sharon Sandormirsky (guitar); Tom Carter (banjo, mandolin); Eric Olson, Blanton owen

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4
Personnel: Pierre Bensusan (vocals, guitar, mandolin); Calude Lefebvre (guitar, dulcimer); Bill Keith (banjo); Phil Fromont (violin, alto); Jean-Francois Sandoz (tin whistle); Herve De Sainte-Foy (double bass); Gerard Lavigne (bass); Andre Thomas (bodhran); Emmanuelle Parrenin (hurdy-gurdy);

Personnel: Pierre Bensusan (vocals, guitar, mandolin); Calude Lefebvre (guitar, dulcimer); Bill Keith (banjo); Phil Fromont (violi

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5
Personnel: Bruce Cockburn (vocals, guitar, dulcimer); Eugene Martynec (guitar); Eric Nagler (banjo, mandolin); Michael Craydon, John Wyre (percussion). Recorded at Thunder Sound Studios and Eastern Sound, Toronto, Canada.

Personnel: Bruce Cockburn (vocals, guitar, dulcimer); Eugene Martynec (guitar); Eric Nagler (banjo, mandolin); Michael Craydon, Jo

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6
Personnel: Fred Small (vocals, guitar); John Curtis (6- & 12-string guitars); Alison Brown (banjo); Miguel Picker (charango, zampona); Leo Kretzner (dulcimer); Howie Tarnower (mandolin); Matt Glaser (fiddle); Cameron Sawzin (cello); Richard Rosenblatt (harmonica); Neil MacMillan (concertina); Betsy Rose (piano); John Daniel (bass); Sa Davis (conga).

Personnel: Fred Small (vocals, guitar); John Curtis (6- & 12-string guitars); Alison Brown (banjo); Miguel Picker (charango, zampo

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7
Personnel includes: Cathy Fink (vocals, guitar, banjo, dulcimer); Marcy Marxer (vocals, guitar, mandolin, percussion); Pete Kennedy (acoustic & electric guitars, ukelele, bass); Mike Auldridge (pedal steel guitar); Sam Herrman (dulcimer); Mike Stein, Joe Herrman (fiddle); Bryan Smith, Joe Fallon (bass).

Personnel includes: Cathy Fink (vocals, guitar, banjo, dulcimer); Marcy Marxer (vocals, guitar, mandolin, percussion); Pete Kenned

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8
Personnel: David Holt (spoken vocals); Bill Mize (guitar); Jim Taylor (hammered dulcimer); Steven Heller (keyboards, guitar). Producers: David Holt, Virginia Callaway, Steven Heller. Recorded at Upstream Studios, Asheville, North Carolina. STELLALUNA won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album For Children.

Personnel: David Holt (spoken vocals); Bill Mize (guitar); Jim Taylor (hammered dulcimer); Steven Heller (keyboards, guitar). Prod

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9
Personnel: John Renbourn (vocals, guitar); Jacqui McShee (vocals); Tony Roberts (vocals, flute, crumhorn, Northumbrian small pipes); John Molineaux (vocals, dulcimer, mandolin, fiddle); Keshav Sathe (tabla). An after-the-fact live album by the short-lived but prodigiously talented John Renbourn Group, LIVE IN AMERICA has enough moments of sheer musical delight to make you wish that the foursome had stuck around a bit longer. Despite the billing, the real star of the John Renbourn Group is singer Jacqui McShee. McShee, whose angelic voice enlivened albums by Renbourn's previous band Pentangle, is a tremendous, though largely unrecognized talent. Her angelic mezzo-soprano meshes beautifully with Renbourn's harmonies and his virtuoso guitar playing. "Lindsay," the gorgeous "Fair Flower," and a moving rendition of the temperance ballad "John Barleycorn is Dead" are among the highlights. Reeds and woodwinds player Tony Roberts is showcased to great effect on the Indian-influenced "Sidi Brahim," one of the many songs enhanced through the subtle addition of tablas as a percussive element.

Personnel: John Renbourn (vocals, guitar); Jacqui McShee (vocals); Tony Roberts (vocals, flute, crumhorn, Northumbrian small pipes

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10
Hal Leonard Learning Mountain Dulcimer

Hal Leonard Learning Mountain Dulcimer

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1. Personnel: John McCutcheon (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, hammered dulcimers, autoharp); Pete Kennedy (acoustic & electric guitars); Howard Levy (harmonica, piano, organ); Tom Jones (drums, percussion); Leah Kunkel, Toshi Reagan, Michelle Lanchester, Pam Rogers, Vicky Pratt, Debbi MacFarlan (background vocals).

Personnel: John McCutcheon (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, hammered dulcimers, autoharp); Pete Kennedy (acoustic & electric guitars); Howard Levy (harmonica, piano, organ); Tom Jones (drums, percussion); Leah Kunkel, Toshi Reagan, Michelle Lanchester, Pam Rogers, Vicky Pratt, Debbi MacFarlan (background vocals).
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short description is not available

Personnel: John McCutcheon (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, hammered dulcimers, autoharp); Pete Kennedy (acoustic & electric guitars); Howard Levy (harmonica, piano, organ); Tom Jones (drums, percussion); Leah Kunkel, Toshi Reagan, Michelle Lanchester, Pam Rogers, Vicky Pratt, Debbi MacFarlan (background vocals).

2. Solo performer: Mike Seeger (guitar, banjo, banjo ukelele, mandola, dulcimer, autoharp, fiddle, harmonica).

Solo performer: Mike Seeger (guitar, banjo, banjo ukelele, mandola, dulcimer, autoharp, fiddle, harmonica).
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Eighteen true traditional-style southern rural ballads, songs, and instrumentals plus two newly-made tunes. Sung and played with banjo, gourd banjer, fiddle, guitar, autoharp, lap dulcimer, mandola, banjo ukelele, trump (jawharp), quills and harmonica. 100% natural home-recorded solo music; no overdubs, splices, or electronic effects.

Solo -- Oldtime Country Music

3. Fuzzy Mountain String Band: Bobbie Thompson, Sharon Sandormirsky (guitar); Tom Carter (banjo, mandolin); Eric Olson, Blanton owen (banjo); Bill Hicks, Malcolm Owen (fiddle); Vicky Owen (dulcimer).

Fuzzy Mountain String Band: Bobbie Thompson, Sharon Sandormirsky (guitar); Tom Carter (banjo, mandolin); Eric Olson, Blanton owen (banjo); Bill Hicks, Malcolm Owen (fiddle); Vicky Owen (dulcimer).
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short description is not available

Fuzzy Mountain String Band: Bobbie Thompson, Sharon Sandormirsky (guitar); Tom Carter (banjo, mandolin); Eric Olson, Blanton owen (banjo); Bill Hicks, Malcolm Owen (fiddle); Vicky Owen (dulcimer).

4. Personnel: Pierre Bensusan (vocals, guitar, mandolin); Calude Lefebvre (guitar, dulcimer); Bill Keith (banjo); Phil Fromont (violin, alto); Jean-Francois Sandoz (tin whistle); Herve De Sainte-Foy (double bass); Gerard Lavigne (bass); Andre Thomas (bodhran); Emmanuelle Parrenin (hurdy-gurdy);

Personnel: Pierre Bensusan (vocals, guitar, mandolin); Calude Lefebvre (guitar, dulcimer); Bill Keith (banjo); Phil Fromont (violin, alto); Jean-Francois Sandoz (tin whistle); Herve De Sainte-Foy (double bass); Gerard Lavigne (bass); Andre Thomas (bodhran); Emmanuelle Parrenin (hurdy-gurdy);
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short description is not available

Personnel: Pierre Bensusan (vocals, guitar, mandolin); Calude Lefebvre (guitar, dulcimer); Bill Keith (banjo); Phil Fromont (violin, alto); Jean-Francois Sandoz (tin whistle); Herve De Sainte-Foy (double bass); Gerard Lavigne (bass); Andre Thomas (bodhran); Emmanuelle Parrenin (hurdy-gurdy);

5. Personnel: Bruce Cockburn (vocals, guitar, dulcimer); Eugene Martynec (guitar); Eric Nagler (banjo, mandolin); Michael Craydon, John Wyre (percussion). Recorded at Thunder Sound Studios and Eastern Sound, Toronto, Canada.

Personnel: Bruce Cockburn (vocals, guitar, dulcimer); Eugene Martynec (guitar); Eric Nagler (banjo, mandolin); Michael Craydon, John Wyre (percussion). Recorded at Thunder Sound Studios and Eastern Sound, Toronto, Canada.
0%

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short description is not available

Personnel: Bruce Cockburn (vocals, guitar, dulcimer); Eugene Martynec (guitar); Eric Nagler (banjo, mandolin); Michael Craydon, John Wyre (percussion). Recorded at Thunder Sound Studios and Eastern Sound, Toronto, Canada.

6. Personnel: Fred Small (vocals, guitar); John Curtis (6- & 12-string guitars); Alison Brown (banjo); Miguel Picker (charango, zampona); Leo Kretzner (dulcimer); Howie Tarnower (mandolin); Matt Glaser (fiddle); Cameron Sawzin (cello); Richard Rosenblatt (harmonica); Neil MacMillan (concertina); Betsy Rose (piano); John Daniel (bass); Sa Davis (conga).

Personnel: Fred Small (vocals, guitar); John Curtis (6- & 12-string guitars); Alison Brown (banjo); Miguel Picker (charango, zampona); Leo Kretzner (dulcimer); Howie Tarnower (mandolin); Matt Glaser (fiddle); Cameron Sawzin (cello); Richard Rosenblatt (harmonica); Neil MacMillan (concertina); Betsy Rose (piano); John Daniel (bass); Sa Davis (conga).
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NEW

Fred Small: The Heart of the Appaloosa - CD

7. Personnel includes: Cathy Fink (vocals, guitar, banjo, dulcimer); Marcy Marxer (vocals, guitar, mandolin, percussion); Pete Kennedy (acoustic & electric guitars, ukelele, bass); Mike Auldridge (pedal steel guitar); Sam Herrman (dulcimer); Mike Stein, Joe Herrman (fiddle); Bryan Smith, Joe Fallon (bass).

Personnel includes: Cathy Fink (vocals, guitar, banjo, dulcimer); Marcy Marxer (vocals, guitar, mandolin, percussion); Pete Kennedy (acoustic & electric guitars, ukelele, bass); Mike Auldridge (pedal steel guitar); Sam Herrman (dulcimer); Mike Stein, Joe Herrman (fiddle); Bryan Smith, Joe Fallon (bass).
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CATHY & MARCY COLLECTION FOR KIDS

CATHY & MARCY COLLECTION FOR KIDS

8. Personnel: David Holt (spoken vocals); Bill Mize (guitar); Jim Taylor (hammered dulcimer); Steven Heller (keyboards, guitar). Producers: David Holt, Virginia Callaway, Steven Heller. Recorded at Upstream Studios, Asheville, North Carolina. STELLALUNA won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album For Children.

Personnel: David Holt (spoken vocals); Bill Mize (guitar); Jim Taylor (hammered dulcimer); Steven Heller (keyboards, guitar). Producers: David Holt, Virginia Callaway, Steven Heller. Recorded at Upstream Studios, Asheville, North Carolina. STELLALUNA won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album For Children.
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short description is not available

Personnel: David Holt (spoken vocals); Bill Mize (guitar); Jim Taylor (hammered dulcimer); Steven Heller (keyboards, guitar). Producers: David Holt, Virginia Callaway, Steven Heller. Recorded at Upstream Studios, Asheville, North Carolina. STELLALUNA won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album For Children.

9. Personnel: John Renbourn (vocals, guitar); Jacqui McShee (vocals); Tony Roberts (vocals, flute, crumhorn, Northumbrian small pipes); John Molineaux (vocals, dulcimer, mandolin, fiddle); Keshav Sathe (tabla). An after-the-fact live album by the short-lived but prodigiously talented John Renbourn Group, LIVE IN AMERICA has enough moments of sheer musical delight to make you wish that the foursome had stuck around a bit longer. Despite the billing, the real star of the John Renbourn Group is singer Jacqui McShee. McShee, whose angelic voice enlivened albums by Renbourn's previous band Pentangle, is a tremendous, though largely unrecognized talent. Her angelic mezzo-soprano meshes beautifully with Renbourn's harmonies and his virtuoso guitar playing. "Lindsay," the gorgeous "Fair Flower," and a moving rendition of the temperance ballad "John Barleycorn is Dead" are among the highlights. Reeds and woodwinds player Tony Roberts is showcased to great effect on the Indian-influenced "Sidi Brahim," one of the many songs enhanced through the subtle addition of tablas as a percussive element.

Personnel: John Renbourn (vocals, guitar); Jacqui McShee (vocals); Tony Roberts (vocals, flute, crumhorn, Northumbrian small pipes); John Molineaux (vocals, dulcimer, mandolin, fiddle); Keshav Sathe (tabla). An after-the-fact live album by the short-lived but prodigiously talented John Renbourn Group, LIVE IN AMERICA has enough moments of sheer musical delight to make you wish that the foursome had stuck around a bit longer. Despite the billing, the real star of the John Renbourn Group is singer Jacqui McShee. McShee, whose angelic voice enlivened albums by Renbourn's previous band Pentangle, is a tremendous, though largely unrecognized talent. Her angelic mezzo-soprano meshes beautifully with Renbourn's harmonies and his virtuoso guitar playing. "Lindsay," the gorgeous "Fair Flower," and a moving rendition of the temperance ballad "John Barleycorn is Dead" are among the highlights. Reeds and woodwinds player Tony Roberts is showcased to great effect on the Indian-influenced "Sidi Brahim," one of the many songs enhanced through the subtle addition of tablas as a percussive element.
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Recorded live at the Great Music Hall in San Francisco and at McCabe's Concert Hall in April of 1981, and issued the following year as a double album set. With John Renbourne, guitar, vocals; Jacqui McShee, vocals; Tony Roberts, flute, krumhorn, Northumbrian small pipes, harmony vocals; John Molineaux, dulcimer, mandolin, fiddle, harmony vocals; Keshav Sathe, tabla.

Live in America

10. Hal Leonard Learning Mountain Dulcimer

Hal Leonard Learning Mountain Dulcimer
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Even a novice can make lovely sounds and play simple tunes almost immediately! Dulcimer virtuoso David Schnaufer includes scales, fingerings and strumming techniques for some of country music's all-time favorite songs. 90 min. video, Level 1/2.

Even a novice can make lovely sounds and play simple tunes almost immediately! Dulcimer virtuoso David Schnaufer includes scales, fingerings and strumming techniques for some of country music's all-time favorite songs 90 min video, Level 1/2


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