An extensive array of instrumental music–music performed without vocals–is performed throughout Afghanistan. Many of the regions and communities throughout the country have their own instrumental music traditions, which range from types of art music to folk music. Some of these traditions have been passed down through many generations. Several musical instruments trace their origins to Afghanistan, as well, and maintain an important place within the lore and stories of different communities. 

In folk music culture, instrumentalists are often amateur musicians, often referred to as shauqi. Amateurs learn through a variety of means–from a teacher or family member, by ear, through imitation, etc. Those musicians who play art music, on the other hand, have traditionally been of a hereditary professional class. These musicians train in a formal discipleship with a master musician, an Ustad, to learn the necessary skills and techniques of playing and improvising music. Students regularly spend years learning from their Ustad in order to become a proficient musician. Previously, such music was practiced among communities and families who specialized in music as a professional occupation. In these communities, music was passed from one generation to the next and not taught to persons outside of the community. Today, however, it is common for some amateur musicians to study with Ustads and become professional musicians, as well. 

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Rubab

The rubab (رباب) is one of the most famous musical instruments of Afghanistan and one of the country's national instruments. It is a fretted, stringed instrument that is played with a pick, known as a shahbaz. The earliest mentions of the rubab are found in Persian chronicles from the 11th century, though at that time the rubab was a different instrument than it appears today. The contemporary Afghan rubab, also called the Kabuli rubab, likely comes from the mid-1700's, and much of its history we know only through oral sources. According to these histories, the instrument was traditionally used among musician-soldiers from Pashtun communities to inspire troops and strengthen communal bonds before going into battle. Nowadays it is played throughout the country as both an accompaniment instrument to sung poetry as well as a solo instrument. The rubab is also the predecessor of the Hindustani sarod, which was developed among Pashtun musicians living in North India. As well, similar looking instruments can be found in Iran, Pakistan, and Kashmir.

The rubab comes in a variety of sizes. Smaller instruments, which have around 10-15 strings, are often used in folk music styles. Larger instruments, which can have upwards of 18-21 strings, are used in art music styles. Most these strings are sympathetic and, when tuned to the scale being played, reverberate to reinforce the instrument's sound.

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Ustad Mohammad Omar was the preeminent rubab maestro of the twentieth century. During the 1970's he came to the United States where he was an artist in residence at the University of Washington. The song in this recording is a traditional Pashtun melody in a musical mode called kestori. 

Tanbur

The tanbur (تنبور) is a long-necked stringed instrument that is played in Afghanistan. It has a pear-shaped body with flat and narrow neck. The earliest mention of the instrument comes from Arabic sources in the 700's, at which time the instrument was identified as being from Baghdad. By the mid-900's, the tanbur became a dominant instrument played throughout parts of West Asia. The first records of the instrument being played in Afghanistan dates to mid-1000's, when the tanbur was among the instruments played at the Ghaznavid court in Lahore.

Much like the rubab, the tanbur is played in folk and art music styles and has different versions of the instrument for each respective style. The instrument has three main playing strings, which can have single or double courses, two to three drone strings, and several sympathetic strings. Tanbur is a common accompaniment instrument for singing and dancing, as well as being a solo instrument. 

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Ghichek

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The ghichek (غیچک) is one of the few stringed instruments in Afghanistan that is played with a bow. The Afghan ghichek is distinguished from similar types of bowed instruments by its large square resonator. A wooden spike extends through the resonator with two strings stretched parallel with the spike. The bow is made of horsehair. Mentions of the Afghan ghichek date from the 16th centuries, and the instrument can be seen depicted in a miniature painting from c. 1527. The name ghichek was also used generally during this time to describe another bowed instrument that is similar to the kamancha, which has a smaller, round resonator and used in Persian music. 

The ghichek belongs to a family of bowed instruments that was traditionally played by wandering bards and minstrels. In some areas of Central Asia, such instruments were also played by bakhshi, traditional healers often termed as "witch doctors." The ghichek is primarily found in the northern regions of Afghanistan, and oral histories place its development in the region of Badakhshan. Nowadays, the ghichek is played exclusively in folk music and is an instrument that singers often accompany themselves with. As such, it is not typically a solo instrument and is often played by amateurs.

Dambura

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The dambura (دمبوره) is a type of fretless stringed instrument. It has two strings that are strummed with the fingers and hand. Primarily, the instrument is found in the northern parts of the country where it is played in traditional Tajik and Uzbek music, though its use extends throughout much of the country. Dambura is also very common to the Hazarajat of central Afghanistan. It is frequently used by amateurs and is regularly an accompaniment instrument used in teahouse music.