ABSTRACT
Various social and cultural factors are known to affect aspects of music-making, including the stylistic evolution of musical instruments. This in turn brings about structural changes in the instrument. Whenever the existing form of an instrument fails to meet socio-cultural demands, it undergoes modifications. This facilitates the emergence of new performance techniques and styles. By and large, the basic structural form of the instrument is preserved and the modifications appear in the form of additions and alterations or one or the other, made in the original body of the instrument. Sometimes, the basic identity of the instrument is changed beyond recognition, giving birth to a new instrument. Hence, the changes that occur in the instrument with respect to its physical structure or the style need to be appreciated not only in the context of the musical tradition but in relation to the social and cultural contexts as well.
