Morin khuur, the horse-head fiddle
Two strings, traditionally horse-tail hair, a wooden body topped with a carved horse head. The national instrument. Plays the long-song repertoire that mimics the rhythms of the steppe horse. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Master player to seek out: B. Tsogtgerel.
Yatga, the zither
Twelve to twenty-one silk strings stretched over a long wooden body. Played horizontally on the lap or a low stand. The court instrument of the Mongol khans, now a concert hall and ensemble instrument. Master: U. Ariunbaatar.
Tovshuur, the two-stringed lute
The shaman's instrument. Two-stringed, plucked, often paired with throat singing. Western Mongolian Kazakh and Tuvan musicians keep the tovshuur tradition alive. Master: D. Tserendavaa.
Where to hear live
Tumen Ekh Ensemble in Ulaanbaatar performs nightly with all three instruments plus throat singers, contortionists, and dancers. The State Academic Theatre hosts longer concert programmes monthly. Otugi Camp arranges private morin khuur recitals on request.
The throat singing connection
Khoomei (throat singing) is often paired with these instruments, particularly in the Khangai and Altai traditions. Hearing a tovshuur and khoomei duet around a campfire is one of the more unforgettable experiences a traveller can have in Mongolia.
Recordings to listen to before you come
Huun-Huur-Tu's '60 Horses in My Herd' (Tuvan, but the same tradition). Anda Union's 'The Wind Horse'. The Hu's 'The Gereg' (electric, controversial purist debate, but extraordinary). All easy to find on streaming.
Buying an instrument
A workshop morin khuur costs 800 to 2,500 USD depending on craftsmanship. Tovshuurs are 200 to 500 USD. Both can be flown home; we ship a hard case from Ulaanbaatar for guests who buy.
