Harmonium

Along with being one of the main forms of Hare Krishna worship, Kirtan can be great fun -- dancing and singing with friends and others. Playing an instrument in kirtan can enhance the experience for you, and everyone present. The traditional instruments for kirtan in India are the harmonium. They are fairly portable, and the bellows on the back are pumped with one hand, while the other hand plays the keys. These harmoniums have typically 2 or 3 sets of reeds to product a nice full-sounding tone. Many of them have knobs to pull out which activate certain reeds. This lets one play with only 1 or 2 sets of reeds active, if one so desires. There are other knobs which activate certain tones, so one can play with a drone.