Production of folk musical instruments in Uzbekistan and traditions of performance. The history of traditional folk musical instruments of Uzbekistan is incredibly rich and diverse. Rubab is a string bow instrument. It has a wooden convex body (round or oval in shape), a leather deck, 4-6 intestinal, silk or metal strings, usually tuned in quarts, and resonating strings. The most common rubabs are 800-1000 mm long. Sound is extracted usually by plectrum. The Uzbek orchestra of folk instruments includes 3 varieties of rubabs: prima, viola, tenor. Varieties of rubab are found in various peoples of the East: Afghan, Dulan, Kashgar, Pamir and other rubabs. It is also known that the rubab is played in North Africa and in the southern provinces of Spain. It was borrowed to Europe in the XII century under the name of Rebra. In Turkey, there is a three-string rubab. Among the Persians it is called "Rabet Barbitus".

Dombra is a traditional Kazakh musical instrument and object of material culture. The origin оf the name 'dombra' is associated with the activities of the voodoos ('baqsy', 'qam') - the shamans. It is believed that the prototype of the current dombra originated 4000 years ago. The magic formula 'dem bura' translates as "tune the breath", "revive (turn off) the instruments embodies the principle of assimilation of a living creature. In the process of evolution has acquired a stable dombra aesthetic function, form and substantive nature. Dombra consists of two strings (sometimes three and four string) is pear-shaped with a thin elongated neck and head with two pins. The tool is designed to accompany the singing and play kuys. Masters use two methods of manufacturing dombra: traditional and modern.

One kind of art related to the vocal organ is the playing of the bamboo Jew's harp. This instrument is made of bamboo; Jew's harps are also made of metal or bone. We whittle bamboo or bone and make two small holes through the two ends of the whittled bamboo and furnish them with strings. Besides being played to accompany traditional short- songs, the bamboo Jew's harp is used for playing short melo-dies with special dedications, such as imitating mare camel's calls or camel trotting. Traditionally, the bamboo Jew's harp is played by mostly women and young girls, whereas the jaw harp is specifically used as a tool-literally, as a means of transportation-for shamans and their ancestral spirits. The jaw harp is played at the beginning and end of the shamanis- tic ritual of the Darkhad, Tsaatan and Khotgoid ethnic groups in northern Mongolia.

Mongolian craftsmen of folk music instruments craft Morin khuur (horse-head fiddle), ekil (two-stringed wooden fiddle), khuuchir (four-stringed instrument), tsuur (three-holed vertical flute), tovshuur (two-stringed lute), limbe (side-blown flute), yatga (zither), yanchir (dulcimer), shudarga (three-stringed lute) and others with specific features and characteristics in conformity with their locality and historic background. Over a span of time, the styles of these folk instruments were developed and improved in quality and designs. The selection and procession of materials are crucial importance to crafting the folk instruments. The traditional craftsmanship of folk music instruments is an outstanding outcome of centuries long research and experiment of craftsmen and musicians.