The traditional musical Instruments of the Burmese orchestra comprise the xylophone, pattalar; the drum circle, saing-waing; the gong circle, kyee-wing; the stick, drumbyaw; the long drum, bonshay; the bucolic drum, dhobat; the pot drum, ozi; the big drum, bongyi and the royal drum, sidaw.

There are also the pa/we or flute which is a bamboo cylinder whose finger holes gradually increase in diameter from top to bottom; the hne or oboe which is conical in shape with finger holes of uniform size and equidistant; the clarinet (a centrepiece of Burmese orchestras) which is made of blackwood with seven finger holes and one thumb hole and with a mouthpiece of palm leaf; and last but by no means least the Burmese harp, saung-kauk which is boat shaped and has thirteen strings.

The saing-waing consists of a series of cylindrical drums numbering twenty-one, mounted on a circular gilded frame of wood or rattan. It is not found outside Burma and has to be played with great expertise. Out of doors, the saing-waing reigns supreme in an ensemble of the gong circle, cymbals, bamboo clappers, main drums, and oboes, large and small.

The pattalar consists of a set of twenty-four graduated, well seasoned bamboo slats mounted on a decorated black and gold semicircular sound board. The slats are struck with two sticks.