The instruments used in Shingaku included various kinds of string instruments, such as "gekkin" (Moon guitar), "karabiwa" (Chinese lute), "shinteki" (Qing flute), "charamela" (Suona), "sangenshi" (three-stringed Chinese instrument played with fingers) and "kokin" (Chinese string instrument played with a bow) (cf. the right photograph).
清楽で使う楽器は、月琴、唐琵琶、清笛、吶(チャルメラ)、三弦子、胡琴など各種の「擦絃楽器」、などであった(右の写真を参照)。