Many Wagakki are made of natural materials such as wood, bamboo, leather, etc., and are simpler in structure than musical instruments such as pianos or Boehm flutes, which have a complicated structure required for Western music of the early modern and modern eras.
木・竹・皮など天然素材を生かしたものが多く、近代・現代西洋音楽の複雑な機構を備えたピアノやベーム式フルートなどの楽器と比較すると、構造は簡潔である。