Common Animal Products In Musical Instruments & Their Alternatives

Music is a universal language of love and happiness. So it may come as a surprise to you that many instruments are neither vegan nor cruelty-free! From horse hair in violin bows to leather in percussion instruments, there are many animal products lurking in traditional Indian and Western instruments.

The process of making musical instruments often involves animal derivatives in ways that are not visible to the naked eye, according to vegan activist and musician Vikram Shastri. He says that hide glue (an adhesive made from the connective tissue of animals by boiling down collagen from skin and bones) is used to piece together a lot of musical instrument that are made from wood: think guitars, pianos and violins. The harmonium, on the other hand, may have leather buried inside to keep things in place.

Vikram says that many vegans are simply unaware, even though they follow the lifestyle. “There should be more awareness about the cruelty aspect in music, that is one thing we vegans tend to overlook. We don’t think that there is cruelty in music and we continue to listen to music coming from instruments made with animal parts,” he says. One of Vikram's ongoing projects is to create a comprehensive, publically accessible database of instruments that lists the animal parts found in them, along with how to find alternatives. It’s been an uphill task since he is working alone and has to verify each instrument and manufacturer himself, but he isn’t giving up.

Like Vikram says, awareness is key. So as a music lover, here’s what you should look out for along with some vegan alternatives.

Tabla

This rounded drum uses leather and goat hide. The surface is made of goat hide which is stretched over the top and fastened to the base using leather braces. Karunya Musicals, based in Bangalore, is the one such company that makes vegan tablas using a leather alternative. Ready to veganize yours?

Mridangam

Mridangam is a double-sided drum that is made from animal hide. The face of the drum is made from 3 layers of hide, each from a different animal. The inner and middle layers on the right face are made from goatskin, while the outermost layer is made from cow’s leather. The left face is similarly made up of three membranes, with the innermost layer composed of goatskin and the two outer layers made from buffalo skin. You can purchase vegan mridangams from Karunya Musicals in Bangalore.

Handpan

Handpans are traditionally vegan, using no animal parts. However, most often, hammers wrapped in leather are used to shape and tune the instrument. Fortunately, cruelty-free handpans are available and are being built by Mantra handpans, using a vegan manufacturing process.

Guitar

The guitar seems innocuous enough, but the hidden animal ingredient is hide glue. Compared to synthetic glue, hide glue melts faster when exposed to heat, making it easier to pull the pieces apart during repair. Check with your retailer whether the glue used is synthetic or animal-based.

Violin

Apart from the hide glue used to fit the pieces of the wooden body together, violin bows are often made from horsehair. The alternative is to seek out bows made using nylon instead of horsehair. The same applies to the cello.

Piano

Back in the old days, piano keys were made using ivory and bone, but with ivory being a banned product, most manufacturers use plastic. But here too, hide glue comes in to use to piece the wooden pieces together. Ask your retailer or manufacturer whether they use synthetic glue or hide to be sure. Pianos also have felt in them, which can be animal-based.

We can’t imagine a life without music – but it doesn’t have to be at the cost of an animal’s suffering.

So remember what to look for when you go shopping for an instrument next time – and be sure spread the word and create awareness amongst those who may not know! Knowledge is power – and compassion is the need of the hour.