Chuvash music is presented by a very rich vocal and instrumental creativity of upper (viryal), intermediate (anat yenchi) and lower (anatri) Chuvashes. Chuvash music is based upon pentatonics.  One of the most ancient genre are lingering songs: lamentations, recruit songs, linked closely to rites.  Semi-lingered songs (labor songs, hymns, cradle-songs, lyric, round dance, guest songs) can be characterized by a great genre diversity. Quick songs (children’s, comic, play songs) are characterized by quick equal movements, an often change of metrics.  7-, 9-, 11- quoted metrics and changing of metrics occur. Choral singing is one of the distinguishable features of Chuvash music.

Instrumental music is represented by tunes, among which many are dance tunes – many times varied 4 bar pieces. Among folk instruments are shabar (bagpipes), sarnay (similar to Turkic zurna/sornay, a wind-instrument), shahlich, shahlinjak (pipe), kaval (shepherd’s horn), kesle (psaltery, 15-30 strings), trenjel (triangle, a sort of psaltery), puch and nokhra (war trumpets), serme kubys (initially an instrument like the Turkic kobyz, from XIX century this name began to design the violin, which superseded it), hut kubys (accordion), varghan (a vibration instrument), hükle (reed-pipe), tünger (tambourine), parapan (drum), kashik (wooden spoons used for rhythmic banging), tukmak (a wooden banging instrument), shangrav (bells), chan (bell), tomra (domra, a string instrument), shyatarma (rattle), pejek shahlije (small pipes, whistles), pusho (whip).  

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