The choice of musical instruments used for Ritmìa is the result of very specific ethno musicological research. Most of them are primitive in origin.

Besides being of symbolic value, these instruments are generally easy to find, can be manipulated in different ways by children and can be more easily adaptable to a group situation in which more than one person is playing. Each instrument has precise characteristics that help to illustrate the basic notions of music education such as pitch and rhythm. Furthermore, according to the shape, the material from which they are made and the different ways they can be played, the musical instruments listed below are effective in making certain parts of the body "vibrate" in order to stimulate particular postures, movements and sensations. Drums (Earth and Fire) The sound of drums expresses vigour and strength (this is especially true with bigger drums). Children tend to demonstrate attitudes of force and aggressiveness while playing them. The raw materials used to make primitive drums (wood, clay, string, leather) all derive from the earth to which they are symbolically associated. Drums are traditionally held between the legs when played and tend to make the lower parts of the body, such as the feet, legs and pelvis, "vibrate". These parts of the body, being in direct contact with the ground, allow us to perceive the Earth's force and stability. Drums are used, therefore, to accompany feet and leg movements and to demonstrate rhythmic structures as well as the duration of sounds. Wooden Flutes (Air) The tone of a recorder is light and "airy". This is not a coincidence. The first flutes were made from bird bones. Their shape often recalled that of winged animals. They were able to reproduce the sound of the wind. The high tones of wooden flutes make the upper part of the body "vibrate". For this reason, they are used to accompany movements of the hands, arms, chest and head. They are also associated with body positions that tend upwards as well as movements that the imagination associates with flying. A child's first approach to a recorder is to treat it like a stick and then to blow hard through it, creating penetrating and aggressive sounds. Gradually, the children are instructed in basic recorder technique, learning to make simple melodies and distinguish between high and low pitches. Rattles (Water) Rattles, especially those made from dried gourds, create a sound similar to that of water. They are associated with calmness and relaxation, bringing to mind the sensation felt by listening to waterfalls and rapids. They also recall femininity. The shapes of rattles, in fact, tend toward rotundity, and children like to touch, hold and hug them.