The fluier pipe is still common and was the main instrument for dance music in Romania, with rhythmical accompaniment later added by a cobza. Although the bagpipe was popular from medieval times, as it was in most European countries, it became rare in recent times until revived during the 20^th century for organised folklore performance. The violin has influenced the music in all regions of Romania and became the principal melody instrument since its introduction. However more recently the music played in the social dance context is dominated by saxophone and keyboard.

Each region has its own combination of instruments, old and new, and its own sound, which is changing slowly to meet current contexts and life styles.

The dance music styles can broadly be divided into 1) the strongly rhythmic and syncopated for the arc from Bihor, Oaș, Maramureș, into western Moldavia; 2) lively, fluid and sharp of the south and southeast; 3) the central European string band sound in Transylvania and the Banat plain.