In the living stream of Sāmavedic practice, the human voice remains the central instrument, and the chants themselves are treated as a kind of sacred music. When instruments are employed, they are understood as supports and reflections of this vocal current rather than as independent focal points. The tradition consistently places the melodic line of the chant at the heart of the ritual soundscape, with instruments entering in ways that echo, underline, or frame that vocal movement.

Among these instruments, the vīṇā or vīṇā-like vīnā/veena holds a privileged place as the principal melodic accompaniment. It is described as the chief instrument used to mirror and support the intricate melodic contours of the Sāman chants. By sustaining and outlining the tonal patterns of the recitation, it helps to make the subtle shifts of pitch and intonation more audible and stable, almost as if it were sketching the invisible architecture of the chant. In this way, the veena does not compete with the voice but rather extends and reinforces it.

Other instruments appear in more specific or limited roles. The flute (vāṃśa) is sometimes used melodically, either to follow the chant or to evoke its characteristic tunes, adding a gentle, airy resonance to the vocal line. The conch shell (śaṅkha), by contrast, is not a continuous accompaniment but is sounded at particular ritual junctures, marking transitions and sanctifying moments with its powerful, auspicious tone. These sounds do not form a separate musical layer so much as they punctuate and consecrate the unfolding of the chant.

Later and more developed ritual or temple contexts introduce additional percussion, such as drums and hand-cymbals, yet these are understood as post-Vedic elaborations rather than part of the earliest Sāmavedic core. Even where such instruments are present, the hierarchy remains clear: the chant is primary, the veena is its closest musical ally, and all other instruments serve in more occasional or supportive capacities. This ordering reflects a deeper intuition of the tradition—that sacred sound arises first and foremost from the disciplined human voice, with instruments acting as resonant extensions of that inner discipline.