The lion's roar is a membranophone instrument that has a drum head and a cord or horsehair passing through it.

According to the Gary D. Cook classification system of musical instruments, it is a chordophone because it produces sound through the vibration of strings.

[2] The lion's roar consists of a cylindrical or bucket-shaped vessel with one end open and the other closed with a membrane.

A length of cord or gut is fastened through a hole in the centre of the membrane; the cord is resined and rubbed with coarse fabric or a glove, producing a passable imitation of a lion's roar.

In another version of the instrument, the end of the string is loosely secured to a wooden handle to form a whirled friction drum.