10 Questions
Which musical instrument is a one-string bowed lute commonly found throughout Ethiopia and Eritrea?
Masenqo
What is the name of the six-string lyre traditionally tuned to a pentatonic scale?
Krar
Which traditional string instrument has a large ten-string lyre and is found in the highlands of Ethiopia?
Begena
What material is the string of the masenqo usually made from?
Horse hair
Which type of tuning is the krar traditionally set to?
Pentatonic scale
What instrument was traditionally used in Ethiopia as a way for musicians to convey oral history?
Washint
Which instrument is considered an upper-class instrument and is commonly used during prayers and meditations?
Begena
Which Ethiopian instrument has no finger holes and produces only two tones, the fundamental and a fourth or fifth interval?
Embilta
What type of instrument is the toom, which is used among the Nuer, Anuak, Majangir, Surma, and other Nilotic groups?
Idiophone
What is the function of the nagarit instrument played with a curved stick?
Playing at royal functions
Study Notes
Ethiopian and Eritrean Musical Instruments
- The masenqo is a one-string bowed lute commonly found throughout Ethiopia and Eritrea.
- The krar is a traditional six-string lyre typically tuned to a pentatonic scale.
- The begena is a traditional string instrument featuring a large ten-string lyre, commonly found in the highlands of Ethiopia.
- The strings of the masenqo are usually made from horsehair.
- The krar is traditionally set to a pentatonic tuning.
- The krar was traditionally used in Ethiopia as a way for musicians to convey oral history.
- The begena is considered an upper-class instrument, commonly used during prayers and meditations.
- The dita is an Ethiopian instrument with no finger holes, producing only two tones, the fundamental and a fourth or fifth interval.
- The toom is a type of drum used among the Nuer, Anuak, Majangir, Surma, and other Nilotic groups.
- The nagarit is a drum played with a curved stick, often used to announce the arrival of a dignitary or to signal the start of a ceremony.
Test your knowledge of Ethiopian traditional music instruments including the masenqo, krar, and begena. Learn about the unique chordophones used in the highlands of Ethiopia and their significance in traditional music.
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