Musical Instruments of Africa PDF

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF AFRICA African music includes all the major instrumental genres of western music, including strings, winds, and percussion, along with a tremendous variety of specific African musical instruments for solo or ensemble playing. Classification of Traditional African Instruments...

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF AFRICA African music includes all the major instrumental genres of western music, including strings, winds, and percussion, along with a tremendous variety of specific African musical instruments for solo or ensemble playing. Classification of Traditional African Instruments A. Idiophones-These are percussion instruments that are either struck with a mallet or against one another. 1\. Balafon - The balafon is a West African xylophone. It is a pitched percussion instrument with bars made from logs or bamboo. The xylophone is originally an Asian instrument that follows the structure of a piano. It came from Madagascar to Africa, then to the Americas and Europe. 2\. Rattles - Rattles are made of seashells, tin, basketry, animal hoofs, horn, wood, metal bells, cocoons, palm kernels, or tortoise shells. These rattling vessels may range from single to several objects that are either joined or suspended in such a way as they hit each other. 3\. Agogo- The agogois a single bell or multiple bells that had its origins in traditional Yoruba music and also in the samba baterias (percussion) ensembles. The agogomay be called "the oldest samba instrument based on West African Yoruba single or double bells." It has the highest pitch of any of the bacteria instruments. 4\. Atingting Kon - These are slit gongs used to communicate between villages. They were carved out of wood to resemble ancestors and had a "slit opening" at the bottom. In certain cases, their sound could carry for miles through the forest and even across water to neighboring islands. A series of gong "languages" were composed of beats and pauses, making it possible to send highly specific messages. 5\. Slit drum - The slit drum is a hollow percussion instrument. Although known as a drum, it is not a true drum but is an idiophone. It is usually carved or constructed from bamboo or wood into a box with one or more slits in the top. Most slit drums have one slit, though two and three slits (cut into the shape of an "H") occur. If the resultant tongues are different in width or thicknesses, the drum will produce two different pitches. 6\. Djembe- The West Africandjembe(pronounced zhem-bay) is one of the best-known African drums is. It is shaped like a large goblet and played with bare hands. The body is carved from a hollowed trunk and is covered in goat skin. 7\. Shekere-The shekere is a type of gourd and shell megaphonefrom West Africa, consisting of a dried gourd with beads woven into a net covering the gourd. The agbeis another gourd drum with cowrie shells usually strung with white cotton thread. The axatse is a small gourd, held by the neck and placed between hand and leg. 8\. Rasp - A rasp, or scraper, is a hand percussion instrument whose sound is produced by scraping the notches on a piece of wood (sometimes elaborately carved) with a stick, creating a series of rattling effects. B. Membranophones Membranophonesare instruments which have vibrating animal membranes used in drums. Their shapes may be conical, cylindrical, barrel, hour-glass, globular, or kettle, and are played with sticks, hands, or a combination of both. African drums are usually carved from a single wooden log, and may also be made from ceramics, gourds, tin cans, and oil drums. Examples of these are found in the different localities entenga(Ganda), dundun(Yoruba), atumpan(Akan), and ngoma (Shona), while some are constructed with wooden staves and hoops. 1\. Body percussion - Africans frequently use their bodies as musical instruments. Aside from their voices, where many of them are superb singers, the body also serves as a drum as people clap their hands, slap their thighs, pound their upper arms or chests, or shuffle their feet. This body percussion creates exciting rhythms which also stir them to action. Moreover, the wearing of rattles or bells on their wrists, ankles, arms, and waists enhances their emotional response. 2\. Talking drum - The talking drum is used to send messages to announce births, deaths, marriages, sporting events, dances, initiation, or war. Sometimes it may also contain gossip or jokes. It is believed that the drums can carry direct messages to the spirits after the death of a loved one. C. Lamellaphone- One of the most popular African percussion instruments is the lamellaphone, which is a set of plucked tongues or keys mounted on a sound board. It is known by different names according to the regions such as mbira, karimba, kisaanj, and likembe. Mbira(hand piano or thumb piano) - The thumb piano or finger xylophone is of African origin and is used throughout the continent. It consists of a wooden board with attached staggered metal tines (a series of wooden, metal, or rattan tongues), plus an additional resonator to increase its volume. It is played by holding the instrument in the hands and plucking the tines with the thumbs, producing a soft plucked sound. D. Chordophones Chordophones are instruments which produce sounds from the vibration of strings. These include bows, harps, lutes, zithers, and lyres of various sizes. 1\. Musical bow- The musical bow is the ancestor of all string instruments. It is the oldest and one of the most widely-used string instruments of Africa. It consists of a single string attached to each end of a curved stick, similar to a bow and arrow. The string is either plucked or struck with another stick, producing a percussive yet delicate sound. The earth bow, the mouth bow, and the resonator-bow are the principal types of musical bows. The earth bow, ground bow, or pit harp consist of a hole in the ground, a piece of flexible wood and a piece of chord. The musician plucks the taut string to accompany his singing. When the half gourd is not buried, the performer holds the instrument very tightly under his knee flat side down, so that the chord puts enough tension on the wood to bend it into the shape of a hunting bow. 2\. Lute (konting, khalam, and the nkoni ) - The lute, originating from the Arabic states, is shaped like the modern guitar and played in similar fashion. It has a resonating body, a neck, and one or more strings which stretch across the length of its body and neck. The player tunes the strings by tightening or loosening the pegs at the top of the lute's neck. West African plucked lutes include the konting, khalam, and the nkoni. 3\. Kora - The korais Africa\'s most sophisticated harp, while also having features similar to a lute. Its body is made from a gourd or calabash. A support for the bridge is set across the opening and covered with a skin that is held in place with studs. The leather rings around the neck are used to tighten the 21 strings that give the instrument a range of over three octaves. The kora is held upright and played with the fingers. 4\. Zither - The zither is a stringed instrument with varying sizes and shapes whose strings are stretched along its body. 5\. Zeze- The zezeis an African fiddle played with a bow, a small wooden stick, or plucked with the fingers. It has one or two strings, made of steel or bicycle brake wire. It is from Sub-Saharan Africa. It is also known by the names tzetzeand dzendze, izezeand endingidi; and on Madagascar is called lokanga (or lokango) voatavo. E. Aerophones Aerophones are instruments which are produced initially by trapped vibrating air columns or which enclose a body of vibrating air. Flutes in various sizes and shapes, horns, panpipes, whistle types, gourd and shell megaphones, oboe, clarinet, animal horn and wooden trumpets fall under this category. 1\. Flutes- Flutes are widely used throughout Africa and either vertical or side-blown. They are usually fashioned from a single tube closed at one end and blown like a bottle. 2\. Horns - Horns and trumpets, found almost everywhere in Africa, are commonly made from elephant tusks and animal horns. With their varied attractive shapes, these instruments are end-blown or side-blown and range in size from the small signal whistle of the southern cattle herders to the large ivory horns of the tribal chiefs of the interior. One trumpet variety, the wooden trumpet, may be simple or artistically carved, sometimes resembling a crocodile's head. Kudu horn- This is one type of horn made from the horn of the kudu antelope. It releases a mellow and warm sound that adds a unique African accent to the music. This instrument, which comes in a set of six horns, reflects the cross of musical traditions in Africa. Today, the kudu horn can also be seen in football matches, where fans blow it to cheer for their favourite teams. 3\. Reed pipes- There are single-reed pipes made from hollow guinea corn or sorghum stems, where the reed is a flap partially cut from the stem near one end. It is the vibration of this reed that causes the air within the hollow instrument to vibrate, thus creating the sound. 4\. Whistles- Whistles found throughout the continent may be made of wood or other materials. Short pieces of horn serve as whistles, often with a short tube inserted into the mouthpiece. Clay can be molded into whistles of many shapes and forms and then baked. 5\. Trumpets- African trumpets are made of wood, metal, animal horns, elephant tusks, and gourds with skins from snakes, zebras, leopards, crocodiles and animal hide as ornaments to the instrument. They are mostly ceremonial in nature, often used to announce the arrival or departure of important guests. In religion and witchcraft, some tribes believe in the magical powers of trumpets to frighten away evil spirits, cure diseases, and protect warriors and hunters from harm.