by Prof. Lydia Ayers
Idiophones
• among the oldest
instruments
• Self-sounding
– idio = self
– phone = sound
• <1:15> Tongatong from
the Philippines
wooden frog
(Thailand)
seke seke
(Ivory Coast)
– Stamping tubes
– Bamboo tube held in one
hand, closed end at the
bottom, is struck against
the ground or a hard
surface.
– Palm of other hand partly
opens and closes the end,
changing the timbre.
Tongatong from the Philippines
http://www.geidai.ac.jp/~odaka/gcat/image/062.jpg
Boom Boom Tubes
• Can make from:
– cardboard tubes
– PVC pipes
– water bottles
• Playing them:
– Strike them against
a table or your hand
• Can also tightly
close one end
– Clap your hands
near the open end
– Strike the open end
with your hand or a
hard object
Stamping Tubes
• Similar to Boom
Boom tubes with
closed end, and
usually longer
• Can make from:
– cardboard tubes
– PVC pipes
• Stamp the closed
end against the
floor
<7:5> Sanza, Mbira
• “thumb piano”
– nine to thirteen
keys
– player can modify
the sound by
stopping and
opening the sound
hole
– extremely fast
playing with
singing
sanza
Sanza, Mbira
• Can make body from:
– wooden boxes
– cardboard boxes
– paper plates
• Can make keys from:
–
–
–
–
–
–
leaf rake tines
flattened steel
huge bobby pins
bicycle spokes
bamboo splints
popsicle sticks
<7:7> Balofon
• wooden slabs
• gourd resonators
balofon
T’rung
• A wooden percussion
instrument with xylophone-like
sound.
• Comes from the Tay Nguyen
region of Vietnam
• <5:09> Sao phong tieu (flute),
t’rung, and angklung (bamboo
tubes)
– No finger holes
– Performer produces melody by
covering of the end of the flute
and overblowing harmonics
http://www.vietnamtourism.com/v_pages/vietnam/cult
ure/music/vcm_dantrng.htm
Woodstock Gamelan
• Can tune aluminum tubes
• Can mount on cardboard frame