“What an Interesting Looking Item”: Oh wait, it’s a musical instrument! Instruments from Around the World

How to Begin Getting started in learning about musical instruments in other cultures is easy. Just click on the following buttons to move through the tutorial. To return to the beginning of the tutorial, click on the home button. To return to the previous page, click on the back arrow button. To move to the next page in the tutorial, click on the forward button.

“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.”-Plato Music is in our everyday lives. For most of us, we are consumer of music through television, computer, internet or radio. Some of us are actually musicians. The purpose of this tutorial is to show you how people in other cultures and countries from around the world use music and instruments in their lives. Sometimes, they use instruments the same way we do in America and other times they use them in different ways. Also, people in other countries use vastly different materials in the construction of their instruments. Let’s begin our journey on the continent of Asia in the country of Japan !

Japan is a small island country off the coast of China. The traditional music of Japan has melodies based off a five note musical scale called a pentatonic scale. When groups of instruments, or ensembles play together in traditional Japanese music, every element is planned and important, even bodily gestures. It is all a part of the musical experience. However, these ensembles are small and the music is more important than personal expression. Some of the most important instruments in Japanese music are the koto, shakuhachi, and shamisen. The Music of Japan

The Shakuhachi The shakuhachi [shah-koo-HAH-chee] is a type of woodwind instrument. It is an end-blown flute made of bamboo. On the front of the flute there are four finger hole. On the back it has one hole for the thumb. While playing the flute, the performer can move his head around to create different effects in the sound of the music such as bends, slides and shakes. He does this to give ornamentation to the melody. The shakuhachi is often used by Buddhist monks during Zen meditation. Monks like to use this instrument because of the sound quality or timbre it possesses.

Here is a video of a performer on the Shakuhachi. Click to watch. The Shakuhachi

Most Norwegian folk songs are religious songs or ballads. In their songs they use a special type of vocals which resembles shouting called cattle calls. In Norwegian music, they use an instrument that is very similar to a fiddle called a Hardanger fiddle. This fiddle is most often used to accompany traditional Norwegian folk dancing. The Music of Norway

Hardanger fiddle has four melody strings and four or five sympathetic strings. The sympathetic strings are not touched by the bow, however, since those strings still vibrate their sounds can be heard. The Hardanger Fiddle

Here is a video of performers of the Hardanger Fiddle. Click to watch. The Hardanger Fiddle

Much of the music performed in Peru is used for various festivals throughout the year. Peru has a rich musical history that dates back thousands of years to the time of the Incas. Some of the instruments played in Peru today have their origins in Peru’s pre-Columbian history. Unfortunately, some of the traditional Incan and Peruvian music has been lost due to war and the mixing of cultures. Though, the Incas did inherit from the indigenous people of the Andes mountains many different forms of brass and woodwind instruments. Of these, the conch shell trumpet is most fascinating. The Music of Peru

The conch shell trumpet is a trumpet made of the conch shell that can be found on most beaches. It is played by causing a vibration between the lips of the player and by blowing air through the smaller end of the conch shell. The Inca military musicians played conch shell trumpets as a call to arms and as a rallying cry. The Conch Trumpet

Here is a video of a performer on the Conch Trumpet. Click to watch. The Conch Trumpet

Costal West Africa is made up of many small countries: Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Burkina Faso and parts of Mali, Niger, and Chad. All of these countries have their own distinct musical traditions, however one thing remains constant, they all use some form of drumming to communicate to each other or for entertainment. The Music of West Africa

An hourglass- shaped drum is found throughout West Africa is called the kalangu drum. It is also sometimes known as the “talking drum” because of the many different sounds it can produce while it is being played. It has a double head with an intricate lacing system that allows the player to change is arm pressure as the instrument is being struck. Adding and subtracting the tension on the drum is what changed the pitch and gives it its talking quality. They are often used to communicate across wide open spaces. The Kalangu Drum

Here is a video of a group of performers of the kalangu drum. Click to watch. The Kalangu Drum