Classification of
Traditional African
Instrumental Music
A. Idiophones -
these are percussion
instruments that are
either struck with a
mallet or against one
another.
• Balafon- the
balafon is a West
African
xylophone. It is a
pitched
percussion
instrument with
bars made from
logs or bamboo.
•Agogo - the agogo is a single bell or
multiple bells that had its origins in
traditional Yoruba music and also in the
samba baterias (percussion) ensembles.
•Rattles - are
made of seashells,
tin, basketry,
animal hoofs,
horn, wood, metal
bells, cocoons,
palm kernels, or
tortoise shells.
•Atingting Kon -
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.
B. Membranophones
- are 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.
•Slit drum - is a
hollow
percussion
instrument. It is
usually carved
or constructed
from bamboo or
wood into a box
with one or more
slits in the top..
•Djembe - 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.
•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.
• 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.
C.Lamellaph
ones - are
set of
plucked
tongues or
keys
mounted on
a sound
board.
• Mbira - 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
D. Chordophones –
are instruments
which produce
sounds from the
vibration of strings.
These include bows,
harps, lutes, zithers,
and lyres of various
sizes.
• Musical Bow - 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 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.
• Kora - is 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.
E. Aerophones -
are instruments
which are produced
initially by trapped
vibrating air
columns or which
enclose a body of
vibrating air.
•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.
•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.
•Many instruments of Africa are
made from natural elements like
wood, metal, animal skin and
horns, as well as improvised ones
like tin cans and bottles.
•These are mainly used to provide
rhythmic sounds, which are the
most defining element of African
music.
•“How do you think
African music has
influenced the music we
listen to today?”
Group Activity
No.2
African Rhythms and Fun!
Directions:
1. Make an improvised African musical instrument
using available materials in your home.
A. Shakers - empty bottle of water with pebbles,
monggo seeds and / or rice grains.
B. Drums - empty bottle of water
C. Mallets or sticks - any branch or sticks
D. Body Sounds like clapping and stomping of the feet
2. Create a short rhythmic
accompaniment for any song you
know using the improvised materials
you created.
CRITERIA IMPROVISATION RYHTMIC GROUP
Improvises three (3) PATTERN INVOLVEMENT
African Traditional Uses creative rhythmic Involves all of the group
Instruments with pattern with variation all members present in the
creativity and uses throughout the song activity
available materials found
in home (40%) (20%)
(40%)
