BAMBOO MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

BAMBOO MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS USED IN INDIA

A popular saying is that every bamboo forest hides the instruments for a whole orchestra. The list of musical bamboo instruments is indeed very long and include xylophones, rainsticks, marimbas, castanets, drum sticks, zithers, slit drums, chimes, maracas, guitars, ukuleles, violins, Chapman sticks, pan flutes, didgeridoos, pipe organs, saxophones, clarinets, kazoos, whistles, trumpets, and piccolos just to name a few. In kerala, the local folk instruments used like Onavillu, mulam chenda, peeki, and mulam thudy are made of bamboo.

1.BAMBOO FLUTE

The flute is one of the oldest musical instruments known. The oldest written Chinese sources reveal that bamboo flutes were already used in the 12th century B.C. Numerous types of bamboo flutes are still made all over the world.

Bamboo flutes are common in places with easy access to bamboo, including Asia, South America, and Africa. In the Indian subcontinent, it is a very popular and highly respected musical instrument.

 The traditional Japanese Shakuhachi end-blown flute,  is made of Madake bamboo (Phyllostachys bambusoides). Madake is very suitable for flute making.

2.BAMBOO LYRE

The lyre is a string instrument known for its use in Greek classical antiquity and later periods. The lyre is similar in appearance to a small harps.

When you gently tap a string, it creates a continuous whistling effect within the space. This pure sound, free from any material, can sing and relax body and mind.

3.BAMBOO PAN FLUTES 

Bamboo pan flutes or pan pipes, also referred to as the syrinx, are the core instruments played in the Andes. This ancient bamboo instrument consists of 10 or more pipes in increasing lengths bound together as one wind instrument. It is played vertically but blown horizontally across the open inner edges of the bamboo pipes. The air blown through the instrument creates a series of pulses that generate sound waves within the tubes. Each pipe is tuned to a different note for producing a wide range of sound.

4.BAMBOO UKULELE 

The ukulele is a small guitar-like instrument, which was introduced to Hawaii by Portuguese immigrants. It gained great popularity elsewhere in the United States during the early 20th century and from there spread internationally.

The ukulele is a member of the lute family of instruments. It generally employs 4 nylon strings. The tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and construction. A ukelele made from strong multi-layered natural bamboo is extremely durable and resilient. Bamboo also provides a bright tone with great volume, harmonics, projection and sustain.

Ukuleles commonly come in four sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone.

5.BAMBOO XYLOPHONE 

The bamboo xylophone, also known as T’rung, is one of the traditional bamboo instruments.

A bamboo xylophone is made of short bamboo tubes of increasing length, with a notch at one end and a beveled edge at the other. The long big tubes give off low-pitched tones while the short small ones produce high-pitched tones. The tubes are arranged lengthwise horizontally and attached together by two strings.

A bamboo xylophone is played by direct striking using a wooden mallet or a pair of beaters. The sound is lively beautiful.

6.BAMBOO RAINSTICK

A bamboo rainstick is a long, hollow tube partially filled with small pebbles or beans that has small pins or thorns arranged helically on its inside surface. When the stick is upended, the pebbles fall to the other end of the tube, making a sound reminiscent of rain falling.