“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