The gabbang, also known as bamboo xylophone, is a
musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be considered a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. A person who pl ...
made of
bamboo
Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...
widely used in southern
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. Among the
Tausugs and
Samas, it is commonly played to accompany songs and dances as a solo instrument or accompanied by the
biola.
Physical features
A gabbang consists of a set of trapezoidal bamboo bars of increasing length resting on a resonator.
The number of bars varies with the group that made them: Among
Yakan Yakan may refer to:
* Yakan people, a community of the Philippines
* Yakan language, a language of the Philippines
* Cape Yakan, in Russia
People with the name
* Adly Yakan Pasha (1864–1933), Egyptian politician
* Fathi Yakan (1933–2009), Le ...
s, the number ranges from three to nine bamboo bars, but the common ''agung gabbang'' has five; among
Tausugs, the number ranges from 14 to 22 bamboo bars, but the common ''gabbang'' has 12; and in
Palawan
Palawan (), officially the Province of Palawan ( cyo, Probinsya i'ang Palawan; tl, Lalawigan ng Palawan), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in ...
, the common ''gabbang'' has five.
Playing techniques
A bamboo xylophone is played by direct striking using a wooden
mallet
A mallet is a tool used for imparting force on another object, often made of rubber or sometimes wood, that is smaller than a maul or beetle, and usually has a relatively large head. The term is descriptive of the overall size and proport ...
. The gabbang is played by a pair of beaters while another taps a rhythmic pattern on the side of the box.
See also
*
Bungkaka
*
Diwas
The ''Diwas'' is a native bamboo wind instrument from the Philippines that is a variation of the well-known pan flute or panpipes. It is made of bamboo, with one end closed with bamboo nodes. It does not have finger holes (or tone holes) like o ...
*
Kolitong
The kolitong is a bamboo polychordal tube zither from Bontok, Kalinga, Philippines with six strings that run parallel to its tube body. The strings are numbered from one to six, from lowest to highest pitch. The body acts as the instrument's reso ...
*
Paldong
The paldong is a traditional lip-valley flute of the Kalinga tribes in the Philippines.
Design
It is an open, single end-blown flute. The lower end of the flute has three fingerholes.
The instrument is made from bamboo with its upper edge cut ...
*
Takumbo
The takumbo is a parallel-stringed tube zither made from bamboo, and is found in the Philippines. It is made from a heavy bamboo tube about 40 cm long, with both ends closed with a node. Two strands of strings, about 5 cm apart, are pa ...
References
{{reflist
Philippine musical instruments
Bamboo musical instruments
Idiophones struck directly