The ''gyaling'' (,
English
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: also spelled , , , , , , etc.) Gyaling, literally meaning "Chinese flute", is a traditional
woodwind
Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and re ...
instrument used in
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
. As its name indicates, it is the Chinese
double reed
A double reed is a type of reed used to produce sound in various wind instruments. In contrast with a single reed instrument, where the instrument is played by channeling air against one piece of cane which vibrates against the mouthpiece an ...
Suona
''Suona'' (IPA: /swoʊˈnɑː/, ), also called ''dida'' (from Cantonese / '' īdá'), ''laba'' or ''haidi'', is a traditional Chinese music instrument with double-reed horn. The suona's basic design originated in ancient Iran, then called "S ...
horn (much like the
sorna) used mainly in Tibetan monasteries during ''puja'' (chanting and prayer) and is associated with peaceful deities and the idea of devotion.
Design
The gyaling is oboe-like in appearance with a long hardwood body and copper brass bell. The instrument is generally covered with ornate embellishments of colored glass. The double reed, which is made from a single stem of marsh grass, is placed upon a small metal channel that protrudes out of the top.
There are eight (8) fingerholes on a standard gyaling.
To play a gyaling requires a technique called
circular breathing, in which the instrument will constantly be emitting a linear sound, even while the musician inhales. The reed is fully submerged in the player’s mouth but does not touch it; the lips are pressed against the flat metal channel below the reed. A gyaling player
tunes the instrument with the breath. The way of playing a gyaling varies depending on the lineage and ritual.
Usage in ritual
A typical
Tibetan Buddhist
Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
ritual orchestra consists of a gyaling,
dungchen,
kangling
''Kangling'' (), literally translated as "leg" (''kang'') "flute" (''ling''), is the Tibetan name for a trumpet or horn made out of a human tibia or femur, used in Tibetan Buddhism for various chöd rituals as well as funerals performed by a ch ...
,
dungkar (conch shells),
drillbu (handbells),
silnyen (vertical cymbals), and most importantly, chanting. Together, the music creates a state of mind to invite or summon deities.
Often, the style of performance is similar to that of a
bagpipe
Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, ...
, with many short and fast
neighbor tones.
Gallery
File:Ghyaling (Wooden oboe, double reed - Rgya-gling).png, Ghyaling at the National Museum of World Cultures and the World Museum.
File:Monk with trumpets and hats. Key Monastery Spiti.jpg, Monk at Key Monastery Spiti, Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several pea ...
, India.
File:Solo, Tharlam Monastery Band Plays During Lamdre, Boudha, Kathmandu, Nepal.jpg, Tharlam Monastery
Tharlam Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Sakya sect in Boudhanath, Kathmandu, Nepal.
History
In 1436, Ga Rabjampa Kunga Yeshe (1397 - 1470) founded Tharlam Monastery in Kham
Kham (; )
is one of the three traditional Tibetan r ...
, Boudha
Bouddha ( ne, बौद्धनाथ; ; , ), also known as Boudhanath, Khasti Chaitya and Khāsa Chaitya is a stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal.Snellgrove, David. ''Indo-Tibetan Buddhism: Indian Buddhists and Their Tibetan Successors'', 2 vols., p. 3 ...
, Kathmandu, Nepal
File:Zanskar Lingshed hautbois.jpg, Playing gyaling at Lingshed Monastery
Lingshed Monastery or Lingshed Gompa is a Gelugpa Buddhist monastery in Ladakh, India. It is located near Lingshet village in the Leh district. It was founded in the 1440s by Changsems Sherabs Zangpo, disciple of Je Tsongkhapa, on a monastic si ...
See also
*
Music of Asia
*
Shawm
The shawm () is a conical bore, double-reed woodwind instrument made in Europe from the 12th century to the present day. It achieved its peak of popularity during the medieval and Renaissance periods, after which it was gradually eclipsed by th ...
*
Suona
''Suona'' (IPA: /swoʊˈnɑː/, ), also called ''dida'' (from Cantonese / '' īdá'), ''laba'' or ''haidi'', is a traditional Chinese music instrument with double-reed horn. The suona's basic design originated in ancient Iran, then called "S ...
*
Sorna
*
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
References
External links
Clip of traditional Tibetan musicInformational gyaling video on circular breathing
Single oboes with conical bore
Tibetan musical instruments
{{DoubleReed-instrument-stub