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The tube zither is a stringed musical instrument in which a tube functions both as an instrument's neck and its soundbox. As the neck, it holds strings taut and allows them to vibrate. As a soundbox or it modifies the sound and transfers it to the open air. The instruments are among the oldest of chordophones, being "a very early stage" in the development of chordophones, and predate some of the oldest chordophones, such as the Chinese Se,
zither Zithers (; , from the Greek word ''cithara'') are a class of stringed instruments. Historically, the name has been applied to any instrument of the psaltery family, or to an instrument consisting of many strings stretched across a thin, flat ...
s built on a tube split in half. Most tube zithers are made of bamboo, played today in
Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Afric ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
,
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...
and
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the no ...
. Tube zithers made from other materials have been found in Europe and the United States, made from materials such as cornstalks and cactus. There are both round and half tube zithers, as well as tube zithers with the strings cut out of the bamboo body, ''idiochordic'', or, rarely, have separate strings, ''heterochordic''.


Cultural connections

The areas where the bamboo tube zither has been used was connected by trade and migrations of people. One widespread group who still have some members using the bamboo-tube zither today were the
Austronesian people The Austronesian peoples, sometimes referred to as Austronesian-speaking peoples, are a large group of peoples in Taiwan, Maritime Southeast Asia, Micronesia, coastal New Guinea, Island Melanesia, Polynesia, and Madagascar that speak Au ...
s, inhabiting an area that includes Madagascar, Southeast Asia,
Oceania Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million ...
and Taiwan. Musicologists use iconography, linguistics, and literature to look for clues about existence and traits of musical instruments in the past, as well as modern instrument and variations among them. From these clues they create a history, basing their story of the instrument on the clues they have uncovered. Existing instruments, names in different languages, methods of manufacture and playing, music theory and tonal systems all offer clues to instrument origins. Among the historical trends in the background of the bamboo tube zither, traders from India sailed east and "passed the Malay peninsula" by the 6th century b.c. Indonesians sailed west to Madagascar by the 1st century A.D. By the 3rd century a.d, Buddhists were making statues in Java, and by the 7th century A.D. the "Indianized"
Srivijaya empire Srivijaya ( id, Sriwijaya) was a Buddhist thalassocratic empire based on the island of Sumatra (in modern-day Indonesia), which influenced much of Southeast Asia. Srivijaya was an important centre for the expansion of Buddhism from the 7th t ...
(650-1377) was founded in Sumatra. The Khmer empire (802-1431 a.d.) was founded in the 9th century a.d. Wars among countries (including the Khmer Empire,
Champa Champa ( Cham: ꨌꩌꨛꨩ; km, ចាម្ប៉ា; vi, Chiêm Thành or ) were a collection of independent Cham polities that extended across the coast of what is contemporary central and southern Vietnam from approximately the 2nd ...
) (192–1832) and Đại Việt caused people to migrate overland, including a defeated tribe from the
Tonkin Tonkin, also spelled ''Tongkin'', ''Tonquin'' or ''Tongking'', is an exonym referring to the northern region of Vietnam. During the 17th and 18th centuries, this term referred to the domain '' Đàng Ngoài'' under Trịnh lords' control, includ ...
plains in modern Vietnam moving overland eastward to
Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
near North India. Currently known evidence in pictures for the tube zither and bar zither dates to between the 7th and 10th centuries AD. The history of the tube zithers is interconnected with that of bar-zithers. It may not always be possible to tell from the artwork if a stick or a thin bamboo tube is being depicted on a relief artwork.


Basic divisions

Tube zithers can be divided by the materials used to create the tube and strings. They can be divided by the method used to get sound from the strings. They can be divided by the way the strings are arranged on the tube, which can interact with the way the strings are sounded. They can be divided by whether the tube is a whole tube or a half tube. Most tube zithers are made from bamboo, a material that is naturally hollow. Other plants have been adapted to make tubes, including cactus and breadfruit trees. Half zithers are made of both bamboo and of curved-wood boards, as much a board zither as a tube zither. After addressing the device used to stretch the strings, a tube as opposed to a stick for a bar-zither, Hornbostel-Sachs divides the tube zithers into two types, based on the types of strings they use: idiochord and heterochord. '' Idiochord'' tube zithers have "strings" which are made from the material of the tube itself. With bamboo, the surface of the tube is cut and peeled into strips, leaving both ends still attached to the tube. Small pieces of bamboo are put under the strip to make it tight. The tight strip of bamboo acts as a string and can be plucked, hammered or bowed. '' Heterochord'' tube zithers use a separate material for strings, such as wire, fishing line or guitar strings. The strings are secured to the tube on each end, and tension is placed on them. Some resemble the idiochord zithers, the string put through holes in the tube, secured there and bamboo put underneath to make them taut. Another version secures one end through a hole in the tube, the other end wrapped around a peg that can be tightened. Another way of looking at the instruments is the way strings are arranged on the tube. ''Polychordal tube zithers'' circle the tube with string-rows. In contrast, ''parallel-string zithers'' have strings arranged in parallel, often only one pair for the tube and linked together so that they sound together. Tube zithers may be plucked chordophones, tapped or struck percussion chordophones or bowed chordophones.


Bamboo

The bamboo-tube zither exists in the 21st century in pockets from Madagascar, to India, Southeast Asia and the Philippine Islands of
Northern Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
and
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
. Historically, it was found in India and China, where in the 21st century the  Rudra veena and non-bamboo
guzheng The zheng () or gu zheng (), is a Chinese plucked zither. The modern guzheng commonly has 21, 25, or 26 strings, is long, and is tuned in a major pentatonic scale. It has a large, resonant soundboard made from '' Paulownia'' wood. Other ...
are modern relations. The basic instruments were constructed by cutting strips into the outer edges, raising the strips with wedges to create tension and make idiochord strings. They could be tuned by the positioning of the wedges, tightening and loosening the bamboo-strip strings. Beneath the strips, the holes started below the strips of bamboo were expanded downward, until they went all the way through the side of the tube. Modern instrument makers in Madagascar, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam have taken advantage of modern materials. Fishing line, wire and other modern string materials have been repurposed as musical instrument strings, with pegs to tune the instruments. There is less fall-off of the note with the new materials and the sound of the instruments are different. The instruments are connected with gongs in cultures in Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. When hammered, the zithers with bamboo strings have a gong or bell-like tone which rings and falls off. In Indonesia, there have been gong-ensembles made entirely of bamboo instruments, and some groups use a word for gong in the instruments' names (such as
ong bamboo Ong or ONG may refer to: Arts and media * Ong's Hat, a collaborative work of fiction * “Ong Ong”, a song by Blur from the album The Magic Whip Places * Ong, Nebraska, US, city * Ong's Hat, New Jersey, US, ghost town * Ong River, Odisha, India ...
.<--verify--> Where gongs are a public instrument, the polychord bamboo-zithers can be used privately in the home. Furthermore, with a tube-zither, a musician can play music that normally takes an entire group of gongs. Kolitong and kulibaw mimic the cyclic sequence of the gangsa (ensembles of flat gongs). For this, the six strings of the kolitong are tuned exactly to the pitch of the gongs. *Cambodia: Kong *Indonesia: Kolintang gong) Kolitong zither *Tagalog: Agong *Sumatra: Ogoeng *Vietnam: Goong


Africa

The tube zither, called
valiha The valiha is a tube zither from Madagascar made from a species of local bamboo; it is considered the " national instrument" of Madagascar. The term is also used to describe a number of related zithers of differing shapes and materials. T ...
, arrived in Madagascar in the 15th century a.d. with the Hova people, a Malay people. Two forms  exist. The traditional form has as many as 14 strings cut and raised from the bamboo tube.  Starting in the 20th century, the bamboo strips were replaced by metal strings, changing the instrument's sound. Africa also uses the raft zither, in which tube zithers are put together into a single musical instrument. One example of a raft zither is the Totombito zither, from Congo. Other African examples may be found in Nigeria and East Africa.


Southeast Asia

The instruments were used differently, depending on the cultures. In Cambodia, the Kong ring was plucked, used as a substitute for the sound of a circle of gongs, similar to the way a piano can substitute for an orchestra. In the Philippines, the zither strings were plucked but also hammered with a stick, like a drum. Off the coast of Burma and Thailand, the Moken people played their with a bow. Bamboo-tube-zithers the Kong ring in Cambodia, the Đàn goong in Vietnam. The instruments are also found in Burma and Thailand among the
Pa'O Pa'O may refer to: * Pa'O language, a Karen language of Burma * Pa'O people , native_name_lang = my , image = Pa O Tribe Kalaw Shan Myanmar.jpg , caption = A Pa'O woman near Kalaw, southern Shan State , population = ...
(Black Karen), Kayaw (Red Karen), Sgaw Karen,
Khamu The Khmu (; Khmu: ; lo, ຂະມຸ ; th, ขมุ ; vi, Khơ Mú; ; my, ခမူ) are an ethnic group of Southeast Asia. The majority (88%) live in northern Laos where they constitute the largest minority ethnic group, comprising eleve ...
and Shan peoples. The Khamu have more than one kind of bamboo-tube zither, with bamboo strings. The ''bring'' is a parallel string zither, used fur percussion. Like other parallel-string percussive bamboo zithers, it has two stings cut from the bamboo, the stings linked together with a thin piece of bamboo, a small hole cut into the tube wall below The connector. The bring is different than many tube zithers, having the two ends of the bamboo tube open. One end is held against the musician's body while playing it, closing that end, and the musician uses a hand to cover and uncover the other hole, changing the sound. They also have zithers designed for plucking.


Indonesia, Java, Sumatra

Early knowledge of Indonesian musical instruments comes from artwork and literature of the Hindu-Javanese civilization, which began with Hindu colonists in the fifth century AD. Because bamboo instruments decay, evidence of them comes through iconography, images in art, and literature. It is likely that the instruments pre-date their first representation in imagery. The instrument is found in the Kinddung Sunda, a work in Middle Javanese which was used in about the 14th and 15th centuries. In that work, it was called the guntang, and is still called that in Bali. The instrument is found in the Kinddung Sunda, a work in Middle Javanese which was used in about the 14th and 15th centuries. It is also present in the "entire archipelago" but under different names, including the ''gumbeng'' or ''bumbeng''. Instruments may be created with single strings, pairs of strings (parallel strings), and with three or more strings (polychordal). The number of strings influences how they are played. Instruments with three or fewer strings are played like drums, the strings beaten with a stick. Instruments with three or more strings may be plucked with the thumbnails. These may also be played with a combination of thumbnail and stick, the player moving back and forth between plucked and hammered notes.


Ensembles, gumbeng and chelempung

The traditional ensemble music of Indonesia centers around gong and gong-chime based ensembles, called gamelans. The music was imitated with other instruments, including bamboo-based ensembles. The ''Gumbeng'' ensemble includes a polychordal bamboo-tube zither with bamboo strings to play melody, a second bamboo-tube zither set up as a parallel-string instrument (strings connected together and sounding together and functioning as "kempul") another string making "kenong beats", a bamboo-tube (not a zither) functioning as "kedang" by beating open ends of the tube with the palms of the hands, a bamboo-tube instrument blown as a gong. The ''chelempung'' ensemble or ''celempung'', found today on Java and in places under Javanese influence (including Sumatra), consists normally of rows of "bonang" kettle bells, in rows of 3 or 5 bells. However, instruments may substitute for the kettle bells, including a single
celempung The siter and celempung are plucked string instruments used in Javanese gamelan. They are related to the ''kacapi'' used in Sundanese gamelan. The siter and celempung each have between 11 and 13 pairs of strings, strung on each side, between a ...
metal-stringed zither or a chelempung orchestra consisting of idiochord-bamboo tube zithers. In this last ensemble, instruments may be named for their function in the orchestra: the ''kendang awi'' (bamboo kendang) replaces the kendang drum; the ''ketuk awi'' (bamboo ketuk) replaces the '' ketuk gong-chime'' part. Another instrument used with this ensemble is the ''celempung renteng'', which refers to a row (reteng) of parallel-string tube zithers (''celempung''). This row has tube zithers of different sizes, each playing a different note, like tone-bars on a xylophone. Strings tuned to higher notes imitate the gamelan chimes, and lower note strings imitate gongs. Another zither used in the chelempung ensemble is a three-string celempung indung. The instrument is polychordal, with strings played individually to make different notes. Bridges can be placed under the strings in the center of two of the strings, allowing even more notes, on either side of the bridge. The lowest note string has been designed to make a "sustained boom" through the use of a flap, over a hole in the bamboo tubing; the flap vibrates with the string and "this sound/energy is transmitted through the length of the tube through the small hole." The kendang drum is imitated by hitting the open end of the tube with the palm of the musician's hand. A player can also influence the pitch of the sound by making the opening on the end of the instrument larger or smaller with the palm of a hand—a completely open hole makes the highest pitch sound, and closing the hole makes the lowest pitched sound.


Philippines

The Philippines have a variety of names and forms for the bamboo-tube zither, and pluck the instruments add use the for percussion, and in modern times have developed a bowed form. The different versions of names may be the result of transcribing them into English, but may also be the versions of names in different dialects or languages. The instruments are made from a tube of bamboo, about 10 centimeters across, with the ends blocked. The ends may be partially open or the instrument may have added holes or be deliberately cracked to help resonance. The instruments are idiochords, with strings cut from the tube, in strips attached at both ends and given tension with wedges placed between tube and string. They may be polychords, with lengthwise rows of stings spaced out around the tube, or parallel stringed with strings in one or two groups of two. The instruments may be played in orchestras of bamboo-zithers, "rural gamelan ensembles," in which the instruments take the place of bonang,
kenong The Kenong is a musical instrument of Indonesia used in the gamelan. It is a kind of gong and is placed on its side. It has the same length and width. Thus, it is similar to the bonang, kempyang, and ketuk, which are also cradled gongs. Ken ...
and kempul gongs.


Polychords

The polychordal tube zithers are played on
Northern Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
,
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
island and
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 t ...
. On Northern Luzon, the zithers include the Ilongot five-stringed ''kollesing'' or ''kulisin'', Bontok ''kolitong'', ''kollitong'', or ''kullitong'',
Kalinga Kalinga may refer to: Geography, linguistics and/or ethnology * Kalinga (historical region), a historical region of India ** Kalinga (Mahabharata), an apocryphal kingdom mentioned in classical Indian literature ** Kalinga script, an ancient writin ...
six-stringed '' kolitong'' and six or eleven-stringed '' kulibit'', Isneg five-stringed . On
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
the
Bagobo The Lumad are a group of Austronesian indigenous people in the southern Philippines. It is a Cebuano term meaning "native" or "indigenous". The term is short for Katawhang Lumad (Literally: "indigenous people"), the autonym officially adopte ...
call it the ''taw-go'', ''tugo'', or ''padang''. The B’laan or Bilaan, call it , or . The Subanun call their five-string zither the . The Maguindanaon call it the . The
Manobo The Lumad are a group of Austronesian indigenous people in the southern Philippines. It is a Cebuano term meaning "native" or "indigenous". The term is short for Katawhang Lumad (Literally: "indigenous people"), the autonym officially adopt ...
call their seven-stringed zither the , or . The
Mansaka The Lumad are a group of Austronesian indigenous people in the southern Philippines. It is a Cebuano term meaning "native" or "indigenous". The term is short for Katawhang Lumad (Literally: "indigenous people"), the autonym officially adopte ...
call it the ''takul''. The T’boli call it the or . The Tiruray call their eight-string zither the , or . The Bukidnon Matigsalug name their six-stringed zither the . On
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 t ...
, it is called the ''pagang''.


Parallel-stringed instruments

Parallel-stringed tube zithers are used on Mindanao by the Maranao, Tiruray, and Manobo, and on North Luzon by the Isneg. A flattened section is created on a length of bamboo, with a hole in the center. Two strings are cut on the either side of the flattened section. A platform is placed to connect the two stings (above the hole) so that they vibrate together. The instruments may have either one or two pairs of strings and may either be plucked or struck with bamboo sticks. The Maranao call their zither . The Isneg call theirs (or variants , and ).


Playing methods

The Kalinga's six-stringed kulibet is held in the player's hands and plucked. The player uses thumbs on two strings and his middle and index fingers for the other four, plucking alternately with each side to sustain a melody. The Isneg play their five-stringed in the same manner, plucking with thumbs and fingers. The Ilongglot have a way for two people to play one instrument, the man holding the five-string in his hands, the woman beating percussion on the strings with bamboo sticks. The subanun play with the holder plucking and the person with sticks tapping the body of the instrument with sticks. The Truray do the same, but it is specifically two women that play with way. For some entertainment, such as dancing, some groups pair the tube-zither with 2-string kudlong lute, including the Bilaan, T'boli, Vukidnon Matigsalug.


India

The Rudra veena (different than the
Saraswati veena The Sarasvatī vīṇa (also spelled Saraswati vina) (Devanagari: सरस्वती वीणा (vīṇā), te, సరస్వతి వీణ, kan, ಸರಸ್ವತಿ ವೀಣೆ, ta, சரஸ்வதி வீணை, Malayalam ...
) is a plucked instrument, a wood or bamboo tube that holds strings and fretboard and has 2 gourd resonators. Early forms included the Alapini Vina and
Eka-tantri Vina The ''eka-tantrī vīṇā'' was a medieval tube-zither veena in India, with a single string and one or more gourd resonators. The instrument became prominent in Indian music in about the 10th century C.E. as instruments of court music. Alongsi ...
. Organologists have placed the Rudra veena in different positions in their classifications, either as a bar zither or as a tube zither. As a tube zither, there is a historical connection to other tube zithers. Southeast Asia has a wide variety of development for tube zithers and can't be excluded as the developers of this style of instrument. The tube zithers may have moved from Southeast Asia to Northern India by way of overland trade. The more mainstream view shows stick-zithers with gourds (looking much like the Rudra Veena as possibly a pre-bamboo tube form) went from India to Java.


Half-tube zithers

Musicians have to deal with the shape of their instruments. One method was to attach a gourd to rest the instrument on the ground or lap, or press against the musician's chest. Splitting the bamboo tube in half created an instrument that could lie flat stably.


Asian zither

In antiquity, the Chinese
guzheng The zheng () or gu zheng (), is a Chinese plucked zither. The modern guzheng commonly has 21, 25, or 26 strings, is long, and is tuned in a major pentatonic scale. It has a large, resonant soundboard made from '' Paulownia'' wood. Other ...
may have originally been a bamboo-tube zither. That was what was described in the '' Shuowen Jiezi''. Kurt Sachs pointed out that bamboo large enough to form the body of a guzheng only grew in the far south. It would be redesigned later to imitate and use curved boards like the Se to replace the curved half-tube of bamboo. It was also said to have evolved from the Se. In their current form, both instruments are what are described to be board zithers rather than half-tube zithers. The Japanese Koto is also a half-tube zither. The ancestor of the koto was the Chinese
guzheng The zheng () or gu zheng (), is a Chinese plucked zither. The modern guzheng commonly has 21, 25, or 26 strings, is long, and is tuned in a major pentatonic scale. It has a large, resonant soundboard made from '' Paulownia'' wood. Other ...
. It was first introduced to Japan from China in the 7th and 8th century. The first known version had five strings, which eventually increased to seven strings. (It had twelve strings when it was introduced to Japan in the early
Nara Period The of the history of Japan covers the years from CE 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the c ...
(710–784) and increased to thirteen strings). The Japanese koto belongs to the Asian zither family that also comprises the Chinese (ancestral to the other
zither Zithers (; , from the Greek word ''cithara'') are a class of stringed instruments. Historically, the name has been applied to any instrument of the psaltery family, or to an instrument consisting of many strings stretched across a thin, flat ...
s in the family), the Kazakh , the Korean , and , the Mongolian , the Sundanese and the Vietnamese .


Parallel-Stringed Half-Tube Zither

The bamboo half-tube
zither Zithers (; , from the Greek word ''cithara'') are a class of stringed instruments. Historically, the name has been applied to any instrument of the psaltery family, or to an instrument consisting of many strings stretched across a thin, flat ...
found in the Philippines among the
Ifugao Ifugao, officially the Province of Ifugao ( ilo, Probinsia ti Ifugao; tl, Lalawigan ng Ifugao), is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Lagawe and it borders Benguet to the ...
is called , , , or . It has two to four strings which, depending on the style of playing, are plucked with the fingers or struck with small bamboo sticks. Boys and men play the tadcheng for entertainment, often tapping rhythms patterned after those played on the gongs. The Ibaloi of North Luzon also have a half-tube polychord tube zither which they call the ''kaltsang ''.


Bowed tube-zithers


Mergui Archipelago, Burma and Thailand

The
Moken The Moken (also ''Mawken or'' ''Morgan''; ; th, ชาวเล, lit=sea people, translit=chao le) are an Austronesian people of the Mergui Archipelago, a group of approximately 800 islands claimed by both Myanmar and Thailand. Most of the 2,0 ...
people, who live in the
Mergui Archipelago The Mergui Archipelago (also Myeik Archipelago or ''Myeik Kyunzu''; my, မြိတ်ကျွန်းစု) is located in far southern Myanmar (Burma) and is part of the Tanintharyi Region. It consists of more than 800 islands, varying i ...
in the southern end of Burma, have a two-string bamboo-tube zither, the which they pluck and bow. The instrument, made from a tube of bamboo about 622 millimeters (24.48 inches) long and 48–52 mm (1.8 — 2 inches) across, was originally strung with plant fibers or gut from sharks or dogs. The Moken have modernized their instrument, using nylon fishing line in place of the plant or gut strings. One long string is folded in half and the folded bight is hooked onto the lower end of the instrument. The two string-ends are each tightened and tied at the top of the instrument. The strings are held off the bottom of the instrument with a bridge. The bow is made of bamboo, with a strip of rattan for a bowstring and bee's wax for rosin. The bamboo tube is closed at the bottom and open at the top, and three holes are burned through the bamboo in the lower half of the instrument. The sound radiates upward, so that the player hears it best. The bow is stored inside the bamboo tube. The instrument strings are tuned "approximately a fourth apart" at "roughly F4 — A#4". The musician plays the instrument by using a bow on the strings, fingers underneath the strings at the top of the instrument. The musician raises and lowers tension on the strings, changing the pitch of the notes, in a roughly "four-tone scale." The higher-pitched string is used to play melody, and the lower-pitched string is occasionally played as a
drone Drone most commonly refers to: * Drone (bee), a male bee, from an unfertilized egg * Unmanned aerial vehicle * Unmanned surface vehicle, watercraft * Unmanned underwater vehicle or underwater drone Drone, drones or The Drones may also refer to: ...
, providing " heterophony." The is played as part of the religious life-view of the Moken people. The two strings represent ancestral couples, and the musician, by playing the instrument, has "dialogue with the entities of the mythical past."


Arizona

The White Cloud and San Carlos
Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño a ...
people in
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
developed a bowed-tube zither in the 1800s, called today, the Apache fiddle. The instrument was made from the hollowed-out stem of an agave cactus, the top sealed with piñón pine pitch, a wedge driven up through the bottom of the instrument so that the edge of the wedge supported the weight of the bridge from inside. The instrument and bow were both strung with horsehair, the hair on the fiddle twisted into a tight string, the hair on the bow straight. The tuning peg tightened the fiddle string to "C# below middle C." It may have been played as well by the Yakutat people (part of the Tlingit of the northwest coast of North America. The
Diegueno The Kumeyaay, also known as Tipai-Ipai or by their historical Spanish name Diegueño, is a tribe of Indigenous peoples of the Americas who live at the northern border of Baja California in Mexico and the southern border of California in the Unit ...
of Southern California had a bowed instrument, as well, and the
Seri people The Seri or ''Comcaac'' are an indigenous group of the Mexican state of Sonora. The majority reside on the Seri communal property ( es, ejido), in the towns of Punta Chueca ( sei, Socaaix) and El Desemboque ( sei, Haxöl Iihom, link=no) on ...
on
Tiburón Island Tiburón Island is the largest island in the Gulf of California and the largest island in Mexico, with an area of . It was made a nature reserve in 1963 by President Adolfo López Mateos. Etymology is Spanish for ' shark'. Although the Seri ...
, although the Seri's traditional fiddle was the enneg. The tone of the instrument was "a faint dry squeak", characterized humorously by Apaches as the "buzz, buzz, sound." They also called it "wood singing."


Related instruments

This list does not attempt to include all variations. Some instruments may be known by more than one name.
Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...
*
Kong ring The kong ring or gung treng (Khmer: គង់រេង) is a Cambodian tube zither, in which a tube of bamboo is used as a resonator for stings that run along the outside of the tube, lengthwise. It has the same musical purpose as the " bossed g ...
, ( Mondulkiri Province) plucked * Bunong people (Mondulkiri Province), plucked 6-string bamboo idiochord * gung treng,
Tampuan people The Tampuan (also spelled ''Tompuan'' or ''Tampuon'', ''Tumpoun'', ''Tumpuon'', km, ទំពួន) are an indigenous ethnic group living in northeast Cambodia. Numbering about 31,000, the Tampuan people live in the mountainous Southern and Wes ...
( Ratanakiri Province) 9-stringed tube zither, metal strings, plucked
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
* Alapini vina, historic * Dhutang,
Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
*
Eka-tantri vina The ''eka-tantrī vīṇā'' was a medieval tube-zither veena in India, with a single string and one or more gourd resonators. The instrument became prominent in Indian music in about the 10th century C.E. as instruments of court music. Alongsi ...
, historic *Guda ( Thadou),
Manipur Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of ...
*
Kinnari vina The ''kinnari vina'' (Sanskrit: किन्नरी वीणा) is a historical veena, a tube zither with gourds attached to act as resonators and frets. It was played in India into the late 19th century and was documented by two European arti ...
, historic *''Pak-Dol'' or ''Veddur-Dol'' ( Maria Gond people)
Jabalpur Jabalpur is a city situated on the banks of Narmada River in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. According to the 2011 census, it is the third-largest urban agglomeration in Madhya Pradesh and the country's 38th-largest urban agglomeration. ...
* Rudra veena modern form
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...
:
Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and ...
:* Guntang :
Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...
:*''Gumbeng'' (
Javanese people The Javanese ( id, Orang Jawa; jv, ꦮꦺꦴꦁꦗꦮ, ''Wong Jawa'' ; , ''Tiyang Jawi'' ) are an ethnic group native to the central and eastern part of the Indonesian island of Java. With approximately 100 million people, Javanese people a ...
) :
West Java West Java ( id, Jawa Barat, su, ᮏᮝ ᮊᮥᮜᮧᮔ᮪, romanized ''Jawa Kulon'') is a province of Indonesia on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten ...
:*''Celempung indung'' (
Sundanese people The Sunda or Sundanese ( id, Orang Sunda; su, ᮅᮛᮀ ᮞᮥᮔ᮪ᮓ, Urang Sunda) are an indigenous ethnic group native to the western region of Java island in Indonesia, primarily West Java. They number approximately 42 million and form ...
) (polychordal), percussion :*''Celempung reteng'' (Sundanese people) (parallel), percussion row of instruments :*''Kendang awi'' (bamboo zither playing kendang role) :
Rote Island Rote Island ( id, Pulau Rote, also spelled ''Roti'') is an island of Indonesia, part of the East Nusa Tenggara province of the Lesser Sunda Islands. According to legend, this island got its name accidentally when a lost Portuguese sailor arrive ...
:* Sasando plucked :
Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
:*''gondang buluh'' (
Mandailing people The Mandailing is an ethnic group in Sumatera, Indonesia that is commonly associated with the Batak people. They are found mainly in the northern section of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. They came under the influence of the Kaum Padri w ...
) :* Keteng-Keteng (
Karo people Karo people may refer to: *Karo people (Indonesia) *Karo people (East Africa) ''Karo'' is a group of Nilotic tribes that straddles the Nile in the Republic of South Sudan and is predominately found in Central Equatoria State, and as far South ...
) 2-string percussion :* Mengmung(
Toba Batak people Toba people (Surat Batak: ᯅᯖᯂ᯲ ᯖᯬᯅ) also referred to as Batak Toba people are the largest group of the Batak people of North Sumatra, Indonesia. The common phrase of ‘Batak’ usually refers to the Batak Toba people. This mist ...
) :* Tanggetong (Toba Batak people) :* also Ogoeng-ogoeng boeloe (bamboo gong) :*Tatabuang (
Halmahera island Halmahera, formerly known as Jilolo, Gilolo, or Jailolo, is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. It is part of the North Maluku province of Indonesia, and Sofifi, the capital of the province, is located on the west coast of the island. Ha ...
) :
West Sumatra West Sumatra ( id, Sumatra Barat) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the west coast of the island of Sumatra and includes the Mentawai Islands off that coast. The province has an area of , with a population of 5,534,472 at the 2020 cen ...
:*''Talempong Botuang'' (
Minangkabau people Minangkabau people ( min, Urang Minang; Indonesian language, Indonesian or Malay language, Malay: ''Orang Minangkabau'' or ''Minangkabo''; Jawi alphabet, Jawi: منڠكبو), also known as Minang, are an Austronesian people, Austronesian eth ...
) (polychordal) plucked and drummed :
Sumba Sumba ( id, Pulau Sumba) is an island in eastern Indonesia. It is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands and is in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Sumba has an area of , and the population was 779,049 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as a ...
:*Gogah 5-string polychord, plucked with fingers & pick
Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispa ...
*
Benta Benta is a major town in Lipis District The Lipis District is a district located in north-west of Pahang, Malaysia. The district covers an area of 5,198 km2. Lipis district is bordered by Cameron Highlands and Perak on the west, Jerant ...
Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist s ...
*''Bring'' (Khamu people)
Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Afric ...
*
Valiha The valiha is a tube zither from Madagascar made from a species of local bamboo; it is considered the " national instrument" of Madagascar. The term is also used to describe a number of related zithers of differing shapes and materials. T ...
plucked
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...
*
Karaniing The karaniing (or kereb among the Temiar people or Senoi people, or pergram among the Jah Hut people) is a type of bamboo tube zither played among the Orang Asli tribal peoples of Malaysia. The pergam variant is made with four strings (in two p ...
*'' Kereb'' (
Temiar people The Temiar are a Senoic group indigenous to the Malay peninsula and one of the largest of the eighteen Orang Asli groups of Malaysia. They reside mainly within Perak, Pahang and Kelantan states. The total ethnic population is estimated at around ...
), 2-string heterochord, plucked *''Lutong'' (
Kenyah people The Kenyah people are an indigenous, Austronesian-speaking people of Borneo, living in the remote Baram Lio Matoh, Long Selaan, Long Moh, Long Anap, Long Mekaba, Long Jeeh, Long Belaong, Long San, Long Silat, Long Tungan, Data Kakus ...
) (
Sarawak Sarawak (; ) is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, ...
) 4-6 strings * Krem ( Jah Hut people), heterochord, parallel strings, tapped *''Pagong'' ( Penan people), (
Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and e ...
). 4-string instrument, plucked. *''Pergram'' (Jah Hut people) idiochord *''Satong'' ( Kejaman-Lasah people) (Kajang people) (Sarawak) * Semang people tube zither (
Perak Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand' ...
) *''Tongkungon'' polychord, 4-8 strings (
Sabah Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory ...
) plucked & percussion
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
(Burma) *Kayah Karen people tube zither *''Paplaw'' (Sgaw Karen people) *''Tiktung'' (Pa'O Karen people) :
Mergui Archipelago The Mergui Archipelago (also Myeik Archipelago or ''Myeik Kyunzu''; my, မြိတ်ကျွန်းစု) is located in far southern Myanmar (Burma) and is part of the Tanintharyi Region. It consists of more than 800 islands, varying i ...
:*Kating ga-un (
Moken The Moken (also ''Mawken or'' ''Morgan''; ; th, ชาวเล, lit=sea people, translit=chao le) are an Austronesian people of the Mergui Archipelago, a group of approximately 800 islands claimed by both Myanmar and Thailand. Most of the 2,0 ...
people) bowed
Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is ma ...
*Bhante Madal. (
Tamang people The Tamang (; Devanagari: तामाङ; ''tāmāṅ'') are an Tibeto-Burmese ethnic group of Nepal. In Nepal Tamang/Moormi people constitute 5.6% of the Nepalese population at over 1.3 million in 2001, increasing to 1,539,830 as of the 2011 ...
) 2-String bamboo drum (
madal The madal ( ne, मादल) or maadal is a Nepalese folk musical instrument. The madal is used mainly for rhythm-keeping in Nepalese folk music. It is very popular and widely used as a hand drum in Nepal. The madal has a cylindrical body with a s ...
).
Dendrocalamus hookeri ''Dendrocalamus'' is a tropical Asian genus of giant clumping bamboos in the grass family. It is found in the Indian subcontinent, China, and Southeast Asia. ''Dendrocalamus giganteus'' is one of the tallest of bamboos, capable of reaching h ...
bamboo. *Tunjaai. ( Dhimal people). Tube zithers of Bouquet grass connected together into
board zither Zithers (; , from the Greek word ''cithara'') are a class of stringed instruments. Historically, the name has been applied to any instrument of the psaltery family, or to an instrument consisting of many string (music), strings stretched across ...
or raft zither. Picked/strummed with plectrum. *Yalambar / Yalamber Baja ( यलम्बर (बाजा)) (
Kirati people The Kirati people, also spelled as Kirant or Kiranti, are a Sino-Tibetan ethnic group. They are peoples of the Himalayas, mostly the Eastern Himalaya extending eastward from Nepal to North East India (predominantly in the Indian state of Sikkim ...
) 2-string bamboo drum
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 ...
:
Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
:*
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 ...
(
Kalinga people The Kalinga people () are an indigenous ethnic group whose ancestral domain is in the Cordillera Mountain Range of the northern Philippines. They are mainly found in Kalinga province which has an area of 3,282.58 sq. km. Some of them, howev ...
) polychord 6-11 strings whole tube or half-tube, plucked and percussion :*
Kulibit The kulibit is a type of tube zither played by the Kalinga people of the Philippines. The instrument consists of a long tube of bamboo which has been slit to allow five or six strands of the bamboo husk to be played as "strings". The instrument is ...
(Kalinga) polychord 6-11 strings :*''Kollesing'' ( Ilongot) :*
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 ...
(Kalinga people, Isneg people) parallel-strings, percussion and plucked :*Tambi (Kalinga people) percussion 2-string parallel :
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
:*''Sludoy'', ''salorai'', ''saluray'', ''saluroy'', ''saw-ray'', 5-strings polychord, plucked ( Tboli people,
B'laan people The Blaan people, are one of the indigenous peoples of Southern Mindanao in the Philippines. Their name could have derived from "bla" meaning "opponent" and the suffix "an" meaning "people". According to a 2021 genetic study, the Blaan people al ...
,
Manobo people The Lumad are a group of Austronesian indigenous people in the southern Philippines. It is a Cebuano term meaning "native" or "indigenous". The term is short for Katawhang Lumad (Literally: "indigenous people"), the autonym officially adopt ...
) :*''taw-go, tugo, ''togo'', takul, tankew'', ''tangkel'', polychord, (
Bagobo people The Lumad are a group of Austronesian indigenous people in the southern Philippines. It is a Cebuano term meaning "native" or "indigenous". The term is short for Katawhang Lumad (Literally: "indigenous people"), the autonym officially adopte ...
,
Maguindanao people The Maguindanao people are an Austronesian ethnic group from the Philippines. The Maguindanaon are part of wider political identity of Muslims of Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan known as Moro, who constitute the third largest ethnic group of Mindana ...
,
Manobo people The Lumad are a group of Austronesian indigenous people in the southern Philippines. It is a Cebuano term meaning "native" or "indigenous". The term is short for Katawhang Lumad (Literally: "indigenous people"), the autonym officially adopt ...
,
Mansaka people The Lumad are a group of Austronesian indigenous people in the southern Philippines. It is a Cebuano term meaning "native" or "indigenous". The term is short for Katawhang Lumad (Literally: "indigenous people"), the autonym officially adopt ...
, Tiruray people) :*''padang'', polychord, (Bagobo people) :
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 t ...
:*''Pagang'', polychord (
Palawan people The Palawan tribal people, also known as the Palawano or the Palaw'an, are an indigenous ethnic group of the Palawan group of islands in the Philippines. Palawanos are more popularly known as Palawans, which is pronounced faster than the name of ...
)
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the no ...
*''Kango’ngo’an'' (
Saisiyat people The Saisiyat (; Hakka Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ''賽夏族(Sòi-hà-tshu̍k)''), also spelled Saisiat, are an indigenous people of Taiwan. In 2000 the Saisiyat numbered 5,311, which was approximately 1.3% of Taiwan's total indigenous population, making t ...
) monochord, idiochord, percussion zither
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
* Maniq people tube zither
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
* Apache fiddle bowed *
Cornstalk fiddle The cornstalk fiddle is a toy, and a type of bowed string instrument played historically in North America. The instrument consists of a cornstalk, with slits cut into the shaft to allow one or more fibrous sections to separate from the main body an ...
, idiochord, (''gingara'' or ''dječje guslice'', Serbia) (''cirokhegedű'' or ''kucoricahegedű'', Hungary)
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...
* Đàn brố ( Bahnar, Xơ Đăng, Êđê,
Gia Rai people Jarai people or Jarais ( vi, Người Gia Rai, , or ; km, ចារ៉ាយ, ) are an ethnic group in Vietnam's Central Highlands ( Gia Lai and Kon Tum Provinces, with smaller populations in Đắk Lắk Province), as well as in the Cambodian ...
and Giẻ Xtiêng peoples) plucked *
Đàn bầu The đàn bầu (; "gourd zither"; chữ Nôm: ), also called độc huyền cầm (獨絃琴, "one-string zither") is a Vietnamese stringed instrument, in the form of a monochord (one-string) zither. History While the earliest written records o ...
version made from bamboo tube, 1 string, plucked * Đàn goong (
Bru people The Bru (also Bruu, Riang or Bru-Vân Kiều; vi, Người Bru - Vân Kiều; Lao: ບຣູ ; Thai: บรู; which literally means "people living in the woods") are an ethnic group living in Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. They speak a Katu ...
) heterochord, plucked * Đàn K'ni (
Bahnar people The Bahnar or Ba-Na are an ethnic group of Vietnam living primarily in the Central Highland provinces of Gia Lai and Kon Tum, as well as the coastal provinces of Bình Định and Phú Yên. They speak the Bahnar language belongs the Bahnari ...
,
Jarai people Jarai people or Jarais ( vi, Người Gia Rai, , or ; km, ចារ៉ាយ, ) are an ethnic group in Vietnam's Central Highlands ( Gia Lai and Kon Tum Provinces, with smaller populations in Đắk Lắk Province), as well as in the Cambodian ...
,
Xo Dang people The Sedang people (In Vietnamese: Xê Đăng or Xơ Đăng) are an ethnic group of Vietnam. They mainly inhabit the Kon Tum province, Quảng Nam province (Trà My and Phước Sơn districts), Quảng Ngãi province (Sơn Tây district). They ...
, 2-string heterochord, 3rd string to player's mouth * Đàn Ta lư bamboo-tube version, 2-string heterochord * Tol alao (
Bahnar people The Bahnar or Ba-Na are an ethnic group of Vietnam living primarily in the Central Highland provinces of Gia Lai and Kon Tum, as well as the coastal provinces of Bình Định and Phú Yên. They speak the Bahnar language belongs the Bahnari ...
)5-string idiochord, plucked by women


Gallery


Bowed

File:Apache Fiddle.jpg,
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, 2011. Apache fiddle,
agave ''Agave'' (; ; ) is a genus of monocots native to the hot and arid regions of the Americas and the Caribbean, although some ''Agave'' species are also native to tropical areas of North America, such as Mexico. The genus is primarily known for ...
stalk for tube. File:Apache violin, made by Chesley Wilson, 1989 - National Museum of American History - DSC00053.jpg,
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
1996. Apache fiddle with bow.


Plucked

File:Musical instrument Bro of Ede people.JPG, Vietnam. Bro with tuning pegs for wire strings, resonator gourd. File:Đàn goong.jpg, Vietnam. Đàn goong with tuning pegs for wire strings. Gourd on bottom. Goong means gong. File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Buisciter van bamboe met klankkast van lontarblad en 22 dubbelsnaren TMnr 1253-1.jpg,
Rote Island Rote Island ( id, Pulau Rote, also spelled ''Roti'') is an island of Indonesia, part of the East Nusa Tenggara province of the Lesser Sunda Islands. According to legend, this island got its name accidentally when a lost Portuguese sailor arrive ...
,
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...
. Sasando bamboo-tube zither with wire strings and leaf resonator. File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Buisciter van bamboe TMnr A-1382.jpg, North Sumatra, Indonesia,
Toba Batak people Toba people (Surat Batak: ᯅᯖᯂ᯲ ᯖᯬᯅ) also referred to as Batak Toba people are the largest group of the Batak people of North Sumatra, Indonesia. The common phrase of ‘Batak’ usually refers to the Batak Toba people. This mist ...
, c. 1852. '' Tanggetong''. Also called ''gondang buluh''
Ficus variegata">"Gondang," Indonesian for Ficus variegata (plant), Ficus variegata
br>"Buluh," Indonesian for bamboo.
Tube zither with idiochord strings (strings made from the tube itself). Polychord. File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Buisciter van bamboe TMnr 1072-3.jpg, Indonesia. Lamanole Village, East Flores. ''Tatabuang''. Bamboo. These were also made of breadfruit limbs, hollowed out. Polychord. File:"Bagabo Musicians." Philippine Reservation, Department of Anthropology, 1904 World's Fair.jpg, Philippines. Bagabo musicians exhibited at the
Louisiana Purchase Exposition The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an World's fair, international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds tota ...
in
St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
, 1904. The girls hold tube zithers ossibly saluray and the man holds a
kutiyapi The kutiyapi, or kudyapi, is a Philippine two-stringed, fretted boat-lute. It is four to six feet long with nine frets made of hardened beeswax. The instrument is carved out of solid soft wood such as that from the jackfruit tree. Common to all ...
lute. File:Salomon roger 39841.jpg,
Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Afric ...
.
Valiha The valiha is a tube zither from Madagascar made from a species of local bamboo; it is considered the " national instrument" of Madagascar. The term is also used to describe a number of related zithers of differing shapes and materials. T ...
, modern with metal strings. The instrument's soundboard-surface has a modern finish. File:Old Lullaby - Iny Hono Izy Ravorona - Take Him-Her With You O Bird (Bamboo Valiha).ogg, Bamboo strings; valiha plucked or struck with stick, playing folk song, ''Iny Hono Izy Ravorona - Take Him-Her With You O Bird''. File:OldMalagasyFolkSongDiavolanaSteelStringValiha.ogg, Metal strings; valiha plucked, playing a folk song. File:Jaw harps, flutes, and a slit drum from the Maranao, Molbog, and Sama people (Philippines).jpg, Philippines. Not clear if plucked or tapped with stick like a drum. File:Tagbanua musical instrument with inscription of Tagbanua characters.jpg, Philippines. Tagbanua instrument with Tagbanua characters.


Percussion

File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Buisciter met één snaar TMnr 1330-130.jpg,
Bali, Indonesia Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, an ...
. '' Guntang'' or '' Gintang'', one-string percussion zither, also an idiochorde bamboo-tube zither, a rhythm-piercing percussion instrument in Balinese music, adopted in the music of
Lombok Lombok is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It forms part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east. It is ...
. File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Buisciter van bamboe TMnr 1071-8.jpg, Indonesia,
Maluku Utara North Maluku ( id, Maluku Utara) is a province of Indonesia. It covers the northern part of the Maluku Islands The Maluku Islands (; Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Maluku'') or the Moluccas () are an archipelago in the east of Indonesia. Tectonicall ...
,
Sula Islands Regency The Sula Islands Regency ( id, Kabupaten Kepulauan Sula) is one of the regencies in North Maluku province of Indonesia. It covers a land area of 3,338.67 km2 and consists of two of the three large islands comprising the Sula Archipelago, together ...
. ''Tuba auyota'' parallel-string percussion zither from the Sula culture. The strings are played in pairs. This instrument has 2 pairs of strings. File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Buisciter van bamboe TMnr 15-410.jpg,
Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...
, Indonesia. ''Kendang awi'' percussion tube-zither pre-1900 with the drum " kendang" as part of its name. Parallel-string percussion zither. The strings are played in pairs, struck on the connector between strings. This was part of an orchestra with anklungs. File:Takumbo.jpg, Philippines. ''
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 ...
'' percussion tube-zither. May also be plucked. File:ধুতং.JPG, Dhutang, percussion tube zither from
Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
, India


References


External links


Video, bamboo-tube zither with bamboo strings, played as drum, and plucked with thumb. West Sumatra.Celempung reteng ensemble, with a row of parallel-string celempung retengs (and slit drums as part of that row) and a pair of celempungs with bass string.)Video, Cambodia, bamboo-tube zither with wire strings and gourd resonator.Mondulkiri, tube-zither, tin-can resonator, metal strings.Vietnamese Đàn bầu, electronic siloamplificatioamplification. The instrument starts playing at 1:47.
{{Hornbostel-Sachs instruments Chordophones Idiochords Bamboo musical instruments