Africa Flashcards
(33 cards)
African instruments
Usually made from materials from the natural environment
Human voice, body percussion common
Idiophones most common
Xylophones, strong/wind instruments introduced during colonization (sax, trumpet, guitar)
Talking drum
Membranophone
Strings around 2 headed drum
Tightening string changes pitch
Djembe
Membranophone
One headed
Wood
Goblet shaped
Doumbek
Membranophone
One headed
Metal/clay
Goblet shaped
Water drum
Water in drum
Membranophone
Djun djun
Membranophone
Two headed with strings
Sakara
Membranophone
Hand drum
Axatse
Idiophone
Bearded/beaded gourd
Gangkogui
Double bell
Idiophone
Toke
Idiophone
Little bell
Mbira
Idiophone
Thumb piano
Up to 28 keys
Balafon
Idiophone
Xylophone
Played with mallets
Kudu/kudu horn
Aerophone
Horn from the kudu
Trumpets
Oh come on
Pan pipes
Aerophone
Bamboo
Sax
Please tell me you know what this is
Mbela (Uhadi)
Chordophone
Harp like musical bow
One string
Bent branch
Kora
Chordophone
21 string guitar
Seperewa
Harp like lute
Chordophone
Sanku
Seperewa
Rhythm
Foundation of African music Strong pulse Steasy rhythmic ostinatos Polyrhythms Compounds of 3, 4, 6, 8, and 12 3:2 relationship Communication (villages, spirits, each other)
Timbre
Preference from raspy, rougher timbre
Buzzing and rattling of instruments encouraged
Vocal sound is very raw and sounds less refined to us
Percussive and dynamically loud palette
Melody
Simple
Diatonic use of scales
Pentatonic scale too
Repetition and improvisation
Harmony
Vocal harmonies
3rds, 4ths, 5ths