Shailen Patel

African Music definitions

Balaphones- constructed from 17 to 21 rectangular wooden slats, arranged in an array from low to high notes. The slats are generally made from wood, and are carefully dried over a low flame to achieve their sonorous resonance. The ends of each slat are burned black with an iron to seal them. The instrument builder tunes each slat by shaving its underbelly Idiophones - a percussion instrument that is made from resonating material that does not have to be tuned Aerophones - any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by causing a body of air to vibrate, without the use of strings, and without the vibration of the instrument itself adding considerably to the sound. Chordophones - any musical instrument which makes sound by way of a vibrating string or strings stretched between two points. Membranophones - any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by way of a vibrating stretched membrane. Djembe a goblet shaped drum from West Africa Dundun a double headed drum (in several different sizes) played with sticks Donno an hourglass shaped talking drum held under the arm and played with the hand Mbira - a musical instrument consisting of a wooden board to which staggered metal keys have been attached. It is often fitted into a resonator. Kora - built from a large calabash cut in half and covered with cow skin to make a resonator, and has a notched bridge like a lute or guitar. The sound resembles that of a harp, and the player uses only the thumb and index finger of both hands to pluck the strings in polyrhythmic patterns Vocables effects made by the voice using vowel sounds such as eh, ah, oh Oral tradition music that is learnt by listening and repeating and passed on orally from generation to generation ( without being written in traditional notation) Tone languages language made up of only a few pitches called the languages, the pitch level determines the meaning of the words. Heterophonic two or more parts playing the same melodic line simultaneously with small variations between the
parts. Monophonic musical texture of a single melodic line with no accompaniment. Cross rhythms rhythms that literally cross the usual pattern of accented and unaccented beats, creating irregular accents and syncopated effects. Polyrhythms - complex interweaving of many contrasting rhythmic patterns Ostinato a repeated musical idea