The Musical Instruments of Mindanao

The MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF MINDANAO

CHORDOPHONES (STRINGED INSTRUMENTS)

Kudyapi - is a guitar with two strings. It is about 1 1/2 m long and made of
wood. It has a stick to support in its lower end and is played in the same
position as cello. It is common among Tirurays of Cotabato.

Karaga - is a guitar made up of bamboo where the strings are

slit from the bamboo itself. The bamboo is split and tied back
in both ends, leaving a slit as resonator. The guitar has strings
all around it. This is popular in Eastern Mindanao.

AEROPHONES (WIND INSTRUMENTS)

Sahunay - is a bamboo flute, leaving six holes for the fingers and trumpet
made of coconut leaf. It is about 50 cm long and 3 cm in diameter. This is
a bamboo flute of the Tausugs in Sulu.

IDIOPHONES (PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS)

Kulintang - is a set of eight knobbed gongs in graduated sizes from

largest to smallest mounted in a wooden frame, about a meter
long. Muslim carvings decorated the frame. The kulintang is played
by striking the gongs with two pieces of wood, about 12 inches long
while the player squats on the floor. The instruments is popular in
Sulu.

Gabbang - is similar to a xylophone. It is made of wooden box with

one end wider than the other, and with an open top. Across top,
wooden bars of different lengths are placed to fit the shape of the
box, about 1 cm from each other. It is played by striking the wooden
bars with a wooden hammer. This instruments is popular in Sulu.

Bunkaka or Bilbil - is a bamboo musical instruments used by the

Tinguians. It is a two-proged bamboo struck against the palm of one
hand.

Agung - hangs from horizontal pole or wooden frame. The player

stands besides the rim of the gong where he inserts his left arm
through the ropes which suspend the instrument to position his hand
comfortably at the knob. On the right hand, the player hold a mallet
padded with rubber.
 Gandingan - is a set of four graduated gongs, with thin rims and
lower central knobs. They hang in pairs with the knobs of the lower
pitched gongs facing each other. The same with the two higher
pitched gongs. The pair of lower pitched gongs is positioned on the
player's left side while the pair of the higher pitched gongs is on the
right. The player usually a woman who stands between the two pair
of gongs. Her body touches slightly the gong in the middle to
prevent from swinging. She uses two padded mallets (one mallet for
each air) to strike the gong's knobs.
Babendil - is small gong with thin rims and low central knobs. It is
struck with thin bamboo sticks to produce a metallic sound.
There are three ways to play the babendil.

1. by striking the rim of the suspended gong with a pair of sticks on

the left hand.
2. by striking the gong's rim with the right hand using one stick
while the left hand grasps the rim.
3. by laying the instruments upside and striking the gong's rim with
the two sticks.
MEMBRANOPHONES (DRUM INSTRUMENTS)

Dabakan - is a goblet -shaped drum, which has a single head covered with
goat, lizard or snake skin. It is struck with two thin bamboo sticks about 18
inches in length.

Neguet - is a drum from Cotabato, 30 cm high, 20 cm in diameter

Sulibaw - is a drum 1/2 meter long and 15 cm in diameter. A solibao is a

conical tenor drum played by the Bontoc and Ibaloi people of the Philippines.
It is played with the palms of both hands. It usually appears as part of an
ensemble along with the kimbal, pinsak, kalsa and palas. Sulibao is made
from a hollowed out log covered with deer skin.

Tugo - is a tiruray drum 25 cm long, 20 cm in diameter. It's kind of like a

guitar except that there is no hole and it's made entirely of wood. To
play it they hit it with their hands or with a beater.