In Africa, music accompanies individuals from birth to death. So much so that since ancient times, every kind of cult is manifested with music and songs. The musical instruments used for these rites are part of a distant tradition. These are hand-made instruments and emit particular sounds. There are many instruments that have characterized the history of music in this land and that are still used today. In the following list, I indicate the main African musical instruments.
Kora
The Kora is the main African instrument of the storytellers of the malinkè lineage. It is a typical African harp and belongs to the category of chordophones. This instrument has a long handle mounted on a pumpkin, on which a cowskin is stretched. Twenty-one strings start from the handle of the instrument and are inserted into the pockets of a large bridge. They are divided into two parallel rows and played with the thumb and forefinger of the hands.
Balafon
Another African instrument is the balafon. It is an instrument that presents a curious system of amplification. Its structure is made up of hollow and pierced pumpkins, which act as repetition boxes. While the membranes hide cocoons of spiders, which bring a characteristic buzz to the sound of the instrument.
Orutu
The orutu is another African instrument, similar to the single-stringed violin. It belongs to the category of bowed chordophones and is originally from East Africa. It consists of a cylindrical wooden structure, covered with leather. While at its side is placed a neck, which serves to support the instrument.
Speaking drum
The talking drum, also called Kalungu, is one of the main African musical instruments. It is a drum originating in West Africa, made of a wooden structure with two skins from the characteristic hourglass shape. It is an instrument that allows the musician to change the height of the sound, pressing on the strings that keep the skins taut.
Bongo
The Bongo is a small drum made of a wooden or metal barrel. It has a cylindrical shape and is made up of a single leather cover. The latter is crossed with the hands, mainly with very rapid movements of the fingers. Instead, the drum is held between the knees of the player. The African instrument produces a dry and acute sound, which allows a wide variety of timbre depending on where the membranes of the bongo are touched.
Drum
The drum can be played by percussion or by swinging... It is a typical African ritual instrument, used to accompany both solemn ceremonies and to mark the rhythm of parties and dances. The cylindrical case of the drum can be of various shapes and different materials (wood, metal, terracotta, etc..), closed on both sides by a tightened skin and fixed with nails or screw tensioners. The membrane is struck by wooden rods. It must be said that the drum is undoubtedly the most popular instrument in the world, it has always been, since the beginning, and has continued to be so throughout history.
How to play the Drum
Let's see together how you can learn to play the drum.
Playing the Classic Drum
The technique is divided into two distinct parts. The first is that which involves the only hand that supports it, which must shake the tambourine to make resound the rattles or cymbals affixed to the instrument. The second technique is instead that of the fingers that beat the skin of the tambourine. Depending on the model of the instrument, different sounds can be obtained using the fingertips, the base of the hand or the thumb. In some cases, it is the tambourine that is slammed on the tip of the fingers, such as to perform triplets, irregular groups of three notes of equal duration, typical of music with even times.
Playing the imperial drum
The imperial drum can be considered the ancestor of the modern snare drum, but also of the orchestra drum and the parade drum. To play these instruments it is necessary to know very well the materials with which the drums are made and the sticks or sticks, then the way to hit the drums to get a certain sound, the movements to be made with the hands and arms (some of them purely "ornamental"), the way in which to eventually support the drum with the help of special brackets.
Playing the snare drum
It's more complicated to play the snare drum, also because it's an instrument that you play together with the rest of a typical drums, composed of different drums, bass drum and cymbals, to which you want to make a different sound depending on the music you play. Between pop, rock and jazz music, for example, the grip of the sticks and the material of which they are composed completely change.
Never forget:
To become a professional musician, a good ear is not enough, you must turn to private schools or the conservatory to learn all the best techniques.