African
continent is undoubtedly a very rich one. It is famous for its unique
traditions, culture, cuisine, bright colorful clothing and for its
celestial music. And when it comes to music instruments, there are
probably no equals. See the list of most popular African music
instruments and their specifications.
Shekere
Famous
in West African countries, this musical instrument consists of closely
woven beds forming a net. The net is placed around a gourd. The sound
comes either from shaking the instrument or slamming it against hands.
Balafon
If you
know what a xylophone is, then you can imagine it as something similar.
The instrument is made of wooden planks that are bound by a string and
placed over large gourds. To play the instrument, you should hit it with
small clubs or mallets.
Talking Drum
The
talking drum is an hour-shaped drum that is usually placed under the
arm. To pitch the sound, one should press or squeeze the narrow edge.
Kora
One of
the most famous stringed instrument is the Kora, also known as ‘Jali’.
It looks very similar to the guitar featuring 21 strings placed on a
gourd covered with an animal skin.
Kalimba
Would
you like to learn play the piano with your thumbs only? Kalimba is the
right instrument to try. It consists of metal strips of various lengths,
which are placed on a resonator made of wood. The sound is produced by
plucking the ends of the flexible strips.
Jembe
Jembe
(or also known as Djembe) is an African type of drums, consisting of
animal skin stretched over a curved piece of wood. The top part is
usually wider than the bottom one and this is where the hole is curved
out.
Marimba
Marimba
is just another type of African xylophone. Just like Balafon, it is made
of wooden planks placed on a wooden box. The sound is produced by
hammering the planks with the sticks.
Udu
Originated
from Nigeria, ubu is another type of African drum. From its appearance,
it resembles the vessels used for carrying water from the river. Unlike
other above mentioned instruments, it is made of clay.
Mbira
Mbira
looks very similar to Kalimba and the thumbs are also used to play this
instrument. The two rows of metal strips of different dimensions are
placed on the wooden resonator, which is the actual sound box.
Algaita
Algaita
is a wind instrument, which is very alike to Oboe. Made of reeds, it
comes with a wide opening at the base and open finger holes. It is very
popular at festive ceremonies in Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and other
regions.
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