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Didjeridu

$\"Didjeridu\"$

A wooden trumpet of the Australian Aborigines, the traditional instrument consists simply of a tree branch, from 4 to 5 feet in length (though some special ceremonial didjeridus are up to 12 feet long), and from 1 1/2 to 3 inches in external diameter, which has been hollowed out by termites. Utilizing a combination of lip buzzing, circular breathing, and vocal articulations, great rhythmic complexity and tonal subtelty can be achieved.

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Udu

$\"Udu\"$

The udu is a vessel drum originally from the Igbo people of Nigeria. Traditionally it was a water jug with another hole in the side, played by women for ceremonial music. Udus have a side hole which creates a deep reverberating note when struck with the flat palm of the hand. The clay body of the vessel produces a high pinging sound when struck with the fingers. The combination of these two techniques sometimes sounds similar to the Indian tabla or African talking drum.

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Pipa

$\"Pipa\"$

A pear shaped lute with 4 strings (tuned A D E A) and 19 to 26 frets, it was introduced into China in the 4th century AD. The Pipa has become a prominent Chinese instrument used for instrumental music as well as accompaniment to a variety of song genres. It has a ringing (\'bass-banjo\' like) sound which articulates melodies and rhythms wonderfully and is capable of a wide variety of techniques and ornaments.

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Zheng

$\"Zheng\"$

(pronunciation: jung) A plucked half-tube wood zither from China, with movable bridges over which strings are stretched. The strings were traditionally made of silk, but today they are usually made of steel or metal wound nylon. The modern Zheng usually has 21 strings, tuned to a pentatonic scale. The performer uses the right hand to pluck the strings, and the tone can be modulated by the left hand pressing the string on the non-speaking side of the bridge. Excellent arpeggios, chords, glissandi, bends, and delicate ornaments are obtainable from the instrument.

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Koto

$\"Koto\"$

A prominent member of the family of Asian long zithers, the Koto has seen more than a millenium of development since it was brought to Japan from China. It normally has 13 strings which rest on moveable bridges to facilitate various tunings. It is played with plectra on the right hand fingers, while the left hand is employed primarily in creating ornamentation and altered pitches.

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Ney

$\"Ney\"$

Also known as Nay (pronounced: na\'-i), it is an end blown cane flute without mouthpiece or reed. Used throughout the Arab world, this instrument generally has 6 upper holes and one on the underside for the thumb. It is capable of a range of 2 to 3 octaves and has been used for performing all forms of music: art, folk, and religious.

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Tabla

$\"Tabla\"$

A set of 2 pitched kettledrums from North India. The right drum has a ringing definite pitch, usually the fundamental tone of the raga (mode) being accompanied, while the left drum is lower and more indefinite in pitch. A staple of North Indian classical music and already very well known all over the world, it is capable of an enormous degree of rhythmic precision, complexity, speed and pitch inflection.

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Bandoneon

$\"Bandoneon\"$

The bandoneon, originally promoted in the 19th century by a German, Heinrich Band, belongs to the family of \'squeeze boxes\', i.e. - instruments which use a bellows mechanism to make reeds vibrate. The bandoneon is held in both hands and has rows of buttons on each end, which allow for the playing of melodies and the building of chords. The bandoneon has come to be associated most intimately with the tradition of Tango, a tradition which permeates the cultures of Argentina and Uruguay.

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Bombo

$\"Bombo\"$

In Andean music there are many percussion instruments. One of the most common is the bombo, a drum for processions. The bombo is traditionally made from a hollowed tree trunk, and covered on both sides with various skins, often sheep, llama, and cow. They come in a variety of sizes.

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Charango

$\"Charango\"$

The charango is a small ten string lute that was developed in South America. The back of the instrument was traditionally fashioned from an armadillo, though today many of the best charangos have wooden backs. It is strummed or plucked, and is often played together with Andean flutes such as the quena and the panpipes. It is modest in the projection of its sound but uncannily able to convey the feel of the high and airy vastness of the Andean altiplano.

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Quena

$\"Quena\"$

The Quena, originating in the mountains of South America, is an end blown flute, generally made of cane but also made from clay, stone, bone and bamboo. It has 5 to 7 holes in front and one thumb hole in the back. The traditional instrument is about 14½\" long, while a larger instrument, the Quenacho, extends to 18\". A full discussion of the Quena can be found on the following pages.

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Scottish Small Pipes

$\"Scottish$

A bellows blown bagpipe with three drones and a cylindrical bore chanter. It can be found in 4 keys: A, Bb, C, and D. The scale of the chanter, like the Highland Bagpipe, is mixolydian. It is a very flexible instrument of medium dynamic, and and can be played with other instruments readily.

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Shakuhachi

$\"Shakuhachi\"$

The Shakuhachi is an end-blown notched bamboo flute of Japan. The modern standard version has four finger holes and one thumb hole. Originally imported from China by the early 8th century, it reappeared around the 15th century in a Japanized form and has since come to be used in several quite diverse types of music: meditative solos, small ensemble pieces, folksong, and modern works by both native and foreign composers.

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Ehru

$\"Ehru\"$

The Erhu is a bowed two-stringed instrument. It has a long round neck of hardwood attached to a hardwood resonator, usually covered with snakeskin. Its steel strings are tensioned between the tuning pegs at the neck's upper end, and the lower edge of the resonating box. The speaking length of the string extends from a nut at the peg end of the neck to a bridge placed upon the resonator. The horsehair bow, rosined on both sides, is inserted between the strings, and the strings are played one at a time, virtually never together. The player fingers the strings not by pressing them against the neck but by placing them on the strings lightly, to create different speaking lengths.

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