VICO Instruments

Non-Western and unusual instruments compiled and edited by Moshe Denburg

Bansuri - A transverse bamboo flute from North India, it comes in many sizes to accommodate various ragas (modes). It has a range of about 2 1/2 octaves, and is capable of microtonal variations, sliding pitches and tremendous flexibility. It is a featured solo instrument in the North Indian (Hindustani) classical tradition.
Web link: http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/bansuri.html

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 culture of Argentina.
Web link: http://www.tangolibre.qc.ca/anglais/tangoinfo/chronicle/abandone.htm

Charango - The charango is a small ten string lute that originated in South America. The back of the instrument is traditionally fashioned from an armadillo, though today many of the best charangos have wooden backs. It is strummed or plucked, and often played together with Andean flutes such as the quena. 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.
Web link: http://www.ancient-future.com/guitar/charango.html

Danbau - the danbau is a one-stringed zither native to Vietnam. It is constructed of a long narrow sound box with a tall curved stem made from water buffalo horn inserted at one end. A string is stretched between one end of the sound box and the stem. By plucking the string at harmonic nodes and by bending the stem to and fro, more than 3 octaves of pitches are produced, rendering a high, clear sound.
Web links:
http://www.khacchi.com/instruments/instru.html
http://www.thanhcammusic.com/danbau.htm
http://members.cox.net/rfrank5/danbau.htm

Dan Tranh - The Dan Tranh is a 16 string zither from Vietnam approximately 1 metre long. The strings are all made from metal of a uniformly thin gauge, allowing for extremely subtle nuances to be voiced. The instrument is usually played with metal or tortoise shell picks on the thumb and first two fingers. The dan tranh is performed as both a solo instrument, in small ensembles, and as part of larger traditional music orchestras. It has a very quiet and delicate sound.

Darabuka - This is a goblet drum played all over the Arabic world. It provides rhyhmic accompaniment for classical Arabic ensembles and orchestras as well as for popular musical forms such as belly-dancing. Its body is made from fired clay or metal, and the drum head of animal or fish skin, or more recently, synthetic materials. It is also known as a Dumbek, in imitation of its two primary sounds: 'Dum' (a low bassy sound) and 'Tek' (a biting high pitched sound).

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.

Dizi - (pronunciation: deets) A bamboo flute with a membrane covering one hole to create an increase in resonance and a typical 'buzzing' quality. It is really a rennaissance flute with a membrane. There are 6 playing holes. It is mainly a diatonic instrument, and since its projection is excellent it is widely utilized as a solo instrument, both in the orchestra and in smaller ensembles.

Erhu - (pronunciation: er' - hu) A bowed instrument from China with a long neck and two strings between which a horsehair bow is placed. The strings are tuned to a fifth. The sound box may take different shapes - hexagon, octagon, round, or ellipse - and is covered on one side by snakeskin. The Erhu performs an essential role in Chinese classical music as well as in the folk music tradition. It is held vertically to play - the lefthand plays without a fingerboard, while the right hand holds the bow and plays one string at a time.

Gaeng - The gaeng or qeej is the free-reed mouth organ of the Hmong people of Laos and northern Thailand. It has a very long wooden wind chamber intersected by six pipes placed in two rows that curve upwards. The reeds are usually made of brass. The mouth piece can be up to a metre long with the pipes ranging from a metre (common in Laos) to 4 metres (found in southerrn China). It is usually played for funeral rites but can also be performed at the New Year’s festival and other events.

Gaunzi - (approx pronunciation: gwants) The guanzi, also known as bili, is a double reed instrument from China with a cylindrical wooden or bamboo body. It comes in various sizes, and typically has 7 finger holes and one or two for the thumb. It is quite ancient, and has been used in a variety of musical contexts over the centuries, often as a solo instrument used to evoke a mood of sadness.

Hurdy Gurdy - This Middle Age instrument was (and still is) played all over Europe, especially in France. The only instrument which combines a keyboard with a wooden wheel bow, the hurdy gurdy is a real acoustic synthesizer. Capable of playing melody, harmony, bass and even rhythm, it can sound like a Violin, Organ, Electric Guitar or even exotic Percussion. In French it is known as Vielle a Roue.

Ichigenkin - The ichigenkin is an extremely rare 1-string zither that was believed to have originated in the Shikoku region of Japan. The ichigenkin has a history as a philosopher's instrument, and at one time was a preferred instrument of many members of the Samurai class. Presently used to accompany vocal music, the ichigenkin is capable of extreme subtlety while producing a surprisingly full and complex sound.

Kamanche - (pronunciation: ka-man'-che) - The kamanche is the traditional classical bowed lute of Persian classical music and dates back to antiquity. It has a small, hollowed hardwood body with a thin stretched fish-skin membrane. Its neck is cylindrical, and it has four strings. Often known as the "spiked fiddle", because of the spike protruding from its lower end, it is played vertically in the manner of the European viol. The bowstrings are pulled by the player which accommodates subtle tone variations.

Kayagum - A long zither which originated in the southern kingdom of Kaya, the Kayagum has a soundboard made of paulownia wood and 12 strings of twisted silk. The strings rest on moveable bridges each carved in the shape of a crane's foot. It has great expressive capabilities including microtonal shadings, and it is perhaps the most favored of all Korean instruments that are normally performed in a solo capacity.

Khaen - A free-reed bamboo mouth-organ from Laos and Northeast Thailand, it is also occasionally found in parts of Northern Vietnam and Southern China. The most common khaen is the 16 pipe version, called the khaen paat which is anywhere from 2 to 3 ½ feet in length. There is a reed flush with the side of each pipe. Originally the reeds were made of bamboo or from the stalk of a certain palm tree, but now of metal (brass or silver). The pipes of the khaen are arranged in two rows and extend through both sides of a wooden wind chamber which surrounds all the reeds.

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.

Lusheng - (pronunciation: loo-shung) The lusheng is a free-reed mouth organ played by several minority peoples of Southwestern China. The Chinese lusheng is a version of the Lao gaeng but different in size and construction materials. Traditional lusheng have six bamboo pipes set into a bamboo or wooden wind chamber. Sizes range from 1/3 of a metre to 3-4 metres. Recent innovations, created in response to Chinese government ideologies, have increased the number of pipes in order to play more complex music, and a set pitch to play with other instruments.

Mbuat - The mbuat is the free-reed mouth organ of the Meo (Hmong) people of Vietnam. Played as a solo instrument or in small ensembles it was commonly used for expressing caring between a man and woman. It is perhaps the oldest example of free reed mouth organs in existence. The Raglai people of Vietnam play an almost identical instrument called a kupuot. The Murung people of Bangladesh play an instrument called a plung which is almost identical in construction to the mbuat.

Mrdangam - The Mrdangam is the South Indian classical drum, parallel in its importance to the Tabla in the North. It is a log drum, with two heads, the right one one somwhat smnaller and higher pitched and the left one a bit larger and lower pitched. The right head especially sounds a fixed pitch, in Carnatic music (S. Indian classical music) it normally is tuned to the tonic note of the raga (mode) being played.

Nagaswaram - Also known as Nadaswaram, it is a seven-holed double-reeded instrument of South India. It is played in temples, processions, festivals and auspicious occasions like marraiges. It is made of a kind of ebony and has a conical bore which gradually flares toward the lower end. It has a range of two and a half octaves and semi and quarter tones are produced by adjusting the pressure and strength of the air-flow into the pipe. Due to its intense volume and strength it is basically an outdoor instrument and much more suited for open spaces than for closed indoor concert situations.

Naw - Found in southern China and in the mountains of northern South-east Asia, the naw or hulusheng (which literally means gourd sheng) is a free-reed mouth organ, and one of the oldest members of the sheng family. It has five pipes grouped in a circular cluster, and placed in such a way as to allow the player to "bend" the notes. The music of the naw is lively and quite loud, in spite of its possesing bamboo reeds.

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.

Oud [Also spelled Ud] (Arabic Lute) - Central symbol of Arabic traditional and classical music, it appeared in Central Asia and the Middle East more than 2000 years ago. Its rounded body gives a full, warm sound and its fretless neck allows for quarter tones and sliding effects. It can have a biting staccato attack. The European Lute derives directly from it; in fact, the word Lute is derived from El Ud (the Ud).

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.

Qin - (pronunciation: chin) A seven-stringed zither without bridges, it is widely recognized as the Chinese instrument with the highest pedigree, as it has over 3000 years of history. It can be called Qin, but isa also referred to as Guqin, as "gu" implies 'ancient'. Accoustically it is of very soft dynamic, and is not played as an ensemble instrument and hardly in public. It is reserved as an instrument of personal discipline and enrichment.

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".

Ruan - A round shaped lute with a short neck, sometimes called the Chinese guitar, the Ruan has 4 strings (tuned A D A D) and 24 frets. It has a history of 1600 years and is used by orchestras and chamber ensembles as well as for accompanying operatic performances. Together with the Pipa, it has a major role to play in the plucked string section of all Chinese ensembles.

Sanxian - (pronunciation: san' - shee - an) A long necked fretless lute with three strings. In Chinese, "san" means three and "xian" means strings. The resonating body is made of a round wooden box covered with snake skin, just like an erhu. The instrument is played with a plectrum and is widely used to accompany singing.

Sarangi - The sarangi is a bowed string instrument carved from a single piece of wood. Its strings are traditionally made of gut and its neck is fretless. The strings are fingered with the cuticle of the index and middle fingers of the left hand. The sarangi commonly has 3 gut playing strings, 1 bronze rhythm string tuned to the upper tonic, 11 sympathetic strings placed on two flat bridges near the pegs tuned to the notes of the raga (mode), and at last 25 sympathetic strings tuned to the entire gamut of two octaves. The bow used is different from the violin bow, it is shorter and its wood is more convex.

Sarod - A plucked lute of the North Indian classical tradition, it is made of one piece of carved wood. The neck is fretless and the bridge is seated on a skin stretched on the body of the instrument. Generally it has 4 playing strings, 2 rhythm strings tuned to the upper octave tonic, 4 strings placed on a flat bridge near the neck, and at least 13 sympathetic strings tuned to the notes of the raga (mode). The musician uses the end of the nails of the left hand fingers to stop the strings while the right plucks the playing strings with a plectrum.

Shakuhachi - 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.

Shehnai - A six-holed double-reeded instrument of the North Indian tradition, it is the counterpart to the Nagaswaram of the South though its tone is soft by comparison. Like the latter, it is made of a dark-grained black wood, and it has a conical bore which widens towards the bottom. Semi and quarter tones are produced by adjusting the pressure and strength of the air-flow into the pipe.

Sheng - (pronunciation: shung) The sheng is a mouth organ made of bamboo, consisting of a bundle typically of 17 pipes (but as many as 36 in some larger models) attached to a wind chamber. The pipes are fitted with free reeds, nowadays made of brass. The Sheng is an ancient Chinese instrument and since it is capable of sounding up to 6 notes at once, it is utilized both as a solo voice and for harmonic accompaniment.

Sho - A Japanese free-reed mouth organ related to the Chinese shêng, the sho has around seventeen bamboo pipes and 15 reeds. The pipes extend from the top of a a wooden wind chamber, and arrayed in a circular manner. The instrument is used to provide a chordal element, and is prominent in a style of Japanese court music called Gagaku.

Sitar - A North Indian long-necked plucked lute, the Sitar is fashioned from a seasoned gourd and teakwood. It has a track of twenty metal frets, with six or seven main playing strings above them and thirteen sympathetic resonating strings placed below. The instrument is generally tuned to the raga (mode) being played, and the main strings are plucked by a plectrum worn on the index finger of the right hand. Its uniqueness of tone is characterised by a long decay, due both to the resonance of the sympathetic strings and other structural features.

Sompoton - The sompoton is a free-reed mouth organ from northeastern Borneo. It has a gourd wind chamber from which extend 8 pipes arranged in two rows. There are bamboo reeds in seven of these pipes only, and three of these pipes do not have sound holes and are played by closing and opening the tops of the pipes with fingers of the right hand. The instrument has an average size of just over 1 foot, but may may range in size from 6 inches to 3 feet in length.

Suona - Known to some as the Chinese oboe, the suona is a double reed instrument with a long body of wood fitted with a flaring brass bell. It has a very brilliant, even strident, tone, and projects very well in any musical situation. For this reason it is utilized as a solo instrument extensively. As well, it has long played a role in weddings, festive events, and other ceremonial occasions. It comes in various sizes to accomodate different pitch ranges.

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.

Tambura - The tambura is a 4 stringed instrument which gives an essential drone background to all E. Indian music. Generally it emphasizes the tonic and dominant of the mode being played. The tone has a long decay, and the technique of playing is quite simple - with a little instruction even non-professionals can handle it.

Tar - Belonging to the lute family, the tar appeared in its present form in the middle of the eighteenth century. The body is a double-bowl shape carved from mulberry wood, with a thin membrane of stretched lamb-skin covering the top. The long fingerboard has twenty-six to twenty-eight adjustable gut frets, and there are three double courses of strings. Its range is about two and one- half octaves, and is played with a small brass plectrum. A smaller version of the tar is the setar. This is the older more traditional instrument. It can play most everything the tar can play but without the tar's projective capacities. The tar is a more modern development.

Tin Whistle - An instrument best known in its association with Celtic music, it has a clear bright tone and haunting lyricism. Like the recorder it has a whistle mouthpiece and finger holes. It possesses a range of approximately 2 octaves.

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.

Venu - A transverse bamboo flute from South India, in most respects it is just like the North Indian Bansuri. However, it has 8 finger holes plus one hole for blowing, rather than the bansuri's 6 finger holes. It is generally smaller than the bansuri and perhaps has a wider bore as well. Its fingered holes are large enough to permit half (or partial) holing, thus facilitating the playing of all ragas (modes) on one venu. It is very agile and, due to the open holed and unkeyed nature of its construction, all manner of glissandi and microtonal ornaments are possible.

Vina - A South Indian long-necked plucked lute, the vina is usually made of jackwood. It has a large resonating bowl called the Kudam, held across the lap by the player. There is also a smaller gourd called the Kudukkai, which hangs from the neck and which serves as a rest. There are generally 24 metallic frets and 7 strings - 4 playing strings and 3 drone strings. Only the index and middle fingers activate the playing strings while the little finger is used to keep time on the drone strings. The Vina is associated with Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning in Hindu mythology.

Violin/Indian - The Indian violin is in fact the bowed string instrument imported from the western world. However, it mode of play and tuning differs significantly. In Indian classical music the musician is seated crosslegged with the end of the violin's pegbox resting on his right foot. It strings are tuned to the tonic and dominant of the raga (mode) being played. It has been especially integrated into Carnatic music (South Indian classical tradition), where it is used extensively to accompany classical vocal perfomances.

Xiao - (pronunciation: shee-ow) This is a vertical bamboo flute with the same range as the dizi but without a membrane. It is not as flexible as the dizi and is harder to intone. It is a delicate instument with a softer dynamic. The xiao is excellent for expressive solo playing, but does not project well as part of a larger Chinese ensemble or orchestra.

Yang Qin - (pronunciation: yang - chin') A hammered dulcimer of China, it is played with rubber tipped bamboo mallets. It is capable of both melodic and harmonic roles, and has a range of more than 4 octaves. It is tremendously flexible in its musical usefulness, and can cross cultural borders with ease.

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.

Bibliography