Transcript harp instrument music

African Instruments
Part 1
Bellwork: Define Terms
 Mbira: Thumb Piano
 Balafoo: Marimba
 Kora: Harp
 Sanko: Stringed Instrument
 Jelle: Singing
 Bentwa: Bow
Sanko
Balafoo
Mbira
Guided Notes
 One of the most striking features of African life was
the importance given to the music and dance
 “We are almost completely a nation of dancers,
musicians, and poets.” –Equiano
 Every great event, return from battle, causes for
public rejoicing, is celebrated by public dance which
is accompanied by songs and music
Active Example #1
Mugara Ndega
 Describe the timbre (sound quality) of this
instrument:
 What is the mood of this piece?
 Does this sound metallic or wooden?
Listening Example #1
Just the facts
 In ancient times the mbira was played primarily by
betrothed virgins at carnivals.
 Mbira music employs cross-rhythms—a hemiola, or
2:3 rhythm
 It is commonly tuned in mixolydian mode, whose
half-steps are between 3-4 and 6-7.
Guided Notes
 Thomas Mapfumo is a famous mbira musician
 When playing mbira, the right pinky hooks into a
hole on the side to stabalize the instrument.
 It is the national instrument of Zimbabwe
 Bottle caps, shells, or other objects known as
"machachara” are often affixed to the soundboard to
create a buzzing sound when the instrument is
played. In a traditional setting, this sound is
considered extremely important, as it is believed to
attract the ancestral spirits.
CFU: Try it!
 Pass around a real mbira and give it a try.
 See if you can play one rhythm in the left hand and
a different on in your right.
 While you are awaiting your turn complete a
diagram labeling the parts of the mbira, notate a
common scale and read a short biography of
Thomas Mapfumo.
Map Quest
ID: Zimbabwe, Ethiopia,
Gambia, Burkina Faso
Balafoo Notes
 It might be large with 20 or more keys, or small
enough to fir around your neck.
 Construction—pieces of bamboo laid over small
gourds one larger than the other.
 Played with two wooden hammers covered with
gutta-percha.
 A woman who played this had bells fastened to her
wrists, so she was able to sound as she struck the
balafoo.