Agogo - An agogo is a
single or multiple bell with its origins in West Africa.
Traditionally made of wrought iron, agogos are now manufactured in a variety of
metals and sizes for different sound qualities. The most common arrangement is
two bells of differing sizes attached by a U shaped piece of metal with the
smaller bell in the uppermost position. The agogo is typically played by
striking it with a wooden stick.
Agogo
B
Bell- a bell is a percussion instrument whose usual form is a
hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck. The striking
implement can be a tongue suspended within the bell, known as a clapper; a
small, free sphere enclosed within the body of the bell; or a separate mallet
or hammer. Bells can be of all sizes and are usually made of cast metal;
however small bells can also be made from ceramic or glass.
Bell
Berimbau – the
berimbau is a single-string, bow-shaped percussion instrument from Brazil. The
berimbau consists of a wooden bow about 4 to 5 feet long with a steel string tightly
strung and secured from one end to the other. A gourd that has been dried,
opened and hollowed-out is attached to the lower portion of the bow and acts as
a resonator. The berimbau is used in musical performances and in the practice
of the Afro-Brazilian martial art Capoeira, where it commands how the
capoeiristas move in the roda. It is also used in a group rhythmic process
called TaKeTiNa.
Berimbau
C
Caxixi – a caxixi is a
percussion instrument. It consists of a closed basket with a flat-bottom filled
with seeds or other small particles. It is sounded by shaking. The caxixi is
played along with the berimbau in Brazilian Capoeira music, and in West Africa it is used singers, often alongside drummers.
Caxixi
Click Sticks – a
traditional Australian instrument consisting of two wooden sticks, which
are either clicked together or against the side of the Didgeridoo.
Click Sticks
Conch Shells - a conch
is a musical instrument that is made from the shell of one of several different
kinds of large sea snails, including the Queen Conch. It is sometimes referred
to as a shell trumpet.
Conch Shell Instrument
D
Didgeridoo – the
didgeridoo, also known as a didjeridu, didge, and yidaki is a wind instrument. The
oldest records of Australian Aborigines playing the didgeridoo date back 2,000
years in the form of old Northern Territory cave and rock paintings; however, some
believe the Aborigines have been using the didgeridoo for over 40,000 years. It
is still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. The
didgeridoo is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or drone pipe
because of the droning sound it makes.
Didgeridoo
Djembe - the djembe is
a goblet-shaped, skin-covered drum originating in Africa
that is meant to be played with the bare hands. In the Bambara language, djé is
the verb for gather and bé translates as peace. The primary notes are generally
referred to as bass, tone, and slap, though a variety of other tones can also
be produced by advanced players. The slap has a high and sharp sound, the tone
is more round and full, and the bass is low and deep.
Djembe
Dundun - the dundun,
also known as dundun, doundoun, or djun-djun, is the generic name for a family
of West African bass drums. There different names for dunduns, depending on the
size, construction technique and tuning. Some of the most often used names are
konkoni, kenkeni, sangban, dununba, and djeli-dun.
Dundun
F
Frog Rasp – a frog
rasp is wooden percussion instrument carved in the shape of a frog. An
authentic ribbit sound is created by stroking the accompanied playing sticks
thick side over the ridges, or it can be played like a woodblock by tapping on
the nose.
Frog Rasp
G
Gong – a gong is an
Asian musical percussion instrument that takes the form of a flat metal disc,
which is hit with a mallet. There are three basic types of gongs: Suspended –
which are more or less flat, circular discs of metal suspended vertically by
means of a cord passed through holes near to the top rim, Bossed or Nipple -
which have a raised center boss and are often suspended and played
horizontally, and Bowl – which are bowl-shaped and rest on cushions. Gongs
produce two distinct types of sound, tuned note and a crash sound.
Gong
R
Rain Stick – a rain
stick is a percussion instrument made from a dried cactus branch that has been
hollowed out and filled with small pebbles. It is capped at both ends and makes
a sound like falling rain when tilted.
Rain Stick
S
Shekere - the shekere
is an instrument from West Africa made from
vine gourds. The shape of the gourd determines its sound. The instrument itself
consists of a dried gourd with beads woven into a net covering the gourd.
Throughout the African continent there are similar gourd/bead or gourd/seed
percussion instruments with names such as lilolo, axatse, and chequere. In
performance it is shaken and/or hit against the hands or even the body.
Shekere
Spring or
Thunder Drum – a simple tube-shaped
instrument that is angled at one end with a wire spring dangling from the head.
Spring drums are played by shaking the long thin spring on this instrument to
create a thunder like noise. The sound can vary from a distant rumble to a
thundering crescendo depending on how hard you shake it.
Spring Drum
Surdo - a surdo is a
large bass drum used in many kinds of Brazilian music where it plays the lower
parts from a percussion section. Surdos may have shells of wood, galvanized
steel, or aluminum, and the heads may be animal skin or plastic. They are worn
from a waist belt or shoulder strap, oriented with the heads roughly
horizontal. The surdo is also used in a group rhythmic process called TaKeTiNa.
Surdo Drum
T
Talking Drum - talking
drum is term for a West African hourglass drum beaten so as to imitate the tone
and prosody of human speech. Talking drums were traditionally used for
long-distance communication between villages, however nowadays they are mostly
used for musical performances.
