What is the balafon used for?
The balafon, as well as the kora, was used to create music in praise of the kings and for ceremonies of importance.
What material is balafon?
The Balafon is made using various types of wood. Bene wood and bamboo are some of the most popular materials, as they are known to be highly durable and flexible. The wood is shaved down to the right key size and then dried over a slow burning fire.
What does balafon mean in Africa?
Definition of balafon : a West African xylophone with gourd resonators.
What is the description of balafon?
Balafon definition A large, usually pentatonic xylophone of West African origin, consisting of resonating gourds of graduated sizes under wooden bars which are struck with mallets.
What does a balafon instrument sound like?
The balafon is amplified by small gourds underneath the keys, with small layers of film covering holes to create a unique buzzing sound. Some people say it sounds like an electric keyboard!
How is the balafon different from the marimba?
Obviously, I had difficulties to adapt physically to the technical difference between the balafon and the marimba; the marimba is a double row, well-tempered 12-tone keyboard, whereas the balafon is a pentatonic single row keyboard.
What is the most distinct feature of balafon?
The balafon usually has 17–21 keys, tuned to a tetratonic, pentatonic or heptatonic scale, depending on the culture of the musician. The balafon is generally capable of producing 18 to 21 notes, though some are built to produce many fewer notes (16, 12, 8 or even 6 and 7).
How is a GYIL made?
Beneath every key a string holds a gourd, which acts as a resonator. There are several holes in the gourd and these holes are covered with a membrane that is made by spiders to cover up their eggs. This membrane vibrates each time the key is struck and determines the timbre with the ‘buzz’ sound that is generated.
How is a balafon tuned?
Balafon keys are traditionally made from kosso rosewood, dried slowly over a low flame, and then tuned by shaving off bits of wood from the underside of the keys. Wood is taken off the middle to flatten the key or the end to sharpen it.
Who is kora?
The Kora, Khora or Cora were one of the ten indigenous tribes of the Great Andamanese people, originally living on the eastern part of North Andaman Island in the Indian Ocean. The tribe is now extinct, although some of the remaining Great Andamanese on Strait Island claim to have Kora ancestors.
What does the Gyil sound like?
The Gyil has an unusual buzzing sound of the Gyil which is achieved by drawing the net of spider cocoons over holes in the resonating gourds. The builder “hangs” the 14 wooden bars over the frame to allow them to vibrate freely. Most Gyils are tuned in the pentatonic scale.
What is idiophone example?
Percussion Idiophones: Sound is produced by striking the vibrating object with a mallet, hammer, stick or other non-vibrating object. Examples are Wood Block, Bell, Gong, etc. Plucked Idiophone: Sound is produced by plucking a flexible tongue. Examples are Jew’s Harp, Thumb Piano, Music Box, etc.