Mindanao Music Instrument

HORNBOSTEL-SACHS CLASSIFICATION OF
MINDANAO MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

The Sachs-Hornbostel system is a comprehensive, global method of classifying acoustic musical
instruments. It was developed in 1914 by two European musicologists. Curt Sachs worked alongside Erich
Moritz von Hornbostel. Their collaboration led to an abstract framework based on how musical
instruments produce sound: the location of the created vibration. The H-S system divides all musical
instruments into five categories: idiophones, membranophones, chordophones and aerophones.
1. Idiophones
- Idiophones are instruments in which a vibrating solid material is used to produce sound.
These instruments can be struck, rubbed, shaken or plucked.
EXAMPLES:
Kulintang - is a set of eight knobbed gongs in graduated

sizes from largest to smallest mounted in a wooden
frame, and is about a meter long. Some Muslim carvings
decorate the frame. The kulintang is played by striking
the gongs with two pieces of wood which are about 12
inches long while the player squats on the floor. The
instrument is popular in Sulu.
Gabbang - is similar to a xylophone. It is made of a wooden

box with one end wider than the other, and has an open top.
Across the top of the box, wooden bars of different lengths
are placed to fit the shape of it, which are about 1 cm apart
from each other. It is played by striking the wooden bars with
a wooden hammer. This instrument is popular in Sulu.
Bungkaka/Bilbil- Also known as the bamboo buzzer, it

is a percussion instrument made out of bamboo. This
instrument is common in numerous indigenous tribes
around the Philippines especially by the Tinguians. It
is two-pronged and is struck against the palm of one
hand to play it. The upper half is shaped such that
there are two tongues facing each other, while the
bottom end acts as a resonator chamber.
Gandingan - is a set of four graduated gongs. They hang

in pairs with the knobs of the lower pitched gongs facing
each other. It is the same with the two higher pitched
gongs. The pair of lower pitched gongs is positioned on
the player's left side while the pair of the higher pitched
gongs is on the right. The player’s body slightly touches
the gong in the middle to prevent it from swinging. She
uses two padded mallets (one mallet for each pair) to
strike the gong's knobs.
2. Aerophones
- Aerophones produce sound by vibrating a column of air. These are commonly known as
wind instruments. The two main families that are aerophones are woodwind and brass
instruments.
EXAMPLES:
Sahunay- This traditional Philippines instrument is a bell-

shaped pipe that features a reed mouthpiece. The bell of
this pipe is crafted from the leaves of bamboo plants, and
the part of the instrument which holds the reed is designed
from a piece of coconut shell. Often, these pipes are
decorated with bright, pretty colors, such as robin's-egg
blue paint or dye.
Palendag- the ‘palendag’ is a kind of bamboo flute being

used by the Maguindanaons. Being a lip-valley flute, it is
regarded by music experts as the toughest of the three
bamboo flutes (the others being the ‘tumpong’ and the
‘suling’) to play due to the way one must shape his or her
lips against its tip to make a sound. The construction of
the mouthpiece is such that the lower end is cut
diagonally to accommodate the lower lip and the second
diagonal cut is make for the blowing edge.
Suling- the Suling is a simple bamboo flute. A

notch is cut into the side of the top end, and this
top end is surrounded by a rattan of bamboo
ring, leaving a small slit where the player will
put his mouth on. Suling is the simplest and
cheapest instrument in the gamelan. There are
basically two types of Sulings.
3. Chordophones
- A chordophone is a musical instrument that makes sound by way of a vibrating string or
strings stretched between two points.
EXAMPLES:
Kudyapi- is a Philippine 2-stringed, fretted

boat-lute. It is one of several among other
groups such as the Maranao and Manobo. It
is four to six feet long with nine frets made of
hardened beeswax. The instrument is carved
out of solid soft wood such as that from the
jackfruit tree. A constant drone is played
with 1 string while the other, an octave
above the drone, plays the melody with a
kabit or rattan pluck.
Kudlung- Two stringed lute made of
wood, one string for the melody, one
for the drone. Eight frets are glued on
the neck of the lute. The body of the
instrument is carved with geometric
patterns. The neck and the head are
adorned with horse hair; the tail has
two (originally three) pieces of
carabao skin; the strap is adorned
with bead work.
Sludoy- Tube cither made of bamboo; five strings cut from the
tube; the tube is cut open with one full length crack and held
together by bamboo strips at both ends. In this way the tube
forms the resonating body of the instrument. Usually a piece
of dried leaf is placed in the top end of the tube of which the
fucntion is not clear.
4. Membranophones
- A membranophone is any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by way of
a vibrating stretched membrane.
EXAMPLES:
Dabakan - is a goblet -shaped drum, which has a single head covered

with goat, lizard or snake skin. It is struck with two thin bamboo sticks
about 18 inches in length. It is primarily used as a supportive
instrument in the kulintang ensemble. Among the five main kulintang
instruments, it is the only non-gong element of the Maguindanao
ensemble. The dabakan is normally played while standing with the
player holding two sticks made either out of rattan or bamboo but the
player could be sitting or kneeling instead.
Dadabuan- Hour glass shaped drum made of wood; the membrane is made
of carabao skin. The Islamic influences in this drum from the Southern
Philippine Islands contributed to its name, goblet shape, mother-of-pearl
inlay, and leaf decoration. It is played with two rattan sticks. The drum is
part of the Kulintang ensemble. The drum was used by a sikaomba, the
traditional praise singer of the Tabwa people, to encourage warriors and
exalt leaders.
Gandang - is a two-headed cylindrical drum of Tausug, Samal,

Badjao, Maranao and Maguindanao. Called as Kendang in other
South East Asian countries. It is one of the primary instruments
used in the Gamelan ensembles of Java, Bali and Terengganu. It is
made of wood with a membrane made of carabao skin on each
side.

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HORNBOSTEL-SACHS CLASSIFICATION OF

MINDANAO MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Kulintang - is a set of eight knobbed gongs in graduated

Gabbang - is similar to a xylophone. It is made of a wooden

Bungkaka/Bilbil- Also known as the bamboo buzzer, it

Gandingan - is a set of four graduated gongs. They hang

Sahunay- This traditional Philippines instrument is a bell-

Palendag- the ‘palendag’ is a kind of bamboo flute being

Suling- the Suling is a simple bamboo flute. A

Kudyapi- is a Philippine 2-stringed, fretted

Dabakan - is a goblet -shaped drum, which has a single head covered

Gandang - is a two-headed cylindrical drum of Tausug, Samal,

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