How is a balafon played?
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! One hand typically plays the lower half, and the other hand plays the upper half.
What role does a balafon play in a performance?
The balafon, as well as the kora, was used to create music in praise of the kings and for ceremonies of importance.
What are the notes on a balafon?
Youssouf usually tunes his instrument in a pentatonic scale on A (A–B–C#–E–F#) in Western temperament, resulting in four pentatonic registers. The range and tuning can be tailor-made upon request; for example, Youssouf has made new balafons tuned in a pentatonic C# scale for a student.
What is the definition of a balafon?
Definition of balafon : a West African xylophone with gourd resonators.
What is the classification of balafon?
West African wooden Percussion idiophone
Balafon
| Classification | West African wooden Percussion idiophone with up to 21 keys |
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 111.212 (Sets of percussion sticks) |
| Developed | 12th century or earlier |
| Related instruments | |
|---|---|
| gyil, marimba, xylophone |
Who plays the balafon?
Balla Kouyaté
On a recent Monday, Balla Kouyaté plays the balafon in his mother-in-law’s living room in Quincy. We met here because there was construction in his nearby Medford home. Kouyaté has been in the United States for about 20 years since emigrating from Bamako, the capital of Mali.
What is balafon made from?
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 is the classification of flute?
Woodwind instrument
Wind instrument
Flute/Instrument family
Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening. According to the instrument classification of Hornbostel–Sachs, flutes are categorized as edge-blown aerophones.
What are the 4 classification of instruments?
Organology is the science of musical instruments and their classifications. There are several popular methods to do this, but for our purposes we will use the most common instrument classification that divides them into four groups – string, brass, woodwind and percussion.
What are the 5 classification of instruments?
Instruments are classified using 5 different categories depending on the manner in which the instrument creates the sound: Idiophones, Membranophones, Chordophones, Aerophones, & Electrophones.