How the đàn đá makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the đàn đá belongs to the struck idiophones: the body is struck directly – bells, gongs, xylophones and cymbals.
More broadly it is one of the idiophones, where the solid body of the instrument itself vibrates, without strings or a stretched membrane.
Its timbre – the colour that lets you tell it apart from other instruments playing the same note – comes from the mix of overtones its body and resonator emphasise.
From Wikipedia
The đàn đá is a lithophone played by ethnic minority groups in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, in the provinces of Lâm Đồng, Đắk Nông, Đắk Lắk, Gia Lai, and Kon Tum. These provinces are also home of the space of Gong culture listed in UNESCO's World Heritage Site. The word đá means "stone" in Vietnamese, đàn is instrument. The term đàn đá is of recent origin among Vietnamese musicologists, it had also been referred to as a đàn goong, a Vietnamese gong.
Several stones of different sizes are placed in a row. The player then uses a stick to knock the stones, each of which produces a different tone. The stone music sounds like the rhythm of the streams and bird songs, and therefore goes well with the surrounding landscape. One of the oldest stone musical instruments ever discovered was found in this area, dating back more than 2,000 years ago.
Other struck idiophones
More instruments from Vietnam
Frequently asked questions
What does a đàn đá sound like?
As one of the struck idiophones, its sound comes from the way the body is struck directly.
What type of instrument is the đàn đá?
It is classified as struck idiophones (Hornbostel–Sachs 111.222).
Where does the đàn đá come from?
The đàn đá originates from Vietnam.
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q8079928 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Đàn đá – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Hoangkid – CC BY-SA 4.0