How the devil chaser makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the devil chaser 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.
Players shape its sound through technique and materials; the resonating body filters the raw vibration, boosting some harmonics and damping others.
From Wikipedia
The devil chaser is a percussion instrument originating in Southern Asia and commonly found in India and the Philippines. It is an idiophone made from a bamboo stalk split for about half of its length, and the resulting fork vibrates when struck against the hand. Rich humming noises are produced from the natural cracks in the bamboo, and a musician can place their thumb over the tuning hole at one end of the instrument to control the air to flow in and out while striking it, adding a characteristic buzzing sound. The sound ranges from a hum to a roar, depending on size and playing technique. This noise was used by early villagers to ward off the devil and evil spirits, thus giving it its name.
Other struck idiophones
Frequently asked questions
What does a devil chaser 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 devil chaser?
It is classified as struck idiophones (Hornbostel–Sachs 111.13).