How the erkencho makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the erkencho belongs to the single-reed instruments: a single reed beats against a mouthpiece – clarinets and saxophones.
More broadly it is one of the aerophones (wind instruments), where sound comes from vibrating air.
Press play above and watch the spectrum: the evenly spaced peaks are harmonics, and their relative strength is what gives the instrument its character.
From Wikipedia
The erkencho is a folk clarinet of the northern region of the Gran Chaco of South America, particularly northwestern Argentina. It consists of a tube 10–13 inches (25–33 cm) long, with a single reed and a cow or goat horn attached at the end, as a hornpipe. Some writers consider the erkencho to be a smaller variant of the erke, with the name erkencho being a diminutive thereof.
Other single-reed instruments
Frequently asked questions
What does an erkencho sound like?
As one of the single-reed instruments, its sound comes from the way a single reed beats against a mouthpiece.
What type of instrument is the erkencho?
It is classified as single-reed instruments (Hornbostel–Sachs 422.212).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q1164356 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Erkencho – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Museum of Fine Arts, Boston – CC BY 2.0