How the igil makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the igil belongs to the lutes: strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck – the family of the guitar, violin, sitar and oud.
More broadly it is one of the chordophones (string instruments), where sound comes from vibrating strings, amplified by a resonating body.
Players shape its sound through technique and materials; the resonating body filters the raw vibration, boosting some harmonics and damping others.
From Wikipedia
The igil (Tuvan: игил), also known as ikhel in Mongolian (Mongolian: ихэл) is a two-stringed Mongolian and Tuvan musical instrument, played by bowing the strings. (It is called "ikili" in Western Mongolia.) The neck and lute-shaped sound box are usually made of a solid piece of pine or larch. The top of the sound box may be covered with skin or a thin wooden plate. The strings, and those of the bow, are traditionally made of hair from a horse's tail (strung parallel), but may also be made of nylon. Like the morin khuur of Mongolia, the igil typically features a carved horse's head at the top of the neck above the tuning pegs, and both instruments are known as the horsehead fiddle.
Other lutes
Frequently asked questions
What does an igil sound like?
As one of the lutes, its sound comes from the way strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck.
What type of instrument is the igil?
It is classified as lutes (Hornbostel–Sachs 321.322-71).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q1572629 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Igil – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Jeanbubley at English Wikipedia – Public domain