Listen to the ikoro
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
How the ikoro makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the ikoro 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.
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
An Ikoro is a musical instrument created and used by the Igbo of Nigeria. It is a slit drum that is beaten with a stick or sticks and can be used in some parts of Igbo land for communicating, similar to a talking drum. Ikoro cannot be played by anyone. It is so special that any time its sound is heard people will gather at the village square. As soon as it sounds, people around assume that any of the following has happened: murder, land has been defiled, an outbreak of war, a calamity has befallen the community, etc. Any time the ikoro is heard, people gather at the village square to hear the latest developments. Ikoro also brings a sense of urgency.
Other struck idiophones
Frequently asked questions
What does an ikoro sound like?
Listen to 1 recording on this page. As one of the struck idiophones, its sound comes from the way the body is struck directly.
What type of instrument is the ikoro?
It is classified as struck idiophones (Hornbostel–Sachs 111.243).
Sources & credits
- Ikoro-Ekiti by Bamjos – CC0 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q5996169 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Ikoro – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Perfectsolo – CC BY-SA 3.0