How the pinkillu makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the pinkillu belongs to the flutes (edge-blown): an air jet is split on a sharp edge, setting the air column vibrating – flutes, recorders, whistles and panpipes.
More broadly it is one of the aerophones (wind instruments), where sound comes from vibrating air.
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
A pinkillu, pinkuyllu or pinqullu (Quechua or Aymara, Hispanicized spellings pincollo, pincuyllo, pingullo, pinquillo, also pinkillo, pinkiyo, pinkullo, pinkuyo) is a flute found throughout the Andes, used primarily in Argentina northwest, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru. It is usually played with one hand, leaving the other one free to accompany oneself on a drum like the tinya. It is used in a variety of public festivals and other kinds of communal ceremonies.
Other flutes
Frequently asked questions
What does a pinkillu sound like?
As one of the flutes, its sound comes from the way an air jet is split on a sharp edge, setting the air column vibrating.
What type of instrument is the pinkillu?
It is classified as flutes (edge-blown) (Hornbostel–Sachs 421.211.12).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q2372035 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Pinkillu – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by sguastevi – CC BY-SA 3.0