Listen to the sikus
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
How the sikus makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the sikus 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
Siku or sicu/sicus (Quechua: antara; Aymara: siku; Spanish: zampoña or zampolla) is a traditional Andean panpipe. This instrument is the main instrument used in a musical genre known as sikuri. It is traditionally found across the Andes but is more typically associated with music from the Kollasuyo, or Aymara speaking regions around Lake Titicaca. Historically, because of the complex mountain geography among other factors, some regions in each community would develop their own type of siku, with its own special tuning, shape and size. Additionally each community developed its own style of playing. The modern siku has been standardized for compatibility with Western music, transformed from its traditional roots.
Other flutes
Frequently asked questions
What does a sikus sound like?
Listen to 5 recordings on this page. 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 sikus?
It is classified as flutes (edge-blown) (Hornbostel–Sachs 421.112.11).
Sources & credits
- Sikuri.mid by Traditional from Andes, played by Inkuyo group – CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Registro sonoro del Bombo que acompaña a los Sikus en el Sikuri by Abel Christian Apaza Amanqui – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Interpretación del tema "Mula Lunthata" ejecutada con sikus Sanqa - Sonido conjunto de… by Abel Christian Apaza Amanqui – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Interpretación del tema "Mula Lunthata" ejecutada con sikus Malta - Sonido conjunto de… by Abel Christian Apaza Amanqui – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Interpretación del tema "Mula Lunthata" ejecutada con sikus Contra Malta - Sonido… by Abel Christian Apaza Amanqui – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q905244 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Siku (instrument) – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Gianni Careddu – CC BY-SA 4.0