How the takumbo makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the takumbo belongs to the tube zithers: strings run along the surface of a tube, such as a length of bamboo.
More broadly it is one of the chordophones (string instruments), where sound comes from vibrating strings, amplified by a resonating body.
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
The takumbo is a parallel-stringed tube zither made from bamboo, and is found in the Philippines. It is made from a heavy bamboo tube about 40 cm long, with both ends closed with a node. Two strands of strings, about 5 cm apart, are partially etched out from the body of the bamboo. Small wooden bridges are inserted beneath the strings at both ends. At the center of the bamboo tube, below the strings, a small hole is bored. The small hole is covered with a bamboo plate clipped to the strings.
Other tube zithers
Frequently asked questions
What does a takumbo sound like?
As one of the tube zithers, its sound comes from the way strings run along the surface of a tube, such as a length of bamboo.
What type of instrument is the takumbo?
It is classified as tube zithers (Hornbostel–Sachs 312.11).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q7678567 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Takumbo – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Mac Credo – CC BY-SA 3.0