How the tanggu makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the tanggu belongs to the struck drums: a stretched membrane (drumhead) is struck with hands or beaters.
More broadly it is one of the membranophones (drums), where sound comes from a vibrating 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
The tanggu is a traditional Chinese drum that dates back to the Northern Wei Dynasty. It is medium in size and barrel-shaped, with two heads made of animal skin, and is played with two sticks.
The tanggu is usually suspended by four rings in a wooden stand. Two wooden sticks are used to strike the upward facing membrane.
Other struck drums
Frequently asked questions
What does a tanggu sound like?
As one of the struck drums, its sound comes from the way a stretched membrane (drumhead) is struck with hands or beaters.
What type of instrument is the tanggu?
It is classified as struck drums (Hornbostel–Sachs 211.222.11).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q7682928 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Tanggu (drum) – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by User:Sengkang – Copyrighted free use