How the tifa makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the tifa 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.
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 tifa, tiwa or tiva is a single-headed goblet drum used throughout the Maluku Islands of Eastern Indonesia, where it is traditionally the "dominant instrument" in Maluku province music. The term tifa has been used outside of the Maluku Islands, including on the island of Java and on the island of New Guinea, in Indonesia's Papuan provinces.
Where the Maluku-tradition tifas tend to be unadorned or plain, the Papua-tradition tifas tend to be decorated with patterns and symbols, which may be ethnic or spiritual in nature.
Other struck drums
Frequently asked questions
What does a tifa 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 tifa?
It is classified as struck drums (Hornbostel–Sachs 211.241.1).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q12521411 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Tifa (drum) – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Tropenmuseum – CC BY-SA 3.0