World Musical Instruments: Gadulka - Gayageum




NameImage TraditionDescription
Gadulka Bulgaria The Gadulka (Bulgarian: Гъдулка) is a folk Bulgarian string musical instrument played with a bow.
There are two types of gadulkas; the most common has three or sometimes four main strings, with many lesser strings, and a smaller variant in the Dobruja region has only the three main strings. The gadulka is played vertically, and the bow held horizontally with the hair facing the player.
The gadulka is an important instrument in the traditional Bulgarian Horo round dances.
Gaida Macedonia The gaida (also spelled gajda) is a bagpipe from South Eastern Europe (the Balkans). It is played in Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, and the Thracian regions of Greece.
The bag is the reservoir that supplies the pipes with air. It is an airtight sack made out of goat or sheep hide. When this bag is squeezed under the player's arm, air is forced through the reeds of the pipes, creating sound. Different regions have different ways of treating the hide.
Gaita de fole Portugal Gaita de fole is a Portuguese bagpipe from the Tras Os Montes region.
Galician Gaita Spain The (Galician) gaita or gaita de fole is a traditional bagpipe used in Galicia (Spain), and Portugal.
The Galician gaita has a conical chanter and a bass drone (ronco) with a second octave. It may have one or two additional drones playing the tonic and dominant notes. Three keys are traditional: D, C, and Bb. Galician pipe bands playing these instruments have become popular in recent years.
Gambang Indonesia A gambang, properly called a gambang kayu ('wooden gambang') is a xylophone-like instrument of Indonesian origin used in gamelan, with wooden bars as opposed to the metallic ones of the more typical metallophones in a gamelan.
A type of wood known as berlian is normally used to make Gambang's bars. A wooden case is built to support these bars and to act as a resonator. Each Gambang has approximately 19 to 20 bars.
The gambang is used in a number of gamelan ensembles. It is most notable in the Balinese gamelan Gambang.
Gandingan Philippines The gandingan (talking gongs) is a set of four large Philippine brass hanging-gongs used specifically by the Maguindanao as part of their kulintang ensemble. When integrated into the ensemble, it functions as a secondary melodic instrument after the main melodic instrument, the kulintang. When played solo, the gandingan allows fellow Maguindanao to communicate with each other, allowing them to send messages or warnings via long distances.
Traditionally, women were the only ones allowed to play the gandingan.
Gangsa Indonesia A gangsa is a type of metallophone which is used in Balinese and Javanese Gamelan music. It consists of several tuned-metal bars which are hit with a mallet and each make a note of a different pitch. The gangsa is very similar to the gendér and the saron.
Ganza Brazil The ganzá, also called cholaho, is a Brazilian rattle used as a percussion instrument, especially in samba music.
The ganza is cylindrically shaped, and can be either a hand-woven basket or a metal canister which is filled with beads, metal balls, pebbles, or other similar items. Those made from metal produce a particularly loud sound.
Gaohu China The gaohu (高胡, also called yuehu 粤胡) is a Chinese bowed string instrument used in playing traditional Guangdong Cantonese music and operas. It belongs to the huqin family of instruments, together with the zhonghu, erhu, banhu, jinghu, and sihu, its name means "high pitched huqin". It has two strings and its soundbox is covered on the front (playing) end with snakeskin.
Garmon Russia The garmon (Russian: гармонь) is a Russian button accordion. It is a free-reed wind instrument. A garmon has two rows of buttons on the right side, which play the notes of a diatonic scale, and at least two rows of buttons on the left side, which play the primary chords in the key of the instrument as well as its relative harmonic minor key. Many instruments have additional right-hand buttons with useful accidental notes, additional left-hand chords for playing in related keys, and a row of free-bass buttons, to facilitate playing of bass melodies.
Gayageum Korea A gayageum is a traditional Korean zither-like string instrument, with 12 strings, although more recently variants have been constructed with 21 or other numbers of strings. It draws its name from the ancient Korean confederacy of Gaya, where it is said to have been invented. It is probably the best known traditional Korean musical instrument.
The ancient gayageum of King Gashil was called by several names, including beopgeum (law-zither, 법금), pungnyu (elegance, 풍류), or jeong-ak (right music, 정악) gayageum. It is normally associated with court music, chamber music, and lyric songs, for which it provides the accompaniment.




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