For a bettter understanding read the first part
b. Rattles: - These are hard materials strung together and then used as anklets or waist bands or tied around a musical instrument to act as buzzer. They are given different names, depending on the type of materials with which they are made. Rattles are made from metals, pellet, grass, palm fronds, shells, seeds etc. They produce rhythmic sounds as the dancers move their body or stamp their feet on the ground.
'Saworo' (rattle)in Yoruba land are part of costumes on masquerades and maiden dancers while the Igbo call them 'ekpli, 'ide' or 'yomyom'- depending on the materials used in making them.
c. Shakers: - They are of different types, depending on the society or culture, namely: calabash, basket and wood. The calabash shaker has the rattling materials laced around the calabash. The Yoruba call it 'sekere. Shakers are of different sizes.
Small and extremely big ones are noticeable. Beads are usually arranged round the calabash with strings.
The basket shaker has a piece of round calabash as the base, and the basket is woven and closed at the top. One or more basket shakers can be linked together.
The link at the top is usually the handle of shaker. Before the top of the basket is closed, rattling materials such as pebbles or seeds need to be put into the basket. Both the calabash and the basket shakers are called 'nyo' in some parts of Eastern Nigeria.
The wooden shaker originates from the Cross River state and spreads to other states in the East. The Cross River and Akwa Ibom people call it 'ikpo-nketa' while the Imo people call it 'nyara' and Anambra refer to it as 'kpoko-kpoko'. This wooden shaker is shaped like the bell, with clappers loosely hanging inside.
d. Clappers :- Simply put, clappers’ are two pieces of flat wood, specially carved and hit together to produce sound.
Unlike rattles that perform only one function (buzzers), shakers and the clappers have more specific musical functions. Such functions include timekeeping and filling in gaps between one musical movement and the other.
e. Thumb/Hand-Piano: This instrument is classified under idiophone because it has many features in common with the string instrument.
It is made locally by craftsmen. The Yoruba call it 'agidigbo'. It is very ideal for a 'one-man-band' where the player becomes the vocalist and drummer, all at the same time. He beats on the box with his palm, wearing several rings on his fingers to boost the beating. The Yoruba 'agidigbo' is usually hung on the neck with an improvised belt made from cloth for comfort and easier carriage of the instrument.
Thumb-piano is also popular among the Igbo. It is called 'ubo-aka' (plucked or bowed instrument) and it is classified under the family of string instruments. It has two main features namely the sound box, which can be made of calabash (gourd) or wood, and the tongues. These tongue range from four to as many as sixteen. The tongues are either made of bamboo or thin layer of metal (lamella).
One major difference between the calabash sound box and the wooden type is that the sound coming out of the calabash box is clearer, deeper and sound continuous more than the one that comes out of the wooden sound box. Thumb-piano has both social and cultural functionalities especially among the Igbo.
f. Slit-Drum: - Drum generally has been described as a 'rhythmo-melodic' instrument. It could be seen as a pulsating force, like the heart which gives life and meaning to music. The drum possesses a very strong spirit, not only in religious circles but in social functions. There are many families of drums with different functions. While some are purely for religious (sacred) activities others are for social functions. These different families of drums have their own special types of music.
One of such drum is 'Ekwe' (small slit-drum) popular among the Igbo. A slit-drum is a hollowed log of wood, cut and carved with openings (one or more) slits. Melodious sounds come out of this instrument with the use of beating sticks. Slit-drums come in three sizes and musically they do not perform similar functions. Other bigger slit-drums are called
'ufie'/uhie' and 'ikolo'/ikoro' by the Igbo.
2. MEMBRANOPHONES
These are musical instruments produced from animal skin or leather.
The leather is used in producing leather drums or skin drums of various sizes. Such leather is used either to cover one end of the hollowed wood or both ends of it. All the ethnic groups in Nigeria, (Igbo, Yoruba, Efik/Ibibio, Hausa etc) use skin drums. Such drums are given different names and they serve different functions. Here are some of the names:
Yoruba - Gudugudu, Kanango, Igbin, Gangan, (hour glass), Bata, Gbedu, Omele, Dundun etc.
Igbo - Igba (Igba Eze, Igba-Egwu, Igba-Mmonwu etc)
Hausa - Tombari, Gangan, Kaage, Kotsoko.
Ibibio/Efik - Nsing Obong
Skin drums are either single headed. (Igba of the Igbo), double. headed like the hour-glass of the Yoruba. The leather is usually held tightly with short pegs which are used to tune the drums. These drums are sometimes kept in the sun to dry for them to have higher pitch.
3. CHORDOPHONES
They are instruments made of strings.
Chordophones are more popular among the Hausa/Fulani people of Nigeria. Little of them are found in the south especially among the Igbo or Ibibio. Three types of chordophones has been identified in Nigeria; namely Lutes, harps and zithers.
Lutes are musical instrument popular more with the Hausa/Fulani. Examples are 'goje',
'garaya', 'molo', 'kukuma',
'gurmi' and
'tabulu'. Igbo call their own lute which is a musical bow 'une' while the Ibibio call it
'anana'.
Harps are not very many in Nigeria. The one known among the Hausa is the 'guluna' with only three strings.
Zithers are not found in too many places. The only example known in Nigeria is the raft-zither of the Hausa call 'molo'
Chordophones are played by either bowing or plucking. Examples can be found in 'kukuma' and 'goje' which are bowed, while 'molo', 'garaya' and 'gurmi' are plucked. The 'une' of the Igbo is neither bowed nor plucked. The single string is held in position with the lips and beaten softly with a small stick.
Other chordophones with one string are
'goje' and 'kukuma' while 'garaya' and
'gurmi' have two strings each. 'Molo' and 'gulum' are made up of three strings each.
4 AEROPHONES
These are instruments that produce sound when air is blown into them. Aerophones, as the name indicates depend on air to function.
Such instruments include horns, trumpets and African flutes.
Horns are made from various materials; such as animal horns or elephant tusk, bamboo tree and calabash. Such instruments are played for traditional rulers like Obas, Obis, Ezes, Emirs, Igwes and some high chiefs all over Nigeria. Each community has different names for horns 'Nja'and 'Kaho' (Hausa), 'Opu' or Opi and 'Odu' (Igbo), 'Eyin Erin' (Yoruba) and 'Oduk' (Efik/Ibibio).
African Flutes are the other popular wind instruments made from wood, bamboo, reeds, cane etc. They are about three types of flutes. The long flutes are common in the Northern part of Nigeria, while the Yoruba do blow the global type. The Igbo of Eastern part of Nigeria have different types of end-blown flutes such as the modern 'Oja' made from bamboo is also notched but side-blown.
Trumpets are the third type of wind instruments. Such instruments are commonly found in the Northern states of Nigeria. They are used during important ceremonies like 'durbar' or when honouring their Emir or an important visitor.
Some horns are classified as trumpets in this part of the country, for example, 'kakaki' (long metal horn) and 'algaita.
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