Bamboo Plants Used to Make Instruments

Bamboo plants are one of the world's mostand most have eight bamboo keys, with certain
versatile resources. Bamboo, because of itsinstrument having two keys per pitch, slightly
strength and flexibility, has been used fordetuned.
hundreds of years as a major building material inTake Marimba
countries like Japan and China. But aside fromThe first ever take marimba was constructed by
furniture building and architecture, bamboo plantsmusician and instrument maker Makoto Yabuki in
are also used for a wide array of purposes. One1980. It is a multi-layered marimba with bamboo
of the most interesting areas where bamboo iskeys. It produces a beautiful, lingering sound and
used is in the creation of instruments. Becausehas typically a range of 4 octaves.
bamboo is hallow, it makes for a natural windPinjakan
instrument, and cultures from all over the worldThe pinjakan is native to Bali, and it is a kind of
have used it to their musical advantage. Here aremusical windmill decorated with some kind of doll
some of the most unique bamboo instruments inor figurine. It works in such a way that when the
the world.wind turns the windmill, the figurine moves and a
Valihabeautiful sound is played. It was traditionally used
The valiha is a type of zither made with a long,in rice fields to scare off sparrows, but musicians
bamboo tube. It's an instrument native totoday sometimes incorporate it into their songs.
Madagascar and it is played traditionally by pluckingAngklung
the strings. Originally these were made withThis musical instrument is made with two bamboo
strands of bamboo skin, but today they aretubes attached to a bamboo frame. The shoots
usually made from bicycle brake cables. Thefrom the bamboo plant are carved in such a way
cables are usually taken apart into individualas to produce a resonant pitch when struck. The
strands and the strands are then used as strings.player holds the base of the instrument with one
Jegoghand and shakes the instrument form side to side
Jegog instruments are made with treated shootsquickly with the other hand, which produces a
from the bamboo plant. The tradition of jegogsingle, repeating note. Each performer in an
music comes from the region of Western Bali inangklung ensemble will thus play only one note,
Indonesia. The instruments have a four note scaleand together they create a melody.