About
Africa is a large continent made up of many different countries. Each country has its own individual culture and styles of music. Traditionally, however, there are some similarities between the music made in different African countries. Many modern African musicians use common Western instruments, but many instruments are still made from natural resources, such as wood, rock, and animal skin.
Music is an important part of African culture and can bring the community together for dancing and socializing. Instruments are often highly decorated and looked after, providing a colourful display for onlookers.
Idiophones Probably the most common musical instruments to be found across Africa are idiophones. This term covers a wide range of instruments that do not contain skin or strings. There are hundreds of individual examples of idiophones, which can be divided into two categories:
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untuned idiophones include shakers, rattles, wooden bells, and scrapers (like guiros)
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tuned idiophones come in the form of xylophones and sansas. The sansa usually has metal or wooden strips that are of different lengths. They are placed over a wooden box and either struck or plucked with the thumb.
Drums Drums play an important part in African music, and ensembles are commonly made up only of drummers. The most complex music in this style comes from the Central African Republic and has provided much inspiration for modern European classical composers. Drums are often constructed of wood, with animal skin stretched over the end. The skin is struck either with a stick or by hand. Drums range in size and therefore pitch (the smaller the drum, the higher the pitch).
Wind There are numerous wind instruments that may be found in an African ensemble. These can range from flutes, made from wood or bamboo with carved holes to change the pitch, to reeded pipes, which use natural reeds to vibrate and create a sound.
What kinds of instruments are used to play music in Africa? (2018). In Helicon (Ed.), The Hutchinson unabridged encyclopedia with atlas and weather guide. Helicon. Credo Reference: https://ezproxy.southern.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/heliconhe/what_kinds_of_instruments_are_used_to_play_music_in_africa/0?institutionId=2258
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Books
Music in West Africa
Music in West Africa is one of several case-study volumes that can be used along with Thinking Musically, the core book in the Global Music Series. Thinking Musically incorporates music from many diverse cultures and establishes the framework for exploring the practice of music around theworld. It sets the stage for an array of case-study volumes, each of which focuses on a single area of the world. Each case study uses the contemporary musical situation as a point of departure, covering historical information and traditions as they relate to the present. Visitwww.oup.com/us/globalmusic for a list of case studies in the Global Music Series. The website also includes instructional materials to accompany each study.Music in West Africa presents fundamental style concepts of West African music using a focused case study of performance in Liberia, West Africa, among the Kpelle people. The book discusses the diversity, motifs, and structure of West African music within the larger patterns of the region'sculture, highlighting those aspects of Kpelle music that are common to many other West African traditions. It also describes how music and dance in West Africa are tied to the fabric of everyday social and political life.Kpelle musicians value musical performance where multiple performers each contribute aspects of sound that fit together in elaborate ways.
Music in East Africa
These captivating case studies include eyewitness accounts of performances, interviews with performers, and vivid illustrations. Each volume is packaged with a 70-minute CD that contains representative examples of the music discussed in the book. Ngoma is the hallmark of music in East Africa and a performance that incorporates drumming, singing, and dancing. Using several towns and villages as examples, this case study discusses how Ngoma performances function as important means of mediating conflicts, solidifying community and ethnicity, and communicating traditional values and social histories.
The Music of Africa
The study of African music is a study at once of unity and diversity. The range of indigenous musical resources and practices found on this vast continent is as wide and varies as its topography. In this informative and highly readable book, Professor Nketia provides an overview of the musical traditions of Africa with respect to their historical, cultural, and social background, their organization and practice, and delineates the most significant aspects of musical style.
Zimbabwean Music
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Zimbabwe's music is distinctively different from other African music. Musician Hope Masike plays the mbira, which is a traditional Zimbabwean instrument. Many musicians in the country are combining traditional instruments with modern music styles.
South African Sacred Music
- Films on Demand This link opens in a new windowThe South African sacred music is composed of multi-voice harmonies accompanied by a solo bongo drum. This music is used for sacred celebration.
West African Percussion
- Films on Demand This link opens in a new windowCall and response is one of the main structures of music in sub-Saharan Africa. It also plays a major role in gospel music, transitioning from the soloist to the choir.