Gadzo
Tall
cylindrical peg-tuned drum. The head is made of antelope skin. The drum is
played with the hands or with one hand and a stick. Ghana.
DRUMS AROUND THE WORLD
KTRAINDATW
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G - INSTRUMENTS
Gakpevi
Double Bell from Ghana
The gakpevi, (aka gankogui), is a bell, or gong instrument played with a wooden stick.
It is made out of forged iron and consists of a low-pitched bell (often
referred as the parent bell) and a high-pitched bell (or the child bell, which
is said to rest on the bosom of the protective parent), which are permanently
bound together. The gakpevi is the skeleton, backbone, and foundation of all
traditional Ewe music.
Galgo (Yanggo, Yangjanggo)
Korean Drum
The
galgo (or yangjang-go or yang-go) is a traditional Korean drum with an
hourglass-shaped wooden body and two drum heads of identical diameter, similar
to the janggu, though the galgo uses thinner drum skins and is struck with two
bamboo sticks (chae).
Gangá (Ghana)
A cylindrical double headed drum. Ghana
Gangá (Nigeria)
A drum played under the arm. Nigeria.
Gangan
"Talking Drum" of Nigeria
The Gangan, (often referred to as 'Talking Drum' or Dundun), holds a special place in
the tradition of the Yoruba People, and its use in Yoruba folklore
cannot be overemphasized. Its origin can be traced to the Old Oyo Empire
in South-West, Nigeria.
Gankogui
Double Iron Bell from Ghana
The
gankogui, (aka gakpevi), is a bell, or gong instrument played with a wooden stick.
It is made out of forged iron and consists of a low-pitched bell (often
referred as the parent bell) and a high-pitched bell (or the child bell, which
is said to rest on the bosom of the protective parent), which are permanently
bound together. The gankogui is the skeleton, backbone, and foundation of all
traditional Ewe music.
Gansadan
Buddhist Gong
Gansadan is a common name for what is really called the kyi zi, a twirling plate gong of Myanmar used in Buddhist temples
to herald a donation to the temple. They are traditionally
suspended from an outside corner of the temple and struck at the bottom
corner. As they spin they create a
beautiful overtone display combined with the beating of the twirl, that
changes as the sound and spin decay. They come in a variety of sizes
from 3" to 20' feet across.
Ganza
A large
tube shaker filled with small pellets. Most are made out of metal and some
are multiple tubes attached together. Brazil.
Garamut
Papua New Guinean Drum
The garamut, a big, slit drum from Papua New Guinea, is carved out of ironwood, makes a wonderful deep sound that carries well through the jungle; for this reason, it was traditionally used to send messages from village to village. Each person had a beat that signified his name; other beats indicated a death, war, or “your wife wants you home.” Mobile phone coverage has replaced the garamut messaging service; however, communities still value them for their cultural significance.
Garantung
Xylophone
from Sumatra.
Gata Bera (Geta Bera, Gáta
Béra)
Sri Lankan Drum
The Gáta Béra, aka the Kandyan Drum, is a double-headed, barrel-shaped drum, used to accompany dances in the hill country tradition. Known as the wedding drum, it is usually about two feet long and made of wood, with cow skin tied to one end and monkey skin on the other. This drum, which tapers towards the ends, is played by hand and tightened at the sides with strings of deer skin.
Gaŭla
Sri Lankan Drum
A new drum was created in 2000 by Sri Lankan musician Kalasoori Piyasāra Shilpadhipathi. Referred to as the Gaŭla, this barrel-shaped instrument contains one head from the Gáta Béra, and one from the Daŭla. A set of rudiments (practice rhythms) were also created to accommodate the instrument's unique tone.
Gaval
A
tambourine with the jingles fastened inside the frame. The head is made from
fish skin. Azerbaijani
Gendang
A
two-headed drum used in Indonesia and Malaysia. It’s known as kendang in Java
(Indonesia).
Gendang
anakna
Ostinato
drum in Karo (Sumatran) ceremonial ensembles.
Gendang
indungna
Lead
drum in Karo (Sumatran) ceremonial ensembles.
Gender
Metal
xylophone used in the Gamelan orchestras of Bali.
Geongo
Korean Drum
The Geongo is a huge Korean barrel drum. It is one of the instruments
used to signal the start of music. Before starting an ensemble, the sakgo and
eunggo are struck once, then the geongo is struck once. This process is
repeated three times.
Ghatam (Matka)
South India Clay Pot Drum
The Ghatam is a south
Indian clay pot drum. It is made of a special type of baked
clay and is carefully shaped and baked in a kiln. The player sits cross-legged
with the mouth of the pot pressed onto his uncovered belly, using both hands to
strike the pot to produce sound. Fine tonal variations are achieved by pressing
the mouth of the pot with the belly.
Ghaval
An
Azerbaijani frame drum with jingles.
Gilo
stones
An
instrument created by striking certain stones with bamboo sticks of varying
lengths, producing sounds like running water. Solomon Islands.
Giong
Giong
are Vietnamese stamping tubes that are usually played in pairs. They are made
of large bamboo pipes open on one end, which are struck on the ground or on a
stone to produce a low percussive sound. The pitch is determined by the
length and size of the pipe. They are native to the highland regions of
Vietnam where, it is said, they were derived from sticks used for digging.
Stamping tubes are found throughout South East Asia, Oceania, and in parts of
Africa.
Giri
Ghanaian
xylophone.
Glockenspiel
Glockenspiel
The glockenspiel (or orchestra bells), a
metallophone idiophone of European origin, is a standard instrument in the
percussion sections of orchestras and concert bands; composers since the
mid-19th century have used it for coloristic effects and to play melodies
(usually to double other instruments). It is also often called for in
percussion ensemble works.
Goblet
drum
A single
headed drum in the shape of a goblet. It has a narrow waisted body and can be
made out of wood, metal or pottery. It is also known as hourglass-shaped
drum.
Gome
Rectangular
frame drum played by the hands and feet (Ghana). While the drummer is sitting
on the gome and playing the drum with his hands, he is changing the pitch by
varying the position of his heels
Gong
A
circular metal plate of various dimensions used as a percussion instrument.
It is struck with a padded hammer.
Gong Ageng
Indonesia Gong
Gongguluur
Tuvan
term for ‘gonging’ or clashing hand bells together for percussive effect.
Gongo
Bells.
Ghana.
Gongon
Ghanaian
cowbell.
Gopiyantra
Bengal Tension Drum
The gopiyantra (aka ektara), is a one-string tension drum that is played by the Baul people
of Bengal and Bangladesh, to accompany religious songs. It is made from a
gourd or small round wooden container that is open at both ends. The
bottom is covered with an animal skin, which is pierced at the center,
through which runs a gut or metal string. The string runs through the
center of the container and continues up to attach to a peg head between
two long slats of thin wood, which are attached to the side of the
container. It is
played by plucking the string, while depressing or releasing the two
slats.
Gorong Talmbat
Senegalese Sabar Drum
The gorong talmbat is a small
tenor accompanying Wolof drum in a Senegalese sabar drum orchestra. They are usually made of mohogany.
Gorong Yeguel
Senegalese Sabar drum
The gorong yeguel is a small,
tight drum used in a sabar drum orchestra by the Wolof people of Senegal.
Gourd
Fruit of a Vine
The gourd
is a dried hollowed-out shell of the fruit of a vine from the cucurbita family,
which includes the squash, melon, pumpkin, cucumber. It is listed as an instrument because in many cases it is one, with only small cosmetic changes being made.
Gu
The
common Chinese name for drum.
Guacharaca
Colombian
cane scraper of indigenous origin. The instrument was originally rubbed with
an animal bone.
Guaché
Colombian
wooden shaker.
Gua-gua
A hollow
bamboo stick with a slit, mounted on a stand. It is struck with a stick
called palito. Cuba.
Guarará
Metal
tube shaker. Brazil.
Guases
Tubular
shaker. Colombia.
Guataca
hhh
Guayo
A
serrated gourd that is scraped with a stick. It can also be made out of
metal, which is scraped with a metal fork. Dominican Republic.
Gubgubi
Bengal Tension Drum
The gubgubi (aka khomok, khamak or anandalahari) is a tension drum of the Baul people of
Bengal. It has a skin
head pierced by a string, which passes through the wooden drum-shaped
body to attach to a small brass handle. The gubgubi is played by placing
the drum body under the arm and plucking the string while pulling on the
brass handle, which applies tension to the string and drum head.
Variations of tension on the string produce a surprising vocal-like
sound. Some gubgubi have two strings that are played at the same time
increasing both the volume and complexity of the sound.
Gudu
Small
support drum, mostly played with sticks. Ghana.
Gudugudu
A small
wood kettle drum played with two long thin rawhide sticks. Nigeria.
Güícharo
A Puerto
Rican variety distinguished by thinner grooves than those of a Cuban güiro.
Güira
Scraper
made with perforated tin that is rubbed rhythmically with a fork. Dominican
Republic.
Güiro
Scraper
of the Spanish-speaking Caribbean (Cuba, Puerto Rico). It is a long, fretted
gourd rubbed with a stick. Also known as güícharo
Gulu
Cylindrical
drums. Ghana
Gulusago (Guluzoro)
Laced
drum. Ghana.
Gung-gong (Gungon)
A
Dagomba bass drum. Ghana. A large
bass drum with a single snare made from a leather string along the upper part
of the face of the drum. Ghana.
Gungonga
Hourglass
drum. Ghana.
Gunguru
Globular
bells that are normally tied to a dancer’s feet. India.
Gyobanggo
Korean Drum
Gyobanggo, used in wind
instrument ensemble and royal court dancing, was struck as four men carried it
on long poles. Today it is used in drum dancing and folk dancing. It is essentially a flat drum suspended in a frame.