Contextual Associations

The takumbo is an idiochord tube-zither of the Philippines. It is used by many upland peoples of the Philippines and is known amongst them by several different names and with differing designs. Takumbo appears to be the most generic name and the one used here to label the two specimens pictured and described on this page (galleries #1 and #2). These two specimens very likely originated from the southern Philippines island of Mindanao, possibly made by either the Bukidnon or Higa-onon peoples. The takumbo is probably best thought of as a “sound-producing instrument” rather than a “musical instrument” for it is used to produce a low, indefinite-pitched sound to scare off insects infesting corn crops. (Maceda p. 208) The surface of the gallery #1 instrument is covered with geometric patterns subtly added in a pointillistic fashion and with some applied dye on the tube’s skin (detail #1). Numerous upland peoples of the Philippines produce polychordal tube-zither instruments for music making, but these zithers typically have more strings that are tuned to scales and arranged for melodic play.

Description

The takumbo pictured in gallery #1 will be described first, followed by a brief discussion of how the other takumbo, pictured in gallery #2, differs from it in its design. The gallery #1 takumbo is made from a segment of bamboo (variety unknown) closed at both ends by natural nodes (detail #2). Each of its strings is made by cutting two parallel shallow incisions about an eighth-of-an-inch apart from one another down much of the length of the tube. Once the strings are freed from the wall of the bamboo tube small rods are wedged between them and the tube near both ends of the strings (detail #3). Two parallel thirteen-inch-long strings are thus created. In between them and at the midpoint of the tube a square opening is cut through the wall of the tube (detail #4); this allows energy from the vibrating strings to resonate in the interior space of the tube (i.e., the tube becomes the instrument’s resonator, the square hole the instrument’s soundhole). Missing from this specimen is a thin square-shaped pad made from bamboo that is wedged between the strings at their midpoints (and right above the soundhole). It is this pad or suspended bridge that is struck with a small stick (also missing) to set the strings into vibration. The takumbo pictured in gallery #2 is approximately twice the length of the gallery #1 takumbo (detail #5) but only half of the instrument is used for sound production. Unlike the former takumbo, this instrument’s second closed node is located about halfway down the length of the bamboo tube (variety again unknown) and only the length between this central node and one of the end nodes constitutes the instrument proper. This section, pictured in detail #6, is three inches shorter in length than the gallery #1 takumbo. The other significant way in which this second takumbo differs from the first is in the shape of its soundhole. Rather than a simple square, it has an elongated shape one end of which is pointed (detail #7). This second takumbo is also missing its beating pad, which would be wedged between the inside-edges of the two strings midway between their ends. Rattan collars are woven tightly around the tubes at the ends of the strings to keep the strings from getting longer over time.

Player - Instrument Interface and Sound Production

Pictures and descriptions of the takumbo being played were not found. Other than the primary sounding action being the striking of a small stick against the pad suspended over the instrument’s soundhole and that the resulting sound is a single low pitch, no further description can be provided.

Origins/History/Evolution

No information on the origin and history of the takumbo was found. That it is found amongst upland peoples of both the Northern and Southern Philippines suggests that the basic concept of the instrument has been around for a long time to acquire such a distribution.

Bibliographic Citations

Dioquinio, Corazon. 2008. “Philippine Bamboo Instruments,” Humanities Diliman 5(1-2): 101-113.

Maceda, Jose. 1998. Gongs and Bamboo: A Panorama of Philippine Music Instruments. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press.

Montagu, Jeremy. 2014. “Takumbo.” GDMI v.4: 689.