It is a five to six piece xylophone made by halving a bamboo culm lengthwise. It is fine-tuned by shaving the length of the instrument. It is played by placing the blade over the player’s thighs and hitting it with a stick. A non-pitched sound is produced by muting the blade with the palm of the player’s free hand.
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Tabéllungan
Science in a creative industry.
The DOST-FPRDI has a Bamboo Musical Instruments Innovation R&D program aimed at improving the quality of locally-made bamboo musical instruments (BMIs) through science and innovative technologies. The program seeks to standardize the production of selected BMIs, develop prototype designs, analyze raw material sources and existing markets, and build a BMI processing facility. In addition, the program aims to document the ethnocultural story behind several BMIs and identify the bamboo species used in BMI production to promote public awareness and appreciation of the cultural importance of these musical instruments. The program is a collaboration with the University of the Philippines and Philippine Normal University for teaching modules and analyzing sound quality and standardization of BMI design. The DOST Grants-in-Aid program provides funding.
PhBMI