Lamellophone

A Zupfidiophon is according to the Hornbostel -Sachs scheme a self- sounding musical instrument by its material ( Idiophone ), which is made ​​to sound by plucking of cantilevered blades. An obsolete term is Zupfzungenspiel.

According to the nature of the sound reinforcement and the number of blades are two categories.

Lamellophones

Instruments with more blades which are mounted on a board or sounding box, lamellophones be mentioned. Each blade produces a sound. They were developed in Sub-Saharan Africa and have spread there in a large variety formula. With the transatlantic slave trade, African music and lamellophones came to South America. Otherwise mehrzungige lamellophones not come out of Africa before traditional.

Regional spread special designs, for example the Mbira Dza vadzimu the Shona in Zimbabwe, the Kalimba in Malawi and Zambia, the Congo and Angola and Likembe in the Marimbula in the Caribbean.

A Swiss invention of a mechanical musical instrument that also belongs to the Zupfidiophonen and in which the lamellae are plucked on a rotating drum, the music box.

Jew's Harps

Jew's harps have no sound box, but usually only one tongue that swings within a frame or hoop. The player holds the Jew's harp in front of his open mouth, which he changed the oral cavity for sound reinforcement and sound modulation in its shape and size.

Susap called into the music of New Guinea widespread mouth reinforced Zupfidiophon of bamboo fibers. The Chinese Kouxian with five blades, but without frame a special form, which is also among the Jew's harps because of their sound amplification through the oral cavity.