Siku (instrument)

Siku (also SICU or Sico ) is called a form of pan pipes in the middle Andes, especially on the plateau of the Altiplano and in the surrounding mountain ranges that belong to Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. She has a special significance for the local population since early times. Sikuri is, the players of the pan flute, but also an associated traditional music form.

Etymology

The word comes from the Aymara Siku, but is also used in some nearby Quechua-speaking regions. In addition, one often finds among other the following names: Phusa ( Aymara ), Antara ( Quechua ), Ayarachi / Aarachi / Ayarichi / Ayrachi ( Quechua / Aymara ), Phuku ( Quechua ), Lakita ( Aymara ). Zampoña is finally the Spanish word for shepherd's flute, which transferred the conquistadors to this instrument.

Technique and properties

The traditional panpipes in Titikakaseegebiet are always played in pairs, which means that always two people play an instrument. In the more common variant, which is called Siku, the tones of the scale are distributed alternately on one or the other half. This allows for rapid change and large jumps between the various Flute pipes. A common sentiment is the following:

H - c - d - e - f # - g - a - h - c ' - d' - e ' - fis' - g' - a ' - h'

The tones are divided into two series which Ira ( the leader ) and Arka ( the one below, shows away from the body ) are called. Depending on the region, the flute halves are each also viewed as male or female. So the player from above sees on his instrument:

• Arka: (h ') - (g' ) - ( e ') - (c' ) - ( a) - ( f # ) - ( D ) - ( H)

The mood shown here in E minor a Zampoña Malta with 15 tubes is typical, but only one of many. The ratio of tones to each other hardly changes often correspond to different moods, for example, in B minor or D minor this ratio. But there are also pentatonic tuned panpipes or even hexatonisch, ie only with whole steps of what " wrong " to European ears sounds. The range of Siku covers in different sizes almost all possible pitches, allowing for the shortest tube 2 cm, the longest on the other hand 1.50 m is specified. Certain dances are, however, accompanied with undivided instruments, with up to 17 pipes. Nevertheless, the flutes supplemented by the playing technique in pairs, since here the sounds alternately sound of the one and the other flute.

Overall, it is that even with the 17- rohrigen instruments glissandi are very rarely played and they seem incidental to occur, in contrast to European panpipe music. Another feature of the mentioned panpipes are the resonance tubes used especially in traditional music, which are mounted behind the tubes and either played about half as long as the former are, or as long, but open at the bottom. Thus, you sound more or less an octave higher and produce a fuller, often rich in overtones. The harmonically rich sound, conforms to Andean notions of musical aesthetics.