African Music

            
            
            
            
            
             The art that derives from our sense of hearing is.
             The basic elements of music are sound and silence.
             Music has many purposes within all societies. Most music.
             performed by Africans is part of a social activity and is.
             viewed as a sharing experience for everyone. African music.
             is generally classified into two main style areas, which are.
             Arab North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. There are many.
             unique regional music styles, including a immense influence.
             from the Islamic faith which extends across the savanna.
             region and down the east coast.
             Within African music, there are many types of.
             percussion instruments, including the drums, clap-sticks,.
             bells, rattles, slit gongs, struck gourds and clay pots,.
             stamping tubes, and xylophones. There are two basic types of.
             xylophone. The frame xylophones, in which the keys are.
             attached to a frame. The lamellaphone, which is also known.
             as the thumb piano, is found throughout the continent of.
             Africa. The mbira, kalimba, and likembe, are a series of.
             metal or bamboo strips mounted on a board or box. African.
             drums come in many shapes and sizes. Wood, pans, and pottery.
             are used to construct drum bodies. The membranes are usually.
             made from animal skins. There are many types of African.
             drums which range from drum-chimes, friction drums, and the.
             tension drums.
             African wind instruments include flutes, whistles,.
             oboes, and trumpets. Panpipe ensembles are seen in Central.
             Africa, and globular flutes made from gourds or hard-shelled.
             fruits are found in parts of southern Africa. Trumpets made.
             from animal horns or wood are found over a wide area.
             Transverse clarinets made from guinea-corn or sorghum stems,.
             with a reed cut from the surface of the stem at one end, are.
             played in the savanna region of West Africa. Double-reed.
             instruments are derived from North Africa. African stringed.
             instruments range from musical bows, lutes, lyres, harps,.
             and zithers. The kora, played by professional musicians.
             among the Mandinka people of Gambia, is a 21 string.