Research on Drums in Other Cultures

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ROL-MO

The fourth Instrument that really captured me was the Rol-mo, this continued my admiration for Asian music. The Instrument Rol-mo is from Tibet. The term means music in general, but is commonly used for cymbals with a large central boss. Unlike the other three instruments I discussed earlier, the Rol-mo is a calmer instrument and it is used mainly by Monks in Tibet in Buddhist rituals.

The cymbals can be played alone or played simultaneously or slightly out of phase. They can also be played with the rnga drum and the purpose of this style of playing is to punctuate Buddhist ritual recitation and song as discussed earlier, also they can be played as to mark the rhythmic patterns of instrumental music, and to accompany the ritual dances. What I find to be very interesting in my research was the fact that when paires together one of the cymbal is called “mother” and the other one is referred to as ‘Son”, from there it is pretty obvious which cymbal has the lead. According to oxford music, the two cymbals are held horizontally and facing each other by a narrow leather or fabric straps attached to the center of the boss, and moved vertically in a codified series of gestures. Instructions are found in the rituals, and in special handbooks retaining the specific tradition of each order of Tibetan Buddhism.

CHINDON

My fifth and final instrument that I found really fascinating is the Chindon. The Chindon unlike any other instrument I discussed in my paper is a composite Japanese instrument consisting of two membranophones and one idiophone. According to oxford music the onomatopoeic term chindon, referring to the high (chin) and low (don) notes of the instrument, is related to the word chindonya.