The Musical Instruments of
Mindanao
CHORDOPHONES (STRINGED
INSTRUMENTS)
- is any musical instrument which
makes sound by way of a vibrating
string
- strings stretched between two
points
1. Maguindanao - Kudyapi
2. Bagobo – “kodlong”
3.  Ata – “kudlung”
4. Tiruray -“fegerong”
5. Subanen – “kutapi”
6. Bukidnon – “katyapi”
7. Maranao – “Kutyapi”
8. Manobo -Kudlong, kudlung,
kutyapi
9. Mansaka - Kudlong
10. T'boli - Hagelong or
hegalong
11. Bilaan - Faglong
12. Mansaka - Binarig
TWO STRINGED-LUTE
Kudyapi - is a guitar with two
strings. It is about 1 1/2 m long and
made of wood. It has a stick to
support in its lower end and is
played in the same position as
cello.
Kudlung - two stringed lute made
of wood, one string for the melody,
one for the drone. Eight frets are
glued on the neck of the lute. The
body of the instrument is carved
with geometric patterns. The neck
and the head are adorned with
horse hair; the tail has two
(originally three) pieces of carabao
skin; the strap is adorned with
bead work.
Dimensions: length: 98cm.;
width: 8.5cm; height: 5.5cm
Saluroy- is a bamboo polychordal
tube zither of Bagobo .It is called
as kolitong in Cordillera region.
Aduwag-ay -one -stringed fiddle
instrument of Bilaans also called
Kugot (Agusan-Manobo) and
Duwagey (T'boli)
AEROPHONES (WIND
INSTRUMENTS)
- is any musical instrument which
produces sound primarily by
causing a body of air to vibrate
without the use of strings or
membranes and without the
vibration of the instrument itself
adding considerably to the sound.
Sahunay - is a bamboo flute,
leaving six holes for the fingers
and trumpet made of coconut leaf.
It is about 50 cm long and 3 cm in
diameter. This is a bamboo flute of
the Tausugs in Sulu.
Palendag - A lip-valley flute, it is
considered the toughest of the
three bamboo flutes (the others
being the tumpong and the suling)
to use because of the way one
must shape one's lips against its
tip to make a sound. The
construction of the mouthpiece is
such that the lower end is cut
diagonally to accommodate the
lower lip and the second diagonal
cut is make for the blowing edge.
-is a type of Philippine
bamboo flute, the largest one used
by the Maguindanaon, a smaller
type of this instrument is called
the Hulakteb (Bukidnon).
Other names:
Bunabon- Mandaya
Hlandag- T’boli
Palundag- Bilaan
Tanggab and Tulali- Subanon
Pulalu – Manobo and Mansaka
Palandag- Bagobo
Pulala- Bukidnon
Suling- ring flute of Bilaan and
Tiruray, Maguindanao, Samal,
Tausug and Yakan

-is the smallest bamboo flute
of the Maguindanaon and the only
one classified as a ring-flute (the
other two bamboo flutes of the
Maguindanaon, the tumpong and
the palendag are both lip-valley
flutes).
Other names:
Lantey (Ata)
Kinsi (Bukidnon)
Dagoyong (Higanon)
Babarak (Palawan)
*Most percussion instruments
which are not drums are
idiophones.
*An idiophone is any musical
instrument which creates sound
primarily by way of the
instrument's vibrating, without the
use of strings or membranes.
IDIOPHONES (PERCUSSION
INSTRUMENTS)
Kulintang is a term with various
meanings, all related to the
melody-playing gong row.
Technically, the term kulintang is
the Maguindanao word for eight
gong kettles which are laid
horizontally upon a rack creating
an entire kulintang set called
apasangan. This idiophone
functions as a lead/central melodic
instrument for the entire ensemble.
Othernames: Kulintang - Bilaan,
Subanon, Maguindanao, Maranao,
Samal, and Jama Klintang- T’boli
Kwintangan- Yakan
Kulintang- is a set of eight knobbed
gongs in graduated sizes from
largest to smallest mounted in a
wooden frame, about a meter long.
Muslim carvings decorated the
frame. The kulintang is played by
striking the gongs with two pieces
of wood, about 12 inches long
while the player squats on the
floor. The instruments is popular in
Sulu.
Gabbang - is similar to a
xylophone. It is made of wooden
box with one end wider than the
other, and with an open top. Across
top, wooden bars of different
lengths are placed to fit the shape
of the box, about 1 cm from each
other. It is played by striking the
wooden bars with a wooden
hammer. This instruments is
popular in Sulu.
Description: Xylophone with 17
keys made of bamboo, separated
by metal nails. The resonating case
is decorated with floral motives. At
the sides are two mirrors. The
beaters are made of wood with a
piece of tube rubber Dimensions:
length: 102 cm., width: 51 cm.
height: 37 cm.
*The Gabbang can be played
as a solo instrument.
Sometimes a duo is formed
with a 'biula', a local violin. A
Taosug woman plays the
gabbang. The resonating
case, decorated with floral
motives
Gandingan a Kayo (translated
means, “wooden gandingan,”
or “gandingan made of wood”)
is a Philippine xylophone and
considered the wooden
version of the real gandingan.
This instrument is a relatively
new instrument coming of age
due to the increasing
popularity of the “wooden
kulintang ensemble,”
Kulintang a Kayo
-This is a wooden
xylophone of the
Maguindanao people.
 Kulintang a Kayo
(literally, “wooden kulintang”)
is a Philippine xylophone of
the Maguindanaon people
with eight tuned slabs
arranged horizontally atop a
wooden antangan (rack).
Made of soft wood such as
bayug, the kulintang a kayo is
commonly found among
Maguindanaon households
with a musical background.
Traditionally, it was used for
self- entertainment purpose
inside the house, so beginners
could practice kulintang
pieces before performing
them on the real kulintang
and only recently have they
been performed as part of a
“wooden kulintang ensemble.”
Agung – is a set a two wide
rimmed bossed- gongs hangs
from horizontal pole or
wooden frame. It is used by
the Maguindanao, Maranao,
Samal- Bajau and Tausug
people of the Philippines
*The larger, lower
pitched gong of the two is
called the pangandungan by
the Maguindanao and the
p'nanggisa-an by the Maranao.
Played on the musician's
right, it provides the main
part, which it predominantly
played on the accents of the
rhythmic structure. The
smaller, higher pitched gong,
the thicker of the two, is
called the panentekan by the
Maguindanao and the
p'malsan or pumalsan by the
Maranao.
*The agung is usually
performed while standing
beside the instrument,
holding the upper edge of its
flange between the thumb and
other fingers with the left
hand while striking the knob
with the right hand. The
mallets, called balu, are made
from short sticks about half a
foot in length and padded
with soft but tough material
such as rubber at one end.
Gandingan - is a set of four
small narrow- rimmed and
suspended gongs. They hang
in pairs with the knobs of the
lower pitched gongs facing
each other. The same with the
two higher pitched gongs. The
pair of lower pitched gongs is
positioned on the player's left
side while the pair of the
higher pitched gongs is on the
right. The player usually a
woman who stands between
the two pair of gongs. Her
body touches slightly the
gong in the middle to prevent
from swinging. She uses two
padded mallets
*Gandingan when
integrated into the ensemble,
functions as a secondary
melodic instrument after the
main melodic instrument, the
kulintang. When played solo,
the gandingan allows fellow
Maguindanaoan to
communicate with each other,
allowing them to send
messages or warnings via
long distances. This ability to
imitate tones of the
Maguindanao language using
this instrument has given the
gandingan connotation: the
“talking gongs.
Babandil- is a single, narrow-
rimmed Philippine gong used
primarily as the “timekeeper”
of the Maguindanao kulintang
ensemble. *Also called:
Babendir- (Maguindanao)
Babandir - (Maranao),
Babandir - (Tagbanwa, Batak,
Palaw’an)
Banendir and Tungtung,-
(Tausug),
Salimbal - (Samal)
Mapindil - (Yakan
Bubundi- Mansaka
Babandil It is struck with thin
bamboo sticks to produce a
metallic sound. There are
three ways to play the
babandil. 1. by striking the
rim of the suspended gong
with a pair of sticks on the
left hand. 2. by striking the
gong's rim with the right hand
using one stick while the left
hand grasps the rim. 3. by
laying the instruments upside
and striking the gong's rim
with the two sticks.
Kagul - a type of Philippine
bamboo scraper gong/slit
drum of the Maguindanaon
and Visayans with a jagged
edge on one side, played with
two beaters, one scarping the
jagged edge and the other
one making a beat. The
Maguindanaon and the
Banuwaen use it in the rice
paddies to guard against
voracious birds, using the
sound it produces to scare
them away. The
Maguindanaon and
theBukidnon also use it for
simple dance rhythms during
social occasions.
Also called:
Garakot ( Maranao)
Tagutok (Yakan)
Bantula or Tagungtung –
(Bukidnon)
Tagutok/ Kagul
Kulintang a Tiniok - a type of
Philippine metallophone with
eight tuned knobbed metal
plates strung together via
string atop a wooden
antangan (rack). Kulintang a
tiniok is a Maguindanaon term
meaning “kulintang with
string” but they also could
call them kulintang a putao,
meaning “kulintang of metal.”
The Maranao refer to this
instrument as a sarunay (or
salunay, salonay, saronay,
saronai, sarunai), terminology
which has become popular for
this instrument in America.
Kubing –it is a bamboo jaw
harp of Tiruray. These have
become one of the most
popular jaw harps
internationally due to their
highly responsive sound and
ornate designs. In the hands
of a good player the kubing is
capable of a vast number of
sounds and timbres. This
kubing was collected in
Manila in 1987.
Other names:
Kumbing –Bagobo
Lideng- Bilaan
Kobing- Maranao and Samal
Kulaing – Tausug and Yakan
*Kubing Ethnic group: Atta
Location: SE Mindanao
Classification: Idiophone, jaw
harp Description: Made of
bamboo; Made of bamboo; the
instrument is held
horizontally with the bamboo
tongue in front of the opened
mouth. The left end is hit by
the thumb of the right hand.
This makes the bamboo
tongue vibrate which causes
a sound. The mouth serves as
a resonator and by changing
the shape and size of the
mouth opening, the overtones
can be changed, thus creating
a melody. By strongly
breathing in or out the volume
can be changed as well.
Dimensions: length: 20,8 cm.,
width: 1 cm.
Quintik Ofong plays the
kubing (T'boli)
MEMBRANOPHONES (DRUM
INSTRUMENTS)
Dabakan - is a goblet -shaped
drum of Maguindanao and
Maranao, which has a single
head covered with goat, lizard
or snakeskin. It is struck with
two thin bamboo sticks about
18 inches in length.
Dadabuan Ethnic group:
Maranao Location: West
central Mindanao (muslim
south)
Classification:
Membranophone, hour glass
shaped drum
Description: Hour glass
shaped drum made of wood;
the membrane is made of
carabao skin. Decorated with
carvings and painted. The
drum is part of the Kulintang
ensemble. Dimensions:
height: 59 cm. diameter
(membrane): 19 cm.
Gandang - is a two-headed
cylindrical drum of Tausug,
Samal, Badjao, Maranao and
Maguindanao. Called as
Kendang in other South East
Asian countries. It is one of
the primary instruments used
in the Gamelan ensembles
ofJava, Bali and Terengganu.
Gandang
Ensemble – small groups of
instrument played
simultaneously.
Pala Buni Bunyan-
Maguindanao ensemble
consisted of five instruments
the kulintang, agung,
gandingan, dabakan and
babendil/ babandir
The complete ensemble
Kulintang ensemble
Tagunggo – Yakan ensemble is
made up of brass kwintangan,
gabbang, set of 3 agung and
bamboo slit drum called
Tagutok.