Amadinda log xylophone: specifications
The amadinda is a xylophone from Buganda with 12 keys. The tradition of playing these instruments is very nearly extinct in Buganda, and good quality amadinda may even be unobtainable.
Our Ugandan xylophones are from Busoga, (the region neighbouring Buganda to the east), where the xylophone tradition is still alive and well. In Busoga, these instruments go by the name embairé: they are essentially identical to an amadinda, made with the same kind of wood (lusambiya), but perhaps preferable because they typically have 15 keys, not 12. The keys are hand-carved and shaped in the traditional way using an adze, and tuned to a pentatonic scale. In Busoga villages, a couple of felled banana stems are used to make the frame on which the xylophone keys are laid. Banana stems are of course not always conveniently available, so each set of keys is supplied with a wooden box-frame to support the keys and provide resonance.
Please note that the sizes of these hand-made instruments vary - measurements given are an approximate guideline only.
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standard size
key lengths: ranging 33cm-56cm approx. |
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large size
key lengths: ranging 48cm-67cm approx |
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Large xylophones, decorated by Nakibembe Xylophone Group
All our large xylophones are made by the Nakibembe Xylophone Group. Sometimes they decorate their instruments with a locally made dye.
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Box Frame
| Each set of 15 log xylophone keys is supplied with a box-frame to support the keys and provide resonance, and with 6 beaters. The sides of the box-frame form two parallel rows of short dowels that separate the keys, and a layer of twisted rubber, on which the keys rest. Each key is secured to the frame without restricting its vibration, by using a couple of small loops of string that are looped over the adjacent dowels. The box frame can be easily disassembled to allow convenient storage. |  |