Unfortunately, there are no vestigial remains of African musical instruments other than those illustrations in Egypt portrayed

Christina Muthurajah

The genesis of modern western instruments can be traced back to the development of African instruments.

The statement the genesis of modern western instruments can be traced back to the development of African instruments basically indicates that the origins of the music we use today come from the developments from Africa. To look at this statement briefly one may say that it is a very untrue statement. Even when studied briefly one will still say that it is very untrue. But when studied in detail, the continent of Africa was responsible for the development of the simple categories of the aerophones, membranophones and the chordophones. Music is such an important part of African life and always has been therefore the people used whatever they could to make their music. Egypt, a country on the continent of Africa then developed these instruments further as it had the resources and was a wealthier to the rest of Africa. There are few remains of African instruments, only very few stone ones have been found in the tombs in Egypt. Most of the history of the instrument is relied upon paintings and sculptures found in Egypt. From Egypt these developed primitive instruments soon spread throughout the rest of Africa. The advanced state of music among the most ancient Egyptians is shown by the excellent instruments they made and used, as many of harps and lyres were of beautiful workmanship. Origins of drums, harps, lutes, lyres, guitars and all string instruments originate from the simple aerophones, membranophones and chordophones developed in Africa.

The continent of Africa is very large and contains such a large population. To every single tribe and individual in this land mass, music plays such an important role of the African life and history. Even though Africa is a place where life is so intertwined with music, the origins of music are not often said to be from there. Instead, the development of modern instruments is given much to the European countries. Greece particularly is named as the mother country of music. Most famously are the Greek mythologies, an example of which is Pan and the Syrinx. Syrinx is the name of the water nymph that turned herself into a water reed and the half man half goat creature named Pan turned Syrinx into a flute. This is what is known as the pan flute, hence the word Pan. Not only does Greek mythology suggest the fact that musical instruments originated from there but also the scales and technique are hailed to have originated from Greece and then spread across the world. It is fairly accepted that these musical instruments did originate from that part of the world. But what is failed to be seen is that the Greeks did get their influence from somewhere. This somewhere was Egypt, Egypt a part of the continent Africa.

The only remains of African musical instruments are illustrations in Egypt portrayed on the walls of the tombs. Many African instruments are made of very perishable material, therefore the ancient Egyptian paintings and sculptured must be looked at and relied upon as to the instruments used at that period of time., Mr. Bernard Fagg, the keeper of Antiquities at Joss, located stone gongs in Nigeria which he claimed may have been used melodically if not used merely as single gongs. These gongs were large ironstone boulders which produced a musical sound.

The Egyptians had for centuries been held unmusical ...

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The Egyptians had for centuries been held unmusical and their country had been called the land of the sistrums. These were thought to have been their principal instrument until the English traveler Robert Bruce in 1773 discovered pictures of beautiful harps, lyres, nofres and other instruments on the walls of the ancient royal tombs of Thebes.

From Egypt the more advanced instruments spread through the rest of Africa.

The most probable reason for Egypt having the most advanced form of instrumentation was the fact that it was richer and had more resources than the rest of Africa. The Pharaoh’s of the time were very much keen on music and made sure a lot of resources went into this entity. This resulted in brass instruments such as trumpets and horns being produced of brass and silver mixed with brass. In those days Egyptians employed slaves from other parts of Africa who may have well influenced the music and therefore encouraged the Egyptians to make instruments for this wonderful music and vocals.

In Egypt, the flute and the harp were the most popular instruments, and were already very common in 1,500 BC. Some other common instruments in Egypt were: the lyre, the trumpet and the tambourine. The advanced state of music among the most ancient Egyptians is shown by the excellent instruments they made and used, as many of harps the and lyres were of beautiful workmanship The harps varied greatly in form, size and the number of strings on them; they are represented in the ancient paintings in the royal tombs of Thebes and Memphis and in other places with 4, 6,7,8,9,10,11,12,14,17,20,21 and 22 strings. The oldest harps are found in a sculpture in a tomb near the pyramids of Gizeh, which are over 4,000 years old. The lyres found in Egyptian frescoz have 3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 and 11 strings, and were drawn more than 3,000 years ago, long before these instruments were known in Greece.

It is generally accepted that the drums originates from Africa and to this day the best drummers in the world go back to the roots of the instrument, Africa, where they can most definitely developed the most and originated from the continent of Africa. The harp started out as string stretched across a bent stick as a hunting bow. This form of the instrument would most probably have come from the more primitive areas in Africa but the Egyptians developed it into an instrument of up to 22 strings. This extraordinary instrument suggests that it was the basis of all string instruments. The instrument of the lyre is again originating from the African continent. This instrument then leads to the development of the lute which again can be said to have been developed in Africa. In turn the lute was the basis of the development of the guitar. In Africa little one note whistles made out of wood hollows were used and are the basis of what the flute is today.. Therefore it can be said that the origins of drums, harps, lutes, lyres, guitars and all string instruments originate from the simple aerophones, membranophones and chordophones.

Many important modern instruments played today can be traced back to the origins of the simple membranophones, aerophones and chordophones developed in Africa. It is primitive to say that all instruments originated from Africa as lots of countries played a major role in the development of musical instruments as we know them today. But it is fair to say after research that many instruments developed from the simple forms that came from Africa. To this day many Africans still only use simple forms of instruments as their style of music only need this. Africans do not focus so much on their instruments but instead of the rhythm of their music. So their instrument serves very simple but grounding purposes. Many modern instruments can be traced back to the development of the simpler associates in the continent of Africa.

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