Musical Instruments and Sound Objects of Meghalaya

Flutes
All Garo flutes are made of bamboos only. There is no decoration or inscription on them.

• Otokra is a big bamboo flute of the Garo tribe. It is about 3 feet long and one inch in diameter, with only two finger holes.
• Ilongma is a small bamboo flute of the Garos with only three steps
• Bagchi or Bangsi is much smaller flute than the others with only three notes.
• Imbingi is another kind of flute made out of a short piece of thin bamboo, closed at one end and open at the other. The outer hard covering of the bamboo is peeled off, leaving the softer white part below. The mouth -piece is a square hole about half an inch from the top of the closed end. From the mouth-piece downwards a small slip or tongue is cut in the upper surface of the peeled bamboo, by slitting it down on both sides to a distance of about half an inch.
• Tangmuri is common flute used at dances and processions. It has a horn spanned out like a cup and a base behind, on its upward surface are seven holes.
• Sharati is another flute, having some eight large holes.
• Tanglod is a flute having both the noisha and reed affixed to it.
• Besli is a pipe reduced from a thin bamboo cut amid the two joints, its bark being properly scrapped with six or seven holes bored into its surface and is just like the chuwiang which has eight holes.

Trumpets are played by themselves and also as accompaniment to drums.

• Adil a small trumpet made out of the top of a buffalo’s horn to which a bamboo mouth-piece is attached. It is about six inches long. It is used by the Nokma or the Village chief of the Garo tribe to call the villagers for an assembly or a feast.
• Singga is a trumpet made of the buffalo’s horn, used by the Garos.
• Ronsing is a buffalo’s horn that is naturally bent, the inside is hollow and a small opening is made on its two ends.
• Turoi is a trumpet made of solid brass. It is more elongated, bends upwards and has a broad rim.

Harps

• Tongmuri It played by beating upon its strings and joints on the border by a light bamboo or wooden chip.
• The other harps are the Maryngod, the Sarong, the Marynthing and the Duitara. Marymgod and Sarong are similar in shape but Maryngod has an amalgamated thick wood coating where the fingers of the right hand strike and the left touching the strings changing and playing the tune. These chordophonic instruments have different metal strings and are played with the help of a bow.
• Duitara is thin where its small hollow is framed, the wooden bar holding the pegs being slightly lumpy. It has four strings. The round back is patched with a piece of goat’s skin.
• There are different kinds of harps such as diengphong, a primitive harp which bears eight strings modeled from the soft bamboo from the soft bamboo barks or reeds. Diengphong is played as an accompaniment to the songs or a tune.

Cymbals
The cymbals used by the Garos are:

• Kakwa or Kynshaw It is a cymbal very similar to those used in the plains by the Hindus and is made up of two flat copper plates. It has surface engraving.
• Nenggilsi It is a smaller cymbal than the former. It resembles two small cups of brass. These cymbals are used by hitting against each other in tune with other instrument.
• Majra is made from brass and has two curved or pointed plates. They are played by striking them together and they form an ensemble with drums and flutes at big dances.

Drums
There are various kinds of drums.

• Damas It is a long, narrow wooden drum, thickest in the centre and tapering away at each end. It is around 4 to 5 feet long. It is so big These are so big that it becomes difficult to beat both sides at the same time,
• Kram is a larger wooden drum as compared to the Damas. The two ends are covered with cow hide. It is used only on solemn occasions such as funeral and religious ceremonies.
• Nagra is an earthenware pot covered with cow hide and used as a drum to beckon people for a feast or entertainment. The Nagra is a sacred possession and can be possessed and used only by the Nokma or his family.
• Ksing lum paid is one kind of drum which is beaten to signal the beginning of the dance.
• Ksing Dum Dum is used for counseling young ones so on.