User Manual

135A User’s Guide to Garritan World Instruments
THE STRING INSTRUMENTS
ARIA name: Description: Controls:
Africa
Bolon e Bolon, also known as the Nbolon, is a bass
instrument with four strings. It is made of a
gourd body with a bent ngoni-wood neck and
twisted rawhide strings. is instrument is played
in Guinea and surrounding regions and is used to
accompany other instruments. e sound can be
described as mellow and full.
• Range: C2- G2
Vel (attack), MW
(vol/eq), Sus, Lgth,
VAR1, VAR2, FiltLv,
FiltFq, Keyswitches
Domu e Domu (or Mangbetu) is a small arched bow
harp from the Congo. e resonator is tightly
covered with animal hide and fur, and it has two
sound holes and an arched wood neck.
• Range: G3 – G6
Vel (attack), MW
(vol/eq), Sus, Lgth,
VAR1, VAR2, FiltLv,
FiltFq, Keyswitches
Kora e Kora is a 21-stringed harp made out of a large
calabash gourd covered with stretched skin, and it
has a protruding stick to which strings are attached.
e strings, made of shing line, are plucked using
the thumb and index nger of both hands. e
sound of a kora is similar to that of a delicate harp.
e instrument is played throughout West Africa
and most popular in Gambia and Senegal.
• Range: C2 – C6
Vel (attack), MW
(vol/eq), Sus, Lgth,
VAR1, VAR2, FiltLv,
FiltFq, Keyswitches
Ngoni e Ngoni is a banjo-like instrument found
throughout West Africa. Its body is a hollowed-out
piece of wood with dried animal skin stretched
over it like a drum. e neck is a fretless dowel
protruding from the body. e Ngoni’s strings
are made of shing line. e American banjo is
believed to be a descendant of the Ngoni.
• Range: C2 – C5
Vel (attack), MW
(vol/eq), Sus, Lgth,
VAR1, VAR2, FiltLv,
FiltFq, VibSpd,
VibAmt, Keyswitches