The wonderful world of gourds: it provides us with spooky jack-o-lanterns, home décor reminiscent of the harvest season, and a host of culinary delights (pumpkin pie, anyone?).
But there’s so much more to the humble gourd, including a worldwide musical tradition. Are you familiar with any of these gourd-geous instruments?
First up: the water gourd, a percussion instrument from Sub-Saharan Africa. Water gourds are actually half-gourds that float in a pan of water or in half of a larger gourd partly filled with water. The musician taps on the smaller gourd with mallets to create a unique sound.
China brings us the sheng organ, an ancient instrument created by affixing bamboo pipes into a gourd with beeswax. Modern sheng organs often have a metal chamber instead of a gourd, but the instruments are still very much in use.
Native Americans have long created gourd rattles in a variety of shapes, depending on the gourd variety. These instruments are used not only for songs and dance, but for ceremonies, prayers, and healing.
In India, gourds have been used to create a stringed instrument called the veena. Think of a big banjo, but with a large round gourd as the resonator. A second gourd acts as an additional resonator and helps the musician more comfortably balance the veena. See one in action here.
Have you heard of the güiro? A South American instrument, the güiro is a hollow gourd that’s open on one end, with a series of parallel grooves cut into the side. Players can produce lively rhythms that fit right into musical genres like the salsa.
These are just a few of the many gourd instruments out there! If you’re feeling inspired, check out this recent American invention, the thunder gourd.