Instruments Overview

The original instruments of Filipino Rondalla were composed of banduria, octavina, laud, classical guitar, and bajo de unas (Fretted bass). Most of these instruments especially banduria, laud, and octavina have different design styles and appearances. Also, acoustic guitars and double basses are now common. These instruments are generally made of Philippine wood like lanka, kamagong, narra, yakal, Philippine mahogany etc...

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Parts and Functions

Head, Neck, and Body

Most stringed instruments have 3 main parts namely head, neck, and body. The head is the upper portion which holds the tuning keys and other mechanical parts. Neck is a long piece of wood that extend from the body to the head and contains the fingerboard and frets. The body is the biggest part, which is usually hallow and supports most of the smaller parts like the neck, bridge, sound hole, strings etc..

• Tuning keys – are six or more mechanical keys found on the head and are used to tune (tightening or loosening) the strings.
• Nut – is the upper boundary where strings are rested, and separates the head from the fingerboard. It is made of plastic or metal and contains notches to give the string proper distances to each other, as well as suspend the strings in proper elevation from the frets or fingerboard.
• Frets – are 14 to 24 metal bars placed in proportion across the fingerboard to shorten or lengthen the strings allowing them to vibrate and sound the different notes.
• Fingerboard – is the front side of the neck, usually flat and contains the frets. It is where strings are pressed.
• Body – is the largest part of the instruments. It amplifies the sound produced by the strings and supports the bridge and other parts.
• Strings – are metal or nylon cord stretched and suspended from the Bridge to the Nut to vibrate freely into the surrounding air.
• Bridge – is the lower boundary where strings are suspended and fastened in proper distances. Its main function is to transfer the sound vibration (sound waves) from the strings to the guitar’s body so it can be amplified (increase in strength).
• Sound hole – is a round or f-shaped holes on the front side of the body, which serve as the entry/exit point of air to increase resonance.
• Pick guard – is a piece of plastic or metal cover near the sound hole to protect the guitar’s body from scratches caused by  plectrum.
• Tailpiece – is a piece of metal reinforcement located at the lower part of the body. It holds and supports the strings.

Minor and Optional Parts

• Fret marks – are small marks on specified frets on the fingerboard, usually circular, and found on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 12th, 15th, 17th, etc. It is used to easily locate fret numbers.
• Cutaway curve or "Lead curve" – is the curved on the body nearest to the highest frets of the guitar, giving easy access to highest notes. It is commonly found in acoustic and lead guitars.
• Rosette – a circular design around the sound hole.

Accessories and Components

Aside from various plectra (tortoise shells, plastics, metals, etc.), Rondalla  instruments have other standard accessories like the capo, strap, and cases. Capo is a metal or plastic fastener attached to the fingerboard to raise the overall pitch of the strings. Strap is used to support the instrument when playing in standing position,  commonly used by guitarists and bassists. A case is used to protect the instrument from shock or scratches, usually made of wood, plastic, nylon fibers, cloth, or combinations of these materials.                  

Figure 1.2 Standard accessories

Each of the instrument in Rondalla and similar instruments used in modern bands are summarized as follow:

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Guitar

Figure 1.1a Classical guitar parts

Classical guitar has curved body and commonly has nylon strings. Its total length is about 39 inches and its fingerboard normally contains 18 frets. The 3 uppers strings or bass-strings are frequently replaced with metal steel strings in modern classical guitars.

Figure 1.1b Modern acoustic guitar parts

Acoustic guitar has broader and more curved body than classical guitar. Strings are made of metal steel and number of frets varies from 20 to 23. 

Types of Guitar

• Classical guitar – is made of hallow wood and has a curved, flat body that resonates with 6 nylon strings.
• Acoustic guitar – is made of hallow wood with broader body that resonates with 6 or 6-pair metal (steel) strings.
• Electric guitar – is made of solid non-resonant wood and comes in different shapes, sizes, and designs. Strings are made of metals and can have 20 to 24 fret bars. The sound is converted to electrical signal by a pickup or multiple pickups and fed to electronic amplifiers.

Bass

 Figure 1.3 Double bass parts

Bass is the largest of the stringed instruments with thick strings and very low tones. Bajo de Unas and electric bass contain frets and have shorter strings, while double bass has no frets and has longer strings. Common number of strings can vary from the standard 4-stringed to 5-stringed.

Types of Bass

• Standard bass (bajo de unas) – is a large stringed instrument that produces very low tones, usually with frets and four thick strings.
• Double bass – is also known as the contrabass, the largest of all the stringed instruments (about 6 feet high) with deepest tones- 3 octaves lower to middle C.
• Electric bass – is an instrument slightly larger than electric guitar and has 4 thick strings that produce low tones. The operation is similar to electric guitar.

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Octavina

Figure 1.4 Octavina parts

Octavina has a curved body like a small guitar. It has normally 14 metal steel strings and has 18 frets. Different design styles of body and head are common. Total length is about 35 inches.

Types of Octavina

• 14-stringed Octavina
• 12-stringed Octavina

Laud

Figure 1.5 Laud parts

Laud has a pear-shaped body with 14 metal steel strings and 18 frets. It has normally f-holes but can also exist with round holes. Total length is about 35 inches.

Types of Laud

• 14-stringed Laud with f-holes or round sound hole
• 12-stringed Laud with f-holes or round sound hole

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Banduria

Figure 1.6 Banduria parts

Banduria is a pear-shaped instrument that has 14 strings and 14 frets. This instrument exists in various designs and minor difference in body shapes. Total length is about 25 inches. Piccolo is a pear-shaped banduria with much shorter neck and fewer frets.

Types of Banduria

Standard Banduria    

• 12-stringed Banduria
• 14-stringed Banduria

Piccolo Banduria

• 12-stringed Banduria
• 14-stringed Banduria

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Additional Percussion Instruments

Figure 1.7 Drums (Bass drum and snare drum), gong, cymbal, and triangle etc…

Drum – is an empty-cylindrical musical instrument with a stretched covering to one or both sides made of animal skin or synthetic materials.

Gongs – are instruments made of metal (bronze) with a notable bulge (knob-like) at the center where it is struck to produce sound.

Cymbal – is a metallic disc, strikes with a stick or clashed with another pair to produce sound.

Triangle – is a metal rod bend to form a triangular shape, usually open at one corner. It is played by striking with a metal rod or beater.

Other percussion instruments used in Rondalla are tambourine, timpani, marimba, and kettle. Traditional and ethnic instruments can also be used when playing a mixture of cultural music.

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Rondalla Section and Seating Arrangement

Figure 1.7 Rondalla seating arrangement

The seating arrangement of Rondalla is set by the conductor, and figure 1.6 is the usual arrangement. Instruments playing the rhythm are on the right side while instruments playing the melody are on the left side. The conductor uses the right hand to indicate the beating (time signature) and speed (tempo) while the left hand is use to signal the entrances of different instruments.

Number of Instruments in a Group

Rondalla group can vary in size and the numbers of each instrument involved. A typical  8-member group has 4 bandurias, 1 octavina, 1 laud, 1 guitar, and 1 double bass. While a 30-member group has 16 bandurias, 3 piccolo bandurias, 3 octavinas, 3 lauds, 3 guitars, and 2 double basses. The number of percussion instruments is optional. A non-typical group can consists of different numbers of each instruments based on the kind and style of music the group plays.

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Rondalla Instruments and Role

The different instruments of Rondalla can represent the different vocals of an ordinary choir, or represent the various instruments in western orchestra. Rondalla can play classical music, folk music, and popular music. Accompaniment is accomplished commonly by basses and guitars. Sometimes, these instruments can also play the roles of instruments playing the melodies and vice-versa.

Table 1.1 Roles of Rondalla Instruments Playing Folks and Popular Music

Table 1.1 Roles of Rondalla Instruments Playing Classical Music

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