Every country has a unique take on music. Some use specific instruments that they invented themselves or adapt ones that originated from other countries.
While not exactly known for it, Filipinos happen to be very musical people. They value music and dance dearly. In fact, most of their traditional musical instruments are still used to this day!
Most of them have been modified to fit the modern days, but they’re still very much the same. That said, let’s talk about the 15 traditional Filipino instruments in more detail. Read on!
1. Kubing
First on our list is the kubing, the Filipino version of a jaw harp. It’s mostly made of bamboo, though some are made of metal.
This instrument is popular across the Philippines but has different names in various regions. In Maranao and southern Mindanao, it’s called kubing. In other areas, like Tagalog regions, it’s known as barmbaw.
The kubing is played by placing it between the lips and plucking the end. The tempo and rhythm of the plucking will create different notes and sounds.
The instrument was used for communication, especially during courtship. It is still used today, but mainly by men for short-distance courtships.
2. Kulintang
Our next instrument is kulintang, which the people of Maguindanao, Tausug, and Marano are very proud of.
The instrument is made of 5 to 9 pot gongs arranged in a row on a frame. The lowest-pitched gong is on the left, and the highest-pitched gong is on the right. The player uses two wooden sticks to hit the gongs.
Traditionally, kulintang was made from bronze, but since World War II, it’s been made of brass.
It’s used for entertainment at festivals, weddings, and other ceremonies. In ensembles, the kulintang is placed just a foot or two off the ground, so the player usually sits while playing.
Not only is kulintang important in ensembles. It is also a valuable heirloom that can be passed down through generations. One of the most popular kulintang players is the Filipino-American Danongan Kalanduyan.
3. Kudyapi
Also called kutyapi or kutiyapi, the kudyapi is 4 to 6 feet long and made primarily of wood with two strings. One string is used for the melody and the other is used as a drone.
It also has eight frets that traditionally were held on the neck of the lute. They were then attached together using hardened beeswax.
This instrument was introduced to the country by the Maranao and the Maguindanao people of the Southern Philippines.
The kudyapi has great historical and cultural value in traditional Filipino music. It’s usually played during festivities like weddings and courtships and sometimes for entertainment.
Like the kubing, the kudyapi is typically played by men when singing love songs. The female version of kudyapi is called korlong. It resembles a zither and is played like a harp.
One of the most famous kudyapi players is Samaon Sulaiman. He is a Filipino musician and a recipient of the National Living Treasure Award.
4. Tongali
Quite simply, the tongali is a type of nose flute, which is a woodwind instrument played — you guessed it! — through the nose.
It actually has a very interesting history: A long time ago, farmers used this instrument, believing that the rice grew much better while listening to its sound. Aside from planting season, it was also used for celebrations such as courtship and festivals.
It is typically played by the residents of the northern parts of the Philippines, but more specifically, by the people of the Luzon and the Kalinga regions.
The tongali has three to four finger holes and one thumb hole to change the tone. There’s also a hole at the back where you place your nostril to play.
Air flows from the nostril hole and out of the thumb hole. Made of bamboo, the tongali produces a sad sound that mimics a human voice.
5. Gambal
Our second percussion instrument on this list is the gambal (or gadang), a well-known Filipino instrument originally used to encourage warriors in battle. It’s often played with other instruments like gongs.
Today, the gambal isn’t used for battles but is still played in some parts of the Philippines. Made from hollowed tree trunks and deerskin drumheads, it is played by striking with wooden sticks or hands.
This instrument was originally invented by the Lumad people, an Austronesian Indigenous group of people that come from the southern part of the Philippines. The area, in particular, is called the Visayas.
6. Dabakan
The dabakan is another percussion instrument often used to support a group or kulintang ensemble, keeping the tempo steady. It is placed to the right of the kulintang player.
Shaped like a goblet or hourglass, the dabakan is under two feet tall and one foot wide. Made from wood, usually coconut or jackfruit, its drumheads are of animal skin, often goatskin or deer hide. It’s played with two sticks for high-pitched sounds.
The dabakan also accompanies the kudyapi and is key in Kasorondayong, where two players face each other and play interlocking rhythms.
It’s been said that the name “dabakan” is derived from the Middle Eastern name darbuka, another instrument also shaped like a goblet.
7. Luntang
The traditional luntang is similar to a xylophone and used by the Maguindanaon people, also known as “kwintangan kayo” by the Yakan. It has five horizontal logs arranged by pitch in ascending order.
Like a xylophone, it’s played by hitting the logs with two wooden sticks. One or two people can play it, sitting on either side.
The Maguindanaon use the luntang mainly for self-entertainment, like keeping farmers awake or scaring birds away from rice fields.
In the past, the luntang was also used for long-distance communication due to its reverberating sound.
Aside from that, the Yakan, indigenous Filipinos from the southern parts of the Philippines, used the luntang for courtship rituals.
8. Bungkaka
Up next is the bungkaka, a percussion instrument made from bamboo. This is also called a bamboo buzzer, used mainly in Ifugao and Kalinga in the Philippines.
The instrument is made from a length of bamboo where the bottom end is the node. The upper half consists of two tongues facing each other. The bottom serves as the resonator chamber.
To play the instrument, the player strikes the tongues on the bottom of the palm, creating a buzzing sound. To create variation in the sound produced, the player can cover and uncover a hole at the bottom using the thumb.
Usually, the bungkaka is played in a group. It is believed to drive away bad spirits in mountain trails.
9. Gangsa
Now we have the gangsa, a flat-shaped and hand-held gong made of brass, bronze, or iron. An ensemble of gangsa consists of five to six of this instrument.
Gangsa is often used throughout the Philippines, including the Cordillera region. It can be played in two ways: “pattung” and “toppaya.”
In pattung, the player either stands or keeps in step with the dancers. They hold the instrument with one hand and strike it using a padded stick with the other hand. In toppaya, the player places the gangsa on their lap and plays it with their hand.
The gangsa originated from the northern tribes of the Philippines. It is usually played during rituals, feasts, and gatherings.
10. Babandil
Our next instrument is the babandil (also spelled as babendil), which consists of one huge gong made out of either bronze or brass. To play this instrument, you have to strike it with either your hand or a rattan or bamboo stick.
While it might be similar to the anatomy and the shape of the gangsa, it produces a completely different sound. Perhaps it’s because of its sunken boss. When struck on the rim, it produces a sharp clanging sound that’s heard over other instruments.
The babandil is also different from the kulintang as the former is bigger. This particular instrument often fills the role of the timekeeper in any ensemble. No wonder though, as this instrument possesses a distinctive sound.
11. Kulintang A Tiniok
The kulintang a tiniok is an instrument that, from afar, might look slightly similar to the modern xylophone, but it is a metallophone; meaning, it has metal bars instead of wooden ones.
The kulintang a tiniok is made of eight small metal knobs or plates placed on a wooden rack. It’s popular among the Maguindanaon people and means “kulintang with string.” The Maranao people call it saronay.
The metal pieces of this instrument were traditionally made out of brass, but these days, they’re made of tin cans.
This instrument is mainly used for self-entertainment at home. It is also used to train beginners before using the kulintang. In the video above, we can see kulintang master Danongan Kalanduyan teaching a student.
12. Tongatong
The next instrument on our list is the tongatong. It consists of bamboo cut into different lengths. Considered a percussion instrument, the tongatong is played in a rather unorthodox way: by hitting it against the ground.
The instrument creates different sounds when the player covers and uncovers the open end of the tube. (Check out the video on different ways to play the tongatong.)
The tongatong was traditionally played by the people of Kalinga. In ancient times, people used it to communicate with spirits and ghosts during house blessings. This was also used as part of rituals. However, in modern times, it can be part of an ensemble.
13. Gandingan
In a kulintang ensemble, the gandingan includes four large hanging gongs, which can be hung on a tree limb or wooden stand. Known as talking gongs, these are used by the Maguindanaon people.
Gandingan gongs have a shallow boss and thin rims, with diameters from 1.8 to two feet and five to eight inches.
The player stands behind the gongs and uses two wooden mallets wrapped in rubber at one end, called balu, to strike the knobs and create sound.
In the ensemble, the gandingan acts as a secondary instrument to the kulintang. When played solo, it is used for communication, warnings, or sending messages, often romantic ones.
In the video above, kulintang master Danny Kalanduyan shares a few words about this instrument.
14. Agung
Another part of the kulintang ensemble is the agung, a pair of large, wide-rimmed gongs that provide the bass. Used by the Maguindanao, Maranao, and Tausug people, these gongs hang vertically and support the ensemble.
Shaped like a kettle and weighing 13 to 16 pounds, they are played by striking the knob with wooden mallets like the one used with the gandingan.
In the olden days, men used the agung to interact with unmarried women since the Islamic customs of the Maguindanao and Maranao people prohibited dating.
The agung also had other uses, like a warning of danger, telling the time, and marking important events. For example, the sultan used it to announce the start of fasting during Ramadan.
15. Diwdiw-as
Finally, there’s the diwdiw-as, also known as diwdiwas, dw-dew-as, or dad-ayu. This indigenous instrument from Kalinga and Bontoc is similar to panpipes.
It consists of five to eight pipes of different lengths tied together at the bottom. Unlike flutes, the diwdiw-as has no holes for creating pitches. Instead, the varying pipe lengths produce different sounds, with shorter pipes creating higher pitches.
The way this instrument is played is simple. All you need to do is blow across the top, and each one of those pipes will provide a different sound.
Usually, this instrument is used for entertainment, as you can see from the video above.
Summing Up Our List Of Instruments From The Philippines
As the list above showed you, the Philippines has an incredibly rich musical background. The Filipinos were able to create their own instruments or improve the ones they borrowed from other countries.
These traditional instruments always have a profound effect on Philippine culture, and the Filipinos have successfully managed to preserve their traditions by continuing to play these instruments to this day. Indeed, doing so adds to the country’s identity and appeal.
