Gyile
The gyile is a type of West African xylophone, with seventeen keys constructed over gourds.[1] It holds a place in the musical traditions of the Dagara and Birifor people of northern Ghana and southern Burkina Faso.
Bernard Woma (d. 2018) was a well-known gyile player from Upper West Ghana who spent many years teaching the instrument and introducing it to audiences around the world.[2]
Playing Style
[edit source]The gyile is played by striking the keys with a wooden mallet with rubber heads and is generally played by men but there are no restrictions on gender. The instrument is usually played in pairs and accompanied by a calabash gourd drum called kuor. It can also be played by one person with the drum and the stick part as accompaniment.[3]
Gallery
[edit source]
A player striking keys
Gyile player
Wooden mallet with rubber heads
Musical instruments
The underside of SK Kakraba
the Gyile Instrument
The gyile keys
.jpg)
See also
[edit source]References
[edit source]- ↑ Stone, Ruth M. (2010). The Garland Handbook of African Music. Routledge. p. 182. ISBN 978-1-135-90001-4.
- ↑ "Bernard Woma – A master of the Ghanaian Xylophone". Dagara Music Centre.
- ↑ "Xylophone - Balafon". Ghana Goods. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
.svg){kind=small} | This article relating to mallet percussion is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |