6.2.2011 - Gyil tuning

My experience studying xylophone, aka "Gyil," in Ghana enhanced my studies by removing me from a familiar instrument, music and culture tradition, tonality, and scale. A Gyil has 14 wooden bars woven together by string, twine, and goat skin; amplified by gourds tuned to each prepared tuned bar. The scale is tuned to the master xylophonist in the village; they can be tuned differently. Some gyils are tuned to a western pentatonic scale. My gyil is tuned to Bernard Woma's scale. Here is the original tuning, as notes per bar from treble to bass:

High end

1. C# +40 cents
2. B + 20 cents
3. A -23 cents
4. F# +35-40 cents
5. E +15 cents
6. D
7. C -35 cents
8. A +20-23 cents
9. G -15/20 cents
10. E +50 cents (or F -50 cents)
11. D# -2 cents
12. B +25 cents
13. A -2 cents
14. G -40 cents (Almost G flat)

Low end

I like exploring western scales with Ghanaian gyil, and exploring traditional Ghanaian forms I studied. In one experiment, the form "AABABBAB" is embraced on a melody that is from a traditional Bewaa funeral music.