Jawbone (instrument)
Encyclopedia
The jawbone is a percussion instrument
consisting of the lower jawbone
of a donkey
, horse
or zebra
. The jawbone is dried out and the teeth loosened. When struck with the hand, the teeth rattle, producing a powerful buzzing sound. The playing technique involves striking the large end of the jaw with the palm, or a beater is used to strike the teeth or bone and pulled along the teeth which act as a rasp. These ingredients provide the basis for a wide variety of combinations and rhythms.
In Spanish the jawbone is called quijada. It is one of the main instruments used by Afro-Peruvian musical ensembles and is used in many other Latin American cultures, like Candombe
of Argentina (in Uruguay is not used), in sounds of Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, as well as Mexican music by Son Jarocho
and "costa chica" music.
The jawbone provided the inspiration for the vibraslap
.
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
consisting of the lower jawbone
Mandible
The mandible pronunciation or inferior maxillary bone forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place...
of a donkey
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
, horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
or zebra
Zebra
Zebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
. The jawbone is dried out and the teeth loosened. When struck with the hand, the teeth rattle, producing a powerful buzzing sound. The playing technique involves striking the large end of the jaw with the palm, or a beater is used to strike the teeth or bone and pulled along the teeth which act as a rasp. These ingredients provide the basis for a wide variety of combinations and rhythms.
In Spanish the jawbone is called quijada. It is one of the main instruments used by Afro-Peruvian musical ensembles and is used in many other Latin American cultures, like Candombe
Candombe
Candombe is a musical genre that has its roots in the African Bantu, and is proper of Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil .Uruguayan Candombe is the most practiced and spread internationally and has been recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity...
of Argentina (in Uruguay is not used), in sounds of Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, as well as Mexican music by Son Jarocho
Son Jarocho
Son Jarocho is a traditional musical style of Veracruz, a Mexican state along the Gulf of Mexico. It evolved over the last two and a half centuries along the coastal portions of southern Tamaulipas state and Veracruz state, hence the term jarocho, a colloquial term for people or things from the...
and "costa chica" music.
The jawbone provided the inspiration for the vibraslap
Vibraslap
A vibraslap is a percussion instrument consisting of a piece of stiff wire connecting a wood ball to a hollow box of wood with metal “teeth” inside. The percussionist holds the metal wire in one hand and strikes the ball...
.