Krar

previous instrument

previous

next instrument

next

The Krar is a Lyre from the African country of Ethiopia. The strings are strummed rhythmically, usually with a plectrum, while the other hand damps all the strings that are not required to sound. Lyres are popular East African folk instruments ; this one is played in special religious ceremonies.

Family
Strings
Pitch range
Variable, according to the number of strings.
Material
Skin-covered wooden resonator, with a frame decorated with cloth, beads, and mirrors.
Size
About 39 in (1 m) long.
Origins
Instruments like the krar are played all over East Africa. They derive from the ancient Greek lyre, which traveled up the Nile from Egypt to Sudan.
Classification
Chordophone: an instrument that produces its sound by the vibration of strings.
And also...
Occasionally tortoiseshell or even aluminum cooking-pots ate utilized to create the resonator of the krar.

picture of Krar

other views