MAPEH

(MUSIC)

RONDALLA INSTRUMENTS

MA. CRISTINA A. DEDASE

Subject Facilitator

Submitted by:

GIAN PAULINE T. LAZARO

GRADE 7 – ST. EZEKIEL MORENO
 Bandurria
Pear-shaped body with a round sound hole, the bandurria is the mainstay of the
group. This instrument usually carries the main melody and plays melodies and
counterparts. Bandurrias may be divided into first, second, and third, each one
playing a different part.
 Laud
Shaped similar to the bandurria but bigger, the laud has a longer neck and two f-
sound holes. It usually plays the lower notes in accompaniments, counterparts,
and in unison with the bass. The old original laud, better known as the lute, has a
round body in the shape of a half pear, a flat neck with seven or more frets, and a
separate pegbox bent back at an angle.
 Octavina
Formed like a guitar with shorter neck and with round sound hole, the octavina,
like the laud, plays the lower notes in accompaniments, in counterparts, and in
unison with the bass.
 Guitar
Six-stringed with long, fretted neck which can be plucked with the fingers or with
a plectrum, larger body than the octavina with round sound hole, the guitar
(guitarra) plays the accompaniments, plays melodies and counterparts, and
provides the permanent rhythm for the group using chordal and arpeggio
accompaniments. This instrument brought into the Philippines by the Spaniards
have inspired the development of the rondalla in the country. Filipino ingenuity
produced several other instruments modeled after the guitar which soon joined it
in musical group which develped into the rondalla.
 Double Bass
The double bass, also called bass VIOL or contrabass, is four-stringed, the largest
instrument of the rondalla, shaped like the violin with two f sound holes, provides
the fundamental tone, and reinforces the rhythm. Until 1910, the bass guitar was
just slightly bigger than the ordinary guitar and was played in the same manner as
the guitar, placed on the lap. Later, the bass guitar adapted a tailpiece and was
henceforth played with the player standing up. With the tailpiece this instrument
is adjustable to suit the player's height. In the interior of the bass, a small piece of
round wood is fixed immediately behind the right foot of the bridge, to act as a
support. It is called the "sound post." Under the bridge's left foot a strip of wood
known as the "bass bar" is glued lengthways along the belly. It has different sizes:
1/2, 3/4, 7/8, or a full size. A 1/2 or 3/4 size double bass is usually used in the
elementary grades, and 3/4, 7/8 or a full size double bass is for junior or senior
high school students depending on the person's physical stature.