What are the rondalla instruments?

Answer 1

The instruments of the standard Filipino rondalla have similarities in structure and are played with a plectrum made out of turtle shell. Except for the guitar and Bass Guitar(double bass), all are 14-stringed consisting of six(6) sets of strings tuned in the intervals of fourths, each set consisting of 1, 2 or 3 string/s. The purpose of the doubling or tripling of strings is to produce better sound and increase tone volume. The main parts of the stringed instruments of the rondalla are basically the same. A hollow body(sound box) constructed of a sound board(top plate), which is attached to a back board(back plate) by side walls(rims) form the main body of the instrument. The sound board picks up and amplifies the vibrations of the strings. The nice-figured body(sound box) is attached to one end of a narrow neck against which the strings can be shortened by pressing the fingers on the fingerboard to vary the vibrating length and thus the pitch. The neck ends in the tuning head which has the worm and gear mechanism to adjust the tension of the strings when tuning the instrument. There is a string holder(tailpiece) at the bottom of the body and a bridge on which the strings are stretched, so that they can vibrate freely. The sound holes with a round shape, except the laud which is f-shape, have a great influence on the timbre of the instrument. Basically, they communicate the volume of air inside the instrument with the outside air which is the medium in which the waves are carried from the instrument. The size and openness of the holes influences the frequency of the vibrating mass of air within the instrument and therefore the selective reinforcement of certain notes. The holes also influence the flexibility of the soundboard and consequently affect its vibrational patterns. Tops, backs, and sides are carefully selected and graduated to enhance their natural attributes. Every piece of wood from the neck to the smallest brace is acoustically matched to obtain the highest performance from each instrument. The wood of langka, kamagong, narra, ballatinao, tanguile, and Philippine mahogany were generally used as materials for the construction of the instrument. Although the imported pine wood and rosewood continued to be used by some. ---- The standard Filipino rondalla instruments are: (Left to Right: Guitar, Laud, Bandurria, Octavina, Double Bass)

Answer 2

"A rondalla is an ensemble of plectrum instruments, stringed instruments played with a plectrum or pick. It originated in Spain, but became one of the traditional forms of Philippine Folk Music after its introduction to the islands in the 19th century. Philippine rondalla instruments are made of native Philippine wood and played with a tortoise-shell plectrum.

The word rondalla is from the Spanish ronda, meaning "serenade." The core instruments of a Spanish rondalla are the guitar, the mandolin, and the lute. The musicians are accompanied by at least one singer, and sometimes also by handheld percussion instruments. Though the ensemble of stringed instruments existed in some form in Spain since at least the 16th century, the rondalla dates from the early 19th century. It soon thereafter traveled to the Philippines, at the time a Spanish colony.

Early Philippine rondallas played Western European songs, mostly operatic arias and symphonic overtures. While such songs are still in the Philippine repertoire, the Philippine rondalla has become much more diverse over the years. It evolved into a socially important folk form, played at community events such as weddings and fiestas. Today, rondallas may play more contemporary music, such as show tunes and Latin American dance music, in addition to Philippine folk songs and European Classical Music.

The major Philippine rondalla instruments are the banduria, the guitar, the octavina, the laud, and the bass guitar or double bass. The banduria is the central instrument of the ensemble and, along with the octavina and laud, unique to the Philippines. The guitar and double bass each have six strings, while all other rondalla instruments have 14 strings grouped into six tuning units to produce a richer sound."

Answer 3

A rondalla is an ensemble of stringed instruments that are played with a plectrum or pick. Rondallas originated in Spain but became most popular in Philippine folk music after their introduction to the islands during the 19th century. Philippine rondalla instruments are made of native Philippine wood and played with a tortoise-shell plectrum.

The word "rondalla" is from the Spanish ronda, meaning "serenade." The core instruments of Spanish rondallas are the guitar, the mandolin and the lute. Rondallas usually are accompanied by at least one singer and sometimes by percussionists playing handheld instruments. Though ensembles of stringed instruments have existed in some form in Spain since at least the 16th century, the rondalla dates from the early 19th century. It soon thereafter traveled to the Philippines, which was a Spanish colony at the time.

Rondallas in the Philippines

Early Philippine rondallas played Western European songs, mostly operatic arias and symphonic overtures. Although they still play such songs, Philippine rondallas have become much more diverse. Modern ensembles might play more contemporary music, such as show tunes and Latin American dance music, in addition to Philippine folk songs and Europeanclassical music. The rondalla is a socially important form of folk art seen at community events such as weddings and fiestas.

The Instruments in a Rondalla

The major Philippine rondalla instruments are the banduria, the guitar, the octavina, the laud and the bass guitar or double bass. The banduria is the central instrument of the ensemble and, along with the octavina and laud, is unique to the Philippines. The guitar and double bass each have six strings, but the other instruments used in rondallas have 14 strings grouped into six tuning units to produce a richer sound.

Eight-piece Philippine rondallas typically have four bandurias, one guitar, an octavina, a laud and a double bass. Many rondallas are quite large, with 30 or 40 members, especially for important social events. A 30-piece rondalla usually has 16 bandurias, three piccolobandurias, three Guitars, three octavinas, three lauds and two double basses. Of course, the number and type of percussion instruments can vary for any size of rondalla.

Popularity through the Years

During the 1960s, rondallas were extremely popular in the Philippines, and they regularly competed with each other on television and radio programs. The bands received funding from schools, government officials and business moguls, all of whom tried to have the bestrondalla. The popularity of rondallas in the Philippines has waned somewhat in the late 20th century and early 21st century, but groups based in other countries

*by: abby