belembaotuyan

In the Philippines) called kutiyapi.

• Name — Belembaotuyan • Names — eluaotuas eleaotuchan elimau-tuyan

It is made by attaching a string to a long flat wooden stick, on top of which is a resonating gourd. The string is usually made of metal wire or hard string, and similar material is used to keep the resonating gourd in place, stopping the string which allows to produce two pitches (lower and higher) by hitting the longer or shorter sides of the stopped string respectively. At the ends of the wooden stick are placed seashells in order to produce a clearer sound. The length of the wooden stick can be between 4 ft (1.2m) and 9 ft (2.7m) long. As heavy wire was not easily found in Guam in the past, instrument makers would use wire from rubber tires. The wood used for the body of the instrument has usually been Pacific Rosewood or hibiscus tree, both of which grow locally. Wood of young trees has been preferred, as it is more flexible and easier to bend, and a wider body is used to produce a better sound. The gourd has usually been made of coconut or tagua, and they produce different sound: though coconut shells are easy to handle, they are much smaller, harder, and are prone to cracking. The thin hitting stick is made out of bamboo and is usually about a foot (0.3m) long. The string used on the instrument has traditionally been made of wild pineapple fibre, whereas now it has been replaced by metal wires, which produce a louder and brighter sound.