washint
Washint (Amharic: ዋሽንት) is an end-blown wooden flute originally used in Ethiopia. Traditionally, Amharic musicians would pass on their oral history through song accompanied by the washint as well as the krar, which is a six stringed lyre, and the masenqo, a one string fiddle.
washint
- Name
- Washint
- Field
- open single end-blown flute with fingerholes
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Documentary summary
Washint (Amharic: ዋሽንት) is an end-blown wooden flute originally used in Ethiopia. Traditionally, Amharic musicians would pass on their oral history through song accompanied by the washint as well as the krar, which is a six stringed lyre, and the masenqo, a one string fiddle.
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Documentary evidence
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Authority files
wikidata · Q2383880 · wikipedia · Washint
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Washint • Background — woodwind • Classification — aerophone • Hornbostel Sachs — 421.111.12 • Hornbostel Sachs Desc — end blown flute • Range — unknown, usually players take 20 to 30 washints with them for performing
Occurrence
Occurrence
Along with the Krar and the Masenqo, the Washint flute is one of the three most widespread traditional musical instruments in Ethiopia. The washint is a favorite among the shepherds and cowherders.
Construction and design
Construction and design
The washint can be constructed using bamboo, wood or other cane, and increasingly flutes of metal and plastic tubes can be seen. Varieties exists in different lengths and relative fingerhole placement, and a performer might use several different flutes over the course of a performance to accommodate different song types. It generally has four finger-holes, which allows the player to create a pentatonic scale.
Audio examples and pictures
Audio examples and pictures
• 1=Washint tune played before entranced crowd (on EthioTube site part of YouTube) • Boy mimicking Washint sound (on YouTube) • Washint played by non Ethiopian (on YouTube) • Ethiopian instruments images on the sidebar
Literature
Scholarly footprint
A count of publications is evidence of attention, not of standing, and is given here only as a measure.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Nidel, Richard. World Music: The Basics. Routlidge Taylor & Francis Group, NY. 2005.
- 2.May, Elizabeth. Musics of many cultures : an introduction. University of California Press. 239. 1983. 10960729.
- 3.Timkehet Teffera Mekonnen. Shungul, Sorror, Washing, Woissa, Zumbara. www.academia.edu. 2020.
- 4.Kimberlin, Cynthia Tse. Ethiopian and Tribal Music. Ethnomusicology. 18. 1. 178. 1974. 10.2307/850080.
- 5.Sárosi, B. The Music of Ethiopian Peoples. Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae. 9. 1/2. 14. 1967. 10.2307/901579.
References
Citations
References
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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