The Sape guitar is a traditional musical instrument from Kalimantan
The Sape guitar-a traditional musical instrument of Dayak People from Kalimantan
I personally call it like a guitar because of its shape, and how to play almost similar to a guitar, namely by picking it
But even though looks similar to a guitar, Sape has its own uniqueness, namely from its distinctive and unique sound
Also, the shape of Sape is attractive and full of ornaments
This musical instrument is mostly played by the Dayak tribe in Kalimantan
But with the development of the era and technology,
now many non-Dayak Indonesians are familiar with this musical instrument and have learned to play it
Besides being popular in Indonesia, Sape is also widely known abroad
Because there are artists from the Dayak tribe who play it abroad such as in China, Dubai, and several other countries.
History of Sape
The history of the Sape – it was first discovered by the Dayak Kayaan and Dayak Kenyah tribe
There are two types of Sape Guitar, the first is wide-bodied but small-stemmed about one meter long
This first type of Sape has two strings made of plastic with 4 scales and was discovered by the Dayak people of the Kayaan tribe
The second type of Sape is small and elongated with a length of about 1.5 meters, has 3 or 5 strings, and has 11 or 12 scales
This second type of Sape was discovered by the Dayak people of the Kenyah tribe
What is it used for??
At first, the Sape guitar was used to accompany dances from the Dayak tribe
and as supporting music at traditional ritual events from other Dayak tribes.
Sape means 3 according to the number of strings
As I mentioned before, there are two types of Sape guitars, namely Sape from the Dayak Kayaan tribe and from the Kenyah tribe
both are basically almost the same in the way of making
These two forms of Sape also represent the artistic values of the cultures of the two tribes
These values can be seen in the shape of the Sape which is like a boat carved with ornaments typical of the Dayak tribe
At first, the strings used in Sape were made of rattan but with the development of the times they were replaced with guitar strings
How to make a Sape guitar
How to make this Sape guitar is quite complicated
because the wood used is certain wood such as wood from the jackfruit tree
The louder and more veined the wood, the better the sound it produces.
The surface is flattened, while the back is in the hole lengthwise, but does not penetrate the surface.
To find a good sound, the thickness of the edges and the surface must be the same so that the sound can vibrate evenly,
So that it produces a sound that is long and loud when plucked.
How to play Sape guitar?
The way to play the Sape guitar is quite unique because it is different from how to play the guitar
This is because there is only one string that is shifted up and down following the feeling of the player
Because the Dayak tribe is very close to nature, the strains of the tone also represent the natural atmosphere around it
Dayak people usually play this instrument together in their traditional house
The traditional house for gathering is called the Betang house
The Sape guitar today
Sape guitar now along with the times began to collaborate with other musical instruments
The songs he plays are also diverse and not only about nature but also about love
This musical instrument is also starting to be made in an electric version so that it produces a louder and stronger sound
So that’s a glimpse of the Sape guitar, a traditional musical instrument typical of the Kalimantan Dayak tribe
Are you interested in learning it??
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