|
Flute like Been is the
snake charmer's pipe. It consists of two pipes ( a drone
and a chanter) made of wood, bamboo or metal set into a
gourd. The player blows into a large opening in the
narrow portion of the gourd and fingers the apertures on
the chanter (called the dandi) to produce the melody.
Some beens do not have these apertures. Two human hairs
are inserted into the pipes and attached with wax. This
is a trick developed by the been players to add a
hissing , snake like sound to the instrument. Typically,
the been is decorated with strings of cowri shells
looped over the gourd and hanging down like tassels.
Stamina and breath control are needed to become a
skilled been player.
|
