Rondalla
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 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