Listen to the ahoko
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
How the ahoko makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the ahoko belongs to the shaken and scraped idiophones: the body is shaken, scraped or split – rattles, maracas and guiros.
More broadly it is one of the idiophones, where the solid body of the instrument itself vibrates, without strings or a stretched membrane.
Press play above and watch the spectrum: the evenly spaced peaks are harmonics, and their relative strength is what gives the instrument its character.
From Wikipedia
The Ahoko is a traditional percussion instrument originating from the central part of Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) in West Africa.
The ahoko is a wooden rod with nutshells, each containing loose seeds, tied to strings which are then tightly wound around the end of the rod. The percussive sound can range from quiet to very loud.
Other shaken and scraped idiophones
Tambourine
Shaken and scraped idiophones
Maraca
Shaken and scraped idiophones
Music box
Shaken and scraped idiophones
Sistrum
Shaken and scraped idiophones
Angklung
Shaken and scraped idiophones
Jingle bell
Shaken and scraped idiophones
Ratchet
Shaken and scraped idiophones
Güiro
Shaken and scraped idiophones
Frequently asked questions
What does an ahoko sound like?
Listen to 1 recording on this page. As one of the shaken and scraped idiophones, its sound comes from the way the body is shaken, scraped or split.
What type of instrument is the ahoko?
It is classified as shaken and scraped idiophones (Hornbostel–Sachs 112.13).
Where does the ahoko come from?
The ahoko originates from Ivory Coast.
Sources & credits
- (tuj)-ahoko by Masyarakat adat suku Isam from masyarakat adat suku O'Hongana Manyawa – CC0 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q4073152 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Ahoko – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Figlio di dio – CC BY-SA 4.0