page_title: Kolitong
section_title: Polychordal Tube Zithers
hierarchical_section_title: Kolitong / Polychordal Tube Zithers
caption_attribution_description: English: A Kolitong, a bamboo string instrument found in the Philippines. The instrument in the picture is from the University of the Philippines College of Music, Center for Ethnomusicology, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.
context_page_description: A Kolitong is a bamboo polychordal tube zither from Bontok, Kalinga, Philippines with six strings that run parallel to its tube body. The strings are numbered from one to six, from lowest to highest pitch. The body acts as the instrument's resonator. The body may be a whole tube or a half tube, in both cases the two ends of the body are closed by the bamboo nodes. To help with the resonance of the instrument, holes are made on both nodes and long cracks are made along the body parallel to the strings. In the Kalinga group, men play the Kolitong at night as a solo instrument. A variety of bamboo tube zithers are found throughout the Philippine archipelago, each zither differing from the other in name, size, and design depending on its associated ethnic group.
context_section_description: These are widespread in the Philippines. They are found in the Cordilleras and in the Mindanao and Palawan area. The instrument is made from a bamboo tube (approximately 10 cm. in diameter and averaging half a meter long) closed on both ends by nodes, which however are partially opened for more resonance. Strings are etched out of the bamboo body itself and remain attached at both ends. To give the string more tension, two small wooden frets are inserted beneath each strings near the ends. Furthermore, the fret positions determine the pitch of the instrument when plucked. The number of strings vary from five to eight or nine and, occasionally, even eleven.
caption: A Kolitong's wooden frets. The frets are moved along the length of the string to adjust the string's pitch.
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