Launeddas

An intrument so many instruments

If we think to whom, in the centuries, has preceded us in the use and in the study of the launeddas, we cannot do less than try the desire to know what the history has been, and as has happened, in the time, the musical evolution of this instrument. We have inherited in fact not one but a vast range of instruments (cuntzertus) all different ones among them over that for the tonality also for the scale.

We don't know how the family of the cuntzertus is grown and is evolved; if slowly in the centuries or in periods of particular musical shine. Of certain we owe this great patrimony to the creativeness of unknown and genial teachers, desirous to listen to new harmonies and to create new playings. We can imagine that of many cuntzertus the traces are lost, while it is being known the structure of others that were already used rarely to the beginnings of the century and they are not used anymore today.

Also currently changes are practised on the cuntzertus or they build of new, out of the tradition, not to create new playings but rather to insert the launeddas in formations of different musical kind.

The cuntzertus currently in use are:

• Punt''e organu
• Fiorassiu
• Mediana a pipia
• Mediana
• Fiuda
• Ispinellu a pipia
• Ispinellu
• Fiuda bagadia
• Samponia
• Frassetu

 

Every cuntzertu is characterized by the difference of intervals among the notes, from the musical extension and from a harmonic predominance rather than another. The following table (Tab. 1) puts to comparison the musical extension of all the cuntzertus taking as reference the tonality of Sol.

 

From the analysis of the table 1 can be observed that the mancosedda of any cuntzertu plays always notes taller than the mancosa exception for Ispinellu and Ispinellu to pipia that the most acute notes have in the mancosedda.

It can also be noticed that the Fiuda reaches the smaller extension in comparison to the other whole cuntzertus (2 octaves between tumbu and first note, the most acute, of the mancosedda).

and the Fiuda bagadia reaches the most greater extension instead (3 octaves among tumbu and first note of the mancosedda)..

In the cuntzertus Fiuda and Fiuda bagadia departing from the arrefinu of the mancosa to reach the tallest note of the mancosedda all intervals of major scale can be found.
From a harmonic point of view the arrefinuses have a fundamental importance. The respective notes are harmonized with the keynote of the tumbu, when they contemporarily play all and three, and they engrave to the cuntzertu a well defined harmonical base. The notes sent forth by the arrefinuses always belong to the major triad of the keynote (1st° - 3rd° - 5th° degree).
In the fiorassiu for instance the note of the tumbu and of the arrefinuses of mancosa and mancosedda form the major chord (1st° - 3rd° - 5th° degree).

In the punt ''e organu, instead, to the keynote of the lower part it overlaps the octave of the mancosedda and the 5th° of the mancosa

In the samponia the keynote of the tumbu has enriched from the 5th° of mancosa and mancosedda, etc.

We now pass to a brief description of the musical structure of the various cuntzertus:

PUNT’'E ORGANU

In the punt ''e organu mancosa and mancosedda have the same intervals (only cuntzertu to have this characteristic) and that is:

The keynote is sent forth over that from the tumbu, from the 2a key of the mancosa (left middle finger) and from the arrefinu of the mancosedda. This cuntzertu is played mostly in the tonalities of F, G, A, Bb.

FIORASSIU

In the fiorassiu the mancosa and the mancosedda have the followings intervals:

It can be noticed that the difference is only between the arrefinuses and the fourth grade note of both.

In this cuntzertu the keynote is sent forth over that from the tumbu, also from the first one note of the mancosa (left index) and from the fourth grade note of the mancosedda (right little finger). This characteristic from the possibility to strengthen the keynote in evident way when the passage made it necessary, for instance in the closing of the nodas. The fiorassiu is played especially in the tonalities of Bb and A, less frequently in the tonalities of G, C and D.

MEDIANA, MEDIANA A PIPIA, FIUDA

These three cuntzertus have in common the mancosa, that possesses the characteristic of the mancosedda of the punt''e organu, of a lower octave.

The scale of the mancosedda of the median is characterized from you alternate him:

The mancosedda of the mediana a pipia is identical to that of the Fiorassiu, of the same tonality.

The mancosedda of mediana and mediana a pipia is generally gotten by the same chanter, in which 6 holes will be practised rather than 5. When you want to play the mediana, the upper hole is closed with some wax, letting the 5th hole free; vice versa to play the mediana a pipia the last hole is obstructed by some wax.

The mancosedda of the Fiuda is equal to the mancosa of the Fiorassiu. These cuntzertus are generally played in the tonalities of C and D, more rarely in the tonalities of A, Bb, B. .

ISPINELLU, ISPINELLU A PIPIA, FIUDA BAGADIA

The same considerations are worth done for the preceding cuntzertus, that is identical mancosa for the three chanters, equal to a mancosedda of punt ''e organu (of the same tonality).

The mancosedda of the Ispinellu is equal to that of a mediana.

The mancosedda of the Ispinellu a pipia is equal to that of a Fiorassiu of the same tonality. Also in this case they are generally practised on the mancosedda 6 holes to be able to play either Ispinellu or Ispinellu a pipia.

The mancosedda of the Fiuda bagadia is equal to the mancosa of a Fiorassiu but a taller octave. These cuntzertus are played generally in the tonalities of F and G, more rarely in A .

SAMPONIA

The mancosa of the Samponia is that of the Punt ''e organu, while the mancosedda is that of a Fiorassiu. This cuntzertu is an evident combining among elements of other two cuntzertus, a little used by the actual musicians; it comfortably plays in the tonalities of G, A and Bb.

FRASSETU

It is identical to the Punt ''e organu with the variation of the tumbu tuned to a higher octave.

This characteristic predominance of the tumbu in comparison to the melody results more pleasant if a proper tonality is chosen. This cuntzertu is generally played in F, E and D.

Cuncordia a Launeddas
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