Musical Instruments

A wooden gong (koriro) is made by hollowing out a section of tree trunk or branch (p1. 11). The opening is narrow and the hollow interior widened out. The ends are closed. The gong is similar to the pate of Cook Islands. The word pate is used locally as a verb meaning “to strike a gong,” as in “ka pate te koriro” (the koriro gong is being struck). The gong is beaten with a single stick to give time to dances, and it is also used when announcements are cried through the village.

A double gong in Bernice P. Bishop Museum (p1. 11, A) is formed of one piece of wood twice the depth of an ordinary small gong, so that slot openings and cavities can be formed on opposite surfaces. The outer surface of each half is convex from above down, and a longitudinal horizontal groove is formed by the meeting of the two curves. This gives the appearance of two gongs stuck together by their under surfaces. Outside the ends of the slot openings, pearl-shell discs are inlaid for ornamentation, and nicks are also cut on the side edges opposite. Though both slots and cavities are of approximately the same dimensions, there is a slightly different tone when page 204 the slot rims are struck. Such differences of tone could be utilized in playing, but the double gong was not mentioned to me by my informants. It is unusual and may have been a freak experiment.

Shell trumpets (pu) were formed from Cynatium tritonis shell, as in other parts of Polynesia, by making a hole through about the third whorl from the apex. No wooden reeds or mouthpieces were used.

A rattle made of split coconut leaf midrib was used in dances to supplement the wooden gongs, and the hands were also clapped to give time.

Sharkskin drums and flutes were unknown. Nowadays, large drums of European pattern are made with goatskin membranes. These drums are beaten during dances and historical plays, and with the wooden gongs form the orchestra.