. The Baganda . n the strings when they are tuned. At the end of are ornaments consisting of tufts of goats strings of the liasoga harp are horizontal, while those ofthe Baganda harp are vertical; in the Basoga harp the shortstrings are in the centre, while the outer ones are side bars are eighteen inches long, and the cross-piece forthe strings is fifteen inches long. The tunes played upon these harps are invariably in the I GENERAL SURVEY OF THE COUNTRY, ETC. 35 minor key, and the player accompanies his tunes with Basoga harp is ahnost entirely u
. The Baganda . n the strings when they are tuned. At the end of are ornaments consisting of tufts of goats strings of the liasoga harp are horizontal, while those ofthe Baganda harp are vertical; in the Basoga harp the shortstrings are in the centre, while the outer ones are side bars are eighteen inches long, and the cross-piece forthe strings is fifteen inches long. The tunes played upon these harps are invariably in the I GENERAL SURVEY OF THE COUNTRY, ETC. 35 minor key, and the player accompanies his tunes with Basoga harp is ahnost entirely used for love songs anddrinking ditties, which are mostly impure and obscene. Theold harp used at the court of the King and chiefs used to beaccompanied by songs belauding the Kings power andbenevolence, praising him, and belittling his enemies. Thewords were made up to fit the tunes at a moments notice,and were suited to passing events. Both the King and thechiefs had musicians, who were expected to come forward. KIG. II.^BLIND HARPIST. and play, especially when the evening meal was ended. Thebard was usually a man who had been deprived of his sight,that he might not look upon the court ladies or fall in lovewith them, and who made it his business to learn all thegossip of the day, and to retail it in his songs. In this wayhe would entertain his hearers as they sat together in theevening. The older and more popular songs were thetraditions and legends of the nation, sung in a minor key. The fife was another favourite instrument ; almost every The boy possessed one, and could play the ordinary tunes. D 2 36 THE BAGANDA CHAP. Fifes were made from a reed which grows freely in theswamps and rivers ; six holes were bored for the fingers, andthe end was notched for the mouthpiece ; the lip was used tofill up the end, and to modify the amount of space requiredfor playing it. The King and the chiefs had their specialfife-players, some of whom always accompanied them, andhad g
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidbaganda00joh, bookyear1911
