Traditional Sri Lankan musical instruments 

 The best of Sri Lanka’s musical tools, traditionally made and masterfully played

Sri Lankan folk music is rhythmic, layered and lilting. It combines the beat of the drum with the chink of tiny cymbals, and the call of the flute with the crescendo of a strong pair of lungs. This pulsing music is made by a whole host of traditional instruments, which are in turn made with local materials using traditional methods.

Below we’ve featured ten of the instruments you’re less likely to encounter outside of the country, but Sri Lankan musicians also use interesting international sound-making contraptions like harmoniums and sitars.

Gata Bera and Yak Bera

The gata bera and the yak bera are two of Sri Lanka’s most important musical instruments, and are both played with the hands.
The gata bera, also known as the wedding drum, is usually about two feet in length. The trunk of the drum is made from asala, kohomba or kos timber, while different skins are used for the two membranes at either end, which are then bound with deer skin strings. Cow skin is tied to one end of the drum, which makes a different sound when hit with the hand from the monkey skin tied to the other.The yak bera, also a two-ended drum, is made from the timber from the kithul tree and is about three feet in length. The part that’s hit is made from the stomach lining of a cow. It’s regularly used for low country dances involving masks and rituals. 

Hak gediya

The hak gediya is one of Sri Lanka’s most memorable musical instruments. It’s usually made from a conch shell, which performers blow into in a slow and dramatic way to announce the start of ceremonial dances or events. As the dancer expels air into the shell, he theatrically widens his chest, throwing his head back before the long note ends. 


 

Dawula

Much shorter than the yak bera described above, the dawula is a favourite in Buddhist ceremonies.Usually crafted with kithul timber and cattle skin, the dawula is decorated with exquisite art and brass strips. At one end the player hits the drum with their hand, and at the other end they hit it with a stick called a ‘kaduppu’.To learn to play this drum students must complete twelve elementary exercises (this is also the case for the yak bera).To adhere to a strict time-sequence, the Dawula is often accompanied by the sound of a Thammattama, which is crafted from the root of a tree and also played with kadyppus. 

Thalampata 

Small though they are, the thalampata play a crucial role in Sri Lankan dance. These small cymbals, joined together with a string, beat out complex rhythms in traditional Kandyan dance. The thalampata typically makes two sounds – ‘thith’ and ‘thei’, which chime to the shake of a dancer’s body.