Pentatonic Tembos

C Major Pentatonic (C3-C4)

The design of our Tembos is based on a group of instruments called ‘plosive aerophones.’

To play a plosive aerophone, you strike the end of a long tube (traditionally bamboo) to give the air inside a bit of a jolt; this jolt then creates a vibration that makes a distinctive ‘boing’ sound as the air resonates within the tube. The tube length determines the pitch (how high or low the note is), and by making a set and varying the size of the tubes, you’ve created an instrument with a musical scale.

We’ve ditched the bamboo and made the Tembos from stainless steel, which we tune to the C-major pentatonic scale. A stylish support structure holds the six stainless steel pipes in a vertical orientation, with the tallest standing over 3m, creating a truly visual and audibly stunning experience.

Both intriguing and addictive, our interactive outdoor Tembos allow you to make surprisingly funky music simply by striking them with the firm PE (Polyethylene) foam paddles provided. Alternatively, you could go traditional and use your flip-flops!

Why Tembo? Well, the shape of the instruments reminded us of Elephant Trunks and thus became the inspiration for the name Tembo, which means ‘elephant’ in Swahili.

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