FREQUENCY CHARACTERISTICS OF SOUND FROM SOMPOTON MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

Sompoton' is one of the most popular traditional musical instruments among local residents in Sabah. The sound generated by the instrument is unique and attractive and its architecture contains a gourd, which had been dried up with eight pieces of bamboo (pipe) inserted into it. A measurement has been carried out to determine the frequency characteristics of sound of the 'sompoton' in its original forms. Frequency values obtained from the measurement were then compared to the frequency predicted by using the closed-end pipe and open-end pipe model. It was found that the generation of harmonic frequency by the 'sompoton' follows the open-end pipe model. However, the generation of the fundamental frequency does not comply with any of the models. This has opened for possibility to the establishment of a new model for 'sompoton'.