The kabosy is a box-shaped wooden
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
commonly played in
music of Madagascar
The highly diverse and distinctive music of Madagascar has been shaped by the musical traditions of Southeast Asian music, Southeast Asia, African music, Africa, Oceania, Arabian music, Arabia, Portugal, England, France and the United States o ...
. It has four to six strings and is commonly thought to be a direct descendant of the Arabic
oud through the ''
gambus'' played in
Malay-populated areas of
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
.
The kabosy has staggered frets, many of which do not even cross the entire fretboard, and is generally tuned to an
open chord
In music for stringed instruments, especially guitar, an open chord (open-position chord) is a chord that includes one or more strings that are not fingered. An open string vibrates freely, whereas a fingered string will be partially dampened u ...
.
A kabosy-like instrument with standard frets is known as a ''mandalina'' or ''mandoliny''.
Kabosys are frequently handmade from scavenged materials, and their form varies greatly depending on the builder and materials available. Kabosys may be strung with nylon (often used fishing line) or steel (often from scrap wire or cable).
References
{{reflist
External links
Danny Carnahan. '' Guitar Masters of Madagascar''Online kabosy lessons
Malagasy musical instruments
Guitar family instruments