Flapamba

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title: "Flapamba" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["keyboard-percussion-instruments", "stick-percussion-idiophones", "american-musical-instruments"] description: "Wooden keyboard percussion instrument" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flapamba" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Wooden keyboard percussion instrument ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox instrument"]

Field	Value
name	Flapamba
image	Flapamba (from Emil Richards Collection).jpg
image_capt	Flapamba (from the Emil Richards Collection)
background	percussion
classification	Keyboard percussion
hornbostel_sachs	111.212
hornbostel_sachs_desc	Sets of percussion sticks
inventors	Brent Seawell
range	F2–C4 or C4–C6
::

| name = Flapamba | names = | image = Flapamba (from Emil Richards Collection).jpg | image_capt = Flapamba (from the Emil Richards Collection) | background = percussion | classification = Keyboard percussion | hornbostel_sachs = 111.212 | hornbostel_sachs_desc = Sets of percussion sticks | inventors = Brent Seawell | range = F2–C4 or C4–C6 The flapamba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of tuned wooden bars pinched on one side over the node and mounted over resonator boxes. Sliding the bars slightly forward or backward affects their tuning. Unlike the marimba or xylophone, the sound is not as focused tonally. It is a bit more percussive, sounding closer to tuned log drums.

History

The original flapamba was invented in the 1960s by Brent Seawell. Studio percussionist Emil Richards later bought the flapamba from the Professional Drum Shop in Hollywood and added it to his instrument collection. Richards started using it in recording sessions and let other studios rent it out, leading to its inclusion in several film scores. To play it, he used either soft mallets or his fingers to get a warm, resonant sound. This original flapamba had a range from middle C up two full octaves (from C to C in scientific pitch notation).

In 2009, Richards decided to extend the lower range of the instrument. Specialty mallet craftsman Chris Banta made new bars spanning F to C and dubbed this the "bass flapamba". He also replaced the bars on the original set to create a consistent sound between the two. Both sets combined have a range from F to C.

Use

The flapamba can most often be heard in film music, such as on Michael Giacchino's soundtrack for Lost. Composer Elmer Bernstein used it on the soundtrack for McQ. The beginning of the Steely Dan track "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" features Victor Feldman playing the flapamba, although his contribution was cut from the single version.

References

References

1. Strain, James Allen. (2017). "A Dictionary for the Modern Percussionist and Drummer". [[Rowman & Littlefield Publishers]].
2. Libin, Laurence. (2015). "The Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments". Oxford University Press.
3. Bornstein, Robert G.. (2015). "Range, Transposition and Tuning: A Guide for Over 500 Musical Instruments". [[Hal Leonard]].
4. Ross, Alex. (2010-05-17). "The Spooky Fill: Onward and Upward with the Arts".
5. Spencer, Kristopher. (2008). "Film and Television Scores, 1950–1979: A Critical Survey by Genre". McFarland.
6. Millward, Stephen. (2016). "Fast Forward: Music and Politics in 1974". Troubador Publishing Limited.
7. Levine, Dave. (1979). "Victor Feldman: Up Close". [[Modern Drummer]].

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::