The kutiyapi, a Philippine two-stringed, fretted boat-lute, is the only stringed instrument among the Maguindanaon. It is four to six feet long with nine frets made of hardened beeswax. The instrument is carved out of solid soft wood such as from the jackfruit tree. For the Maguindanaon, it is possible to arrange the beeswax frets into different patterns resulting in different scales for the instrument. Two of the most common are binalig, a style in imitation of the kulintang, and dinaladay, a style used for teaching.

Traditionally, the Maguindanaon use the instrument for social events such as birthdays and weddings and also for more private affairs between couples. With the advent of globalization, the importance of the kutiyapi has waned as artists have taken up the guitar instead, as it is louder.

Also called: Kutyapi, Kutiapi (Maguindanaon), Kotyapi (Maranao), Kotapi (Subanon), Fegereng (Tiruray), Faglong, Fuglung (B’laan), Kudyapi (Bukidnon and Tagbanua), Hegelong (T’boli) and Kuglong, Kadlong, Kudlong or Kudlung (Manobo, Mansaka, Mandaya, Bagabo and Central Mindanao), Kusyapi (Palawan)

References

See also

• Lute
• String instrument
• List of string instruments

External links

Informational websites and online textbooks

• Traditional Music of the Southern Philippines - An online textbook about Southern Pilipino Kulintang music with a section devoted to the kutiyapi.

Pictures of other kutiyapi derivatives

• Photograph of a Kuglong - A Kuglong held by a T'boli woman - by Jun Alfon.
• Photograph of a Kudyapi - Close-up pictures of a Maranao Kudyapi - by Fekke de Jagar.
• Photograph of a Kudlung - Close-up pictures of a Bagobo Kudlung- by Fekke de Jagar.
• Photograph of a Kudlung - Close-up pictures of a B'laan Kudlung- by Fekke de Jagar.

Filipino musical instruments | String instruments | Necked lutes