The mangtong (芒筒) is an end-blown free reed pipe with an additional resonator, traditionally used as a bass instrument in the lusheng ensembles of the Miao (Hmong), Dong and other minorities of Southwest China. It consists of a length of bamboo, closed at one end, with a free reed of brass placed near the closed end. This is placed inside a larger piece of bamboo to serve as a resonator to amplify the sound. As the instrument produces only a single pitch, an ensemble will usually feature several of them.
The mangtong is made in a range of sizes, the largest being more than two metres in length. This example is a relatively small one, producing a pitch of D3 (D below middle C):
The pipe is around 84cm in length and 1.5cm in diameter, with the resonator around 80cm in length and 8cm in diameter. The reed is about 4.5cm long and substantially thinned over more than half its length, leaving it heavily weighted at the tip:
As with many other traditional Chinese instruments, improved versions of the mangtong were developed during the 20th century, mostly with the goal of allowing a single musician to play multiple pitches.
A Brief History of Mouth Blown Free Reed Instruments
What Is A Free Reed?
Origins Of The Free Reed
Eastern Free Reed Instruments
A Selective Discography Of Asian Free Reed Instruments
Western Free Reed Instruments
Bibliography