By Sam, Kenneth Iheanyi Chukwu
'1"lie naming and classification of African nir~sical itistr~~~ncnts hy ethnomusicologists
have hcen an issr~co f concern to Africans in acadcniics. In Nigeria, for example. efforts
havc bcrn made by some renowned musicologists, ethnomr~sicologists and music
edr~cators. who have come up with diverse systems of classification. The available
classificatory svstems seem to be unsatisfactory, when applied to how the people of
lhittc-lhma classify instrunient resources. 1 have, therefore, embarked on some detailed
descriptions and classifications from the folk classificatory perspectives.
Chapter One discrrsses the geographical. historical and the socio-cultural background of
thc people of Ihitte-llboma, in line with the relationships and the musical activities that
arc 1wc\,alcnt in this area
Chapter two discr~ssess ome available literature on classification of mt~sicali nstruments,
specifically the systems developed by Curt Sachs and Eric liornbostcl, J.H.K. Nketia,
1,o 13an1in.ioko.R ich Okafor. Mcki Nzewi. Omihiyi and C.T. Nwachukwu.
('hapters '1 h~cca nd Four, concelltratc on the cognitive principles in the formuiation of folk
terminology, euplaining the langr~ages tructure, semantics/sound phenomena in the naming of
these mrrsical iristruments; and elicit the basic principles in the taxonomy of musical
instru~nentarl esources cruiding the model.
Chapter five summarizes the findings and proffers some recommendations for studies. The
thesis ends with a coriclr~siora~n d hibliograpliy. ,