Exploring the Gender Roles of Instruments




“The countless and varied musical instruments that have existed through time are evidence of how people make music meaningful and useful in their lives”(Wade 34). In her book Thinking Musically, author Bonnie C. Wade describes how “ideas about gender sometimes dictate who may and may not play an instrument”(Wade 50). This notion can be observed across many areas of the world, including Europe, North America, Africa, and the Middle East.

 The concept of gender roles assigned to various instruments was increasingly predominant in early Western European culture. Women were not supposed to play wind instruments because it was said to take away the grace and beauty from their faces. They were not allowed to play in churches, because men were to lead church. This idea lives on even in today’s culture, where many churches do not allow women to be the head of music because it wouldn’t be “appropriate” to have a female pastor. One acceptable women’s instrument of that time was the harp. However, the biblical King David was well known as a harpist along with many other male harpists of the time. Why would the harp suddenly become a women’s instrument? Musicologist Rita Steblin believes that this gender stereotyping of musical instruments was, “an important  factor  in  hindering  women  from  achieving  an  equal  place  with  men  as musical creators  and performers”. Today there are many instruments that are male dominated. This imbalance can partially be traced back to early Western culture, keeping women from the musical scene to ensure that their place was “in the home.”

Acceptable, Graceful Women’s Instruments in Early European Culture:





While gender roles in Europe are primarily products of a male dominated society, Native American Tribes hold men and women in equal regard, but each gender has a specific role. Each tribe has their own ideals about what a “man’s role” and a “woman’s role” truly is. The Cherokee people, for instance, are given specific regulations in regards to what dances each gender performs. These regulations are for purely ritualistic or ceremonial reasons. In dances before stickball games, men dance in circles around the fire whereas women dance in place. A Liquisearch article titled “Native American Music - Societal Role - Gender,” explains men and women’s songs have different objectives. Women’s songs “draw power away from the opposing stickball team” while men’s songs “invoke power” to the team in their favor. There are also roles among Native Americans that permit each gender to play a certain instrument. In the South Plains, the Natives believe a Great Spirit gave the first drum to a woman and instructed her to “share it with women of all native nations” (“Native American Music - Social Role - Gender,” 2017). In contrast, South Plain Natives also have a drum called the “powwow drum” ( shown below)  that is traditionally played by men exclusively.


Image result for pow wow drum ritual

 In Thinking Musically, Wade explains that the powwow is traditionally for men because of the “power of their [women’s] bodies.” Each month when women menstruate, the Natives believe that women are cleansed as a result of menstruation and that men can only be cleansed through drumming. In Native American Cultures, men and women are both permitted to participate in music making, but each gender plays specific roles in creating the final product.
In contrast to the Western world's classification of instruments, African instruments are divided into Membranophones, Chordophones, Aerophones, and Idiophones. Examples of membranophones in Africa are Djembes and Congas, as illustrated in this video.





Due to the various dangers that are present throughout African societies, male instrumental groups are sometimes preferred. “Men were recruited as supernumerary performers to play drums for exclusively women's groups, including the additional role of providing the women with security in public outings (Chris Walton)”. Spiritual practices also commonly associate both genders with these various instruments.

Gender roles are particularly evident in Middle Eastern countries, as Islam is the primary religion practiced. Traditionally, Islamic countries feature a significant concept of guardianship. “Women are often expected to be obedient wives and mothers staying within the family environment, and men are expected to be protectors and caretakers of the family”(Gender Roles in Islam). To Western ideals this may be considered negatively patriarchal, almost as if women live under some sort of tyrannical autocracy controlled by men. Angela Guzman writes, “While some of the basis of these ideas are true, they’re not oppressive of the women within the Islamic community. Instead many of these ideals are customary and are ingrained within the culture”(The Role of Women in Islam).
With regard to instrumental gender associations, the frame drum has often been affiliated with women in the Middle East.

Unfortunately, the history of Muslim women playing musical instruments have rarely been documented, therefore it is difficult to determine the reasons why women were allowed to play the frame drum in Middle Eastern countries. “Broadly speaking, the [ancient] male legists ascribed negative powers to musical instruments, saying they cause human beings to lapse into sin”(Doubleday 104). Muslim culture specifically separates the roles of instruments and voice, as vocalization of the Qu’ran is considered far more sacred than music. Because of Islam’s patriarchal history, it is conceivable to assume that certain ancient women were allowed to play frame drums due to their traditionally delicate framework and assumed tendency to give into sin. Fortunately, ideas about women and gender roles in the Middle East have improved somewhat since ancient times, and many more women express themselves musically today than in previous decades.



Although it may not be the first thing on your mind when you think of a musical instrument, the gender roles Wade mentions have played their part in music throughout history. From Western Europe all the way to the Middle East, there is evidence of these roles all over the world in different shapes and forms. As we hope and move toward a world of equality in terms of gender, it is important to understand the many ways gender roles have been established throughout history, even through instruments.

Intro/Middle East: Anika Hille
Native America/Editor: Emilia Soot
Africa/Bibliography: Frank Saxton
Europe/Conclusion/Blog: Mackenzie Taylor


Works Cited:
Eroupe
Native America’s
Africa
Middle East

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Levine, Victoria Lindsay. “Native American music.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 31 Jan. 2014, www.britannica.com/art/Native-American-music. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.
Native American Music - Societal Role - Gender, www.liquisearch.com/native_american_music/societal_role/gender. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.
“Encyclopedia of the Great Plains.” Encyclopedia of the Great Plains |, plainshumanities.unl.edu/encyclopedia/. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.
Howcast. “Djembe vs. Conga | African Drums.” YouTube, YouTube, 14 Sept. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIbRuIm9MxI. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.
“African musical instruments.” Contemporary African Art, www.contemporary-african-art.com/african-musical-instruments.html. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.
Walton, Chris, and Stephanus Muller. “Gender and Sexuality in South African Music.” Google Books, books.google.com/books?id=mFcyAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA76&lpg=PA76&dq=gender%2Broles%2Bin%2Bmusic%2Bafrica&source=bl&ots=wlpRGSCC-M&sig=RhAo8I2B3W5fz4nORFP_Kt1gmAo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi34IiG-7zWAhXlhlQKHWUXAQAQ6AEIRDAE#v=onepage&q=gender%20roles%20in%20music%20africa&f=false. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.
“Gender roles in Islam.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Sept. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_roles_in_Islam. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.
Guzman, Angela. “The Role of Women in Islam.” Muslim Women | Are Muslim Women Subservient? | Islamic Women Roles - Beliefnet, Beliefnet, Inc. and/or its licensors, www.beliefnet.com/faiths/islam/the-role-of-women-in-islam.aspx. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.
i.pinimg.com/736x/b1/28/88/b12888f722fd3995b8630ab55158b93e--frame-drum-hand-drum.jpg.
“Ayelet Ori Benita Composition for vocal and frame drum.” YouTube, YouTube, 12 Jan. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD25XWTvuho. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.

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