The instrument is made with 14 wooden keys of an African hardwood called liga attached to a wooden frame, below which hang calabash gourds. Spider web silk covers small holes in the gourds to produce a buzzing sound, and antelope sinew and leather are used for the fastenings. The instrument is played by striking the keys with wooden mallets with rubber heads. The instrument is generally played by men, who learn to play while young, however, there is no restriction on gender. The gyil is usually played in pairs, accompanied by a calabash gourd drum called a kuor. It can also be played by one person with the drum and the stick part as accompaniment, or by a soloist.
The original name for the instrument is called kpankpol before it graduated to this because of mobility. The normal gyil known to the Dagaabas in the Upper west Region of Ghana is 18keys. That of the Link is 14/15. I am a teacher/performer of gyil for over 24years. University of Ghana