Makumo is thought to be a type of kanyaku (a bamboo flute) in the items of Kabu (Japanese music) since it is described in the kanyaku section of "Wamyo ruijusho" (Japan's oldest dictionary of Chinese characters edited in the Heian period).
『倭名類聚鈔』では、管籥のなかにあり、歌儛品目では、管籥の類かという。