TurkishFolkMusicInstruments

BalamaisastringinstrumentwhichrelatesbacktoAsianoriginatedKopuz,andisacontinuationof
KopuzorKomuzinAnatolia.
Thekopuzorkomuzdiffersfromthebalamainhavingaleathercoveredbody,afingerboard
withoutfrets,andtwoorthreestringsmadeeitherofhorsehair,orofsheeporwolfgut.Itisplayed
bybeatingwiththefingers,ratherthanbeingpluckedwithaplectrum.
Tar
Thetarisalongnecked,waistedlutefoundinAzerbaijan,Iran,Armenia,Georgia,andotherareas
neartheCaucasusregion.Thewordtaritselfmeans"string"inPersian.Itisplayedwiththehelpofa
pickmadefromhorns.
Kabakkemane(gourdviolin)
ThekabakkemaneisabowedTurkishfolkinstrument.Showsvariationaccordingtoregionsandits
form.ItisknownthatinstrumentsknownasKabak,Kemane,Igil,Rabab,HegitatHatayprovince,
RubabainSoutheasternTurkey.ItisusedmostlyintheWesternpartofTurkey.
Kemene
Akemencheisabottleshaped,3stringedtypeoffiddlefromtheBlackSearegion.Thekemencheis
playedintheuprightposition,eitherbyrestingitonthekneewhensitting,orheldinfrontofthe
playerwhenstanding.
Zurna
ThezurnaisanAnatolianwoodwindinstrumentwithadoublereed.Ithasaveryhighpitchand
strongsoundandthatswhyitisaccompaniedbydrums.Itisaverypopularinstrumentsplayed
especiallyduringweddings,faircelebrations.Inhistory,zurnawasplayedintheJanissary band
before a war.
Mey
MeyisaTurkishfolkinstrumentofthewindtype.Itconsistsofthreeparts.Meywhichismadeof
woodfromplumwalnut,beechetc.hassounddistanceofaboutoneoctave.Ithasatotalofeight
melodykeyswithsevenontopandoneunderneath.ItisoriginatedfromtheMiddleEastandknown
asBalaban.
Sipsi
ItispopulararoundtheAegeanRegion.ThesipsiisaTurkishwoodwindinstrument.Itisaclarinet
like,singlereedinstrumentwithsixfingerholes,usedmainlyinfolkmusic.Itssizevariesfromregion
toregion.Theword"sipsi"isprobablyonomatopoeic,andisrelatedto"zpi",meaning"whistle".
Kaval
ThekavalisachromaticendblownflutetraditionallyplayedthroughoutTurkey.Ithasaverystrong
sound.Thekavalplaystwooctavesandafifth,inthechromaticscale.Itssoundiswarm,melancholic
andpleasant.


rtma(asmallfife)
ThiswindinstrumentiswellknownaroundElazandtheTorosMountains.Ithas67fingerholesin
thefrontandoneattheback.Ithasnearlyoneoctavsoundrange.
Davul
Drumshavebothadeepbasssoundandathintreblesoundduetotheirconstructionandplaying
style,wheredifferentheadsandsticksareusedtoproducedifferentsoundsonthesamedrum.
Playersoftenusearopehookedtothedrumtoholdthedrumsideways,sothatoneheadis
accessiblewiththelefthandandonewiththeright.Eachhandisusuallydedicatedtoplayingone
sideofthedrumexclusively,thoughthiscanvarybylocalstyleandtradition.
Dmbelek(TheGobletDrum)
Gobletdrumsareplayedwithamuchlightertouchandquitedifferentstrokes.Itispopularacross
Turkey,especiallymaongwomen.
Tef(Tambourine)
Thetambourineisamusicalinstrumentofthepercussionfamilyconsistingofaframe,oftenofwood
orplastic,withpairsofsmallmetaljingles,called"zils".Classicallythetermtambourinedenotesan
instrumentwithadrumhead,thoughsomevariantsmaynothaveaheadatall.Itisapopular
instrumentsespeciallyamongwomenfestivities.
Kak(Spoon)
WoodenspoonsareusedtobeattherythmnanditispopularinSilifkeandKonya.
CLASSICALTURKISHMUSICINSTRUMENTS
UD(TheLute)
Lutecanrefergenerallytoanypluckedstringinstrumentwithaneck(eitherfrettedorunfretted)and
adeeproundback,ormorespecificallytoaninstrumentfromthefamilyofEuropeanlutes.
TheEuropeanluteandtheNearEasternoudbothdescendfromacommonancestor,withdiverging
evolutionarypaths.Theluteisusedinagreatvarietyofinstrumentalmusicfromtheearly
renaissancetothelatebaroqueeras.Itisalsoanaccompanyinginstrument,especiallyinvocal
works,oftenrealizingabassocontinuoorplayingawrittenoutaccompaniment.
KANUN
Kanun(qanun)isastringinstrumentfoundinNearEasterntraditionalmusicbasedonMaqamat.Itis
basicallyazitherwithanarrowtrapezoidalsoundboard.NylonorPVCstringsarestretchedovera
singlebridgepoisedonfishskinsononeend,attachedtotuningpegsattheotherend.Ithas3,5
octavrangeandisknownasaninstrumentclosetothepiano.

NEY
Insomeofthesemusicaltraditions,itistheonlywindinstrumentused.Itisaveryancient
instrument,withdepictionsofneyplayersappearinginwallpaintingsintheEgyptianpyramidsand
actualneysbeingfoundintheexcavationsatUr.Thisindicatesthattheneyhasbeenplayed
continuouslyfor4,5005,000years,makingitoneoftheoldestmusicalinstrumentsstillinuse.Itisa
forerunnerofthemodernflute.ItisoneofthebaseintrumentsoftheSuphimusic.
TANBUR
Thetamburaisatypeofstringedinstrumentfoundindifferentversionsindifferentplacesaround
theworld;mostarepluckedlutes.Ithastwooctavrange.
CMB
ThecmbisaTurkishstringedinstrumentofrelativelymodernorigin.Developedintheearly20th
centurybyZeynelAbidinCmbasanoudlikeinstrumentthatcouldbeheardaspartofalarger
ensemble.InconstructionitresemblesboththeAmericanbanjoandtheMiddleEasternoud.A
fretlessinstrument,ithassixcoursesofdoubledstrings,andisgenerallytunedlikeanoud.Inshape,
though,itcloselyresemblesthebanjowithametalresonatorbowlandskinbodyhead.Ithasaloud,
metallic,resonanttoneandiswidelyheardinMiddleEasternpopularmusic.
BENDR
Thebendirisaframedrumusedasatraditionalinstrument.Thebendirisaframedrumwitha
woodenframeandamembrane.Itcreatesdifferenttonesaccordingtothespreadingofthe
shockwavesmovingacrosstheskinsitself.Thebendirisabout14to16inches.Thedrumisplayed
keptverticalbyinsertingthethumbofthelefthandinaspecialholesintheframe.