TURKISH MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
NEY
The ney is the principal wind instrument in
Turkish classical music. The term is derived from
the Persian nay, "reed." There are seven finger
holes, six on the front of the instrument, and
one on the back. A mouthpiece, generally made
of buffalo horn, called baspare, is attached to
the blown end. Silver rings called parazvane are
attached to either end of the instrument to
prevent cracking. In Sufi Music Ney represent
God’s breath reviving everything.
KANUN
The kanun is one of the kithara class of
instruments, In organology, which examines
and classifies musical instruments, kithara is the
common designation for instruments in which
the sound is produced by the vibration of taut
strings arranged "openly" from short to long.
Taken to Europe by the Anadalusians around
the 12th century. Coming into use in Ottoman
music in the 15th century at the latest, the
kanun underwent changes to its structure, and
its size was sometimes increased, sometimes
decreased. The kanun used in Istanbul in the
16th century can be considered identical to that
used in Iran and Mesopotamia. This instrument
was most likely constructed entirely of wood,
with metal strings, an assumption supported by
several miniatures.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the kanun
was one of the instruments that were played by
women.
In the second half of the 19th century, the
kanun was quite popular in Istanbul. A
professional music ensemble without a kanun
was unthinkable.
TURKISH MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
KEMENÇE
Kemençe is the common name for two very
different instruments, one used in north
Anatolian folk music, and the other in Turkish
classical music.
One can safely say that the kemençe is the
most-adorned of the Turkish instruments.
The classical kemençe is 40-41 centimeters in
length and 14-15 centimeters wide. All its
strings are of gut; only the yegâh string is silverwound.
Until the 19th century, the Persian-derived
word kemençe, meaning "small bow" or "small
bowed instrument," was used for the spike
fiddle known today as rebab. Also called kemân,
the kemânçe was the only bowed instrument
used in Turkish classical music until the late
18th century. The kemânçe gave way first to the
viola d'amore and later to the European violin.
The pear-shaped kemençe first entered the fasil
ensemble in the mid-19th century.
TANBUR
The tanbur is the most important plucked
stringed instrument of Turkish classical music.
The tanbur's body is a half-sphere up to 35
centimeters in diameter, constructed of staves
glued together. The tied frets were originally
made of twisted gut, but today, almost all
tanbur players use frets of nylon monofilament.
The number of frets ranges from 45-55. Modern
tanburs generally have seven strings, but
tanburs of the18th and 19th centuries had eight
strings. In recent years, some players have had
eight-string tanburs constructed.
TURKISH MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
UD
The ud is a large-bodied, short-necked
instrument belonging to the lute family.
The ud is considered one of the oldest string
instruments known to man. Its first ancestors
are thought to have been made in Ancient
Egypt (1320-1085 B.C.), because a bas-relief
from that period depicts an instrument
resembling the ud. This antique ud's body, like
those of later uds, was likely made of a single
hollowed out piece of wood, and smaller than
those of modern uds.
Though it was used in certain earlier periods, it
was during the second half of the 19th century
that the ud took a definite place among the
Turkish classical instruments. Today it is played
by several virtuosos in a wide variety of styles.
BAĞLAMA FAMILY
a. Divan Sazi (Meydan)
b. Baglama
c. Tambura
d. Cura
a. Divan Sazi: The Divan Sazi is the largest of
the Baglama family. It is also called the Meydan
saz. The name is believed to be related to the
fact that in meetings of asiks, they would
challenge each other (Turkish: meydan okumak,
to challenge)..
b. Baglama: The baglama is smaller than the
divan sazi and larger than the tanbura. In the
cities, it has more frets than in the villages.
c. Tanbura: An instrument between the cura
and baglama in size, it occurs in many regions of
Turkey.
d. Cura: The smallest member of the baglama
family, it is found in nearly every region of the
country under a variety of names, including
dede sazi, parmak cura, and üç telli cura.
According to the instrument with which it is to
be played (and accordingly its exact dimensions
and tuning), it is known by names such as
baglama curasi, tanbura curasi etc.
Sazes of various other dimensions than those
mentioned above are known by names that
include bozuk, çögür, dimbira, dombra, dmgira,
bulgari, karadüzen, irizva, yelteme, köçekçe, iki
telli, tamdira, tombura, dangir.
TURKISH MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
ZURNAfamily (kaba, orta, cura, zil)
It is common instrument, played together with
the davul (double-headed drum) in nearly every
region of the country. Going from west to east,
we see a decrease in the size of the zurna. The
reed position also changes according to region;
in the east, it is set vertically, while in the west
it is placed horizontally.
PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS
Davul
The most characteristics of the Turkish folk
percussion instruments, the davul is played in
every region of the country. It is a doubleheaded drum. It is beaten with a heavy stick
with a knob on the end held in the right hand,
called a çomak or tokmak, and a thin stick held
in the fingers of the left hand, called a çubuk or
zibzibi. The word "davul" is probably derived
either from the Turkish "toval, tovil or tovul," or
the Arabic "tabl." The term "dool çalmak" in the
Kirghiz language is the same as "davul çalmak"
(to play davul) in the Turkish of Turkey. Known
by a variety of names including tabulga, balaban
and davulbaz, the davul is played in villages
either by local musicians or by a subgroup of
the Rom known as the Abdals, and in the cities,
by mehter (Turkish military) bands and western
style bands.
Küp (Darbuka)
This is a goblet-shaped drum, played in several
parts of Anatolia, popular among women
musicians as well. It is originally made of red
clay. The goat or cow hide stretched across the
mouth creates a pleasing sound, especially
when heated. The darbuka is known by several
names throughout Anatolia, including
dümbelek, deblek, dömbek, deblek, güpgüp. It
is also a custom among women to play
washbasins, copper buckets and copper jugs.
Kasik (Wooden spoons)
Wooden spoons used for eating are also used as
a percussion instrument. Typically held two to
a hand, they are commonly used in folk dances
in areas including the Konya, Silifke, Balikesir
and Bursa regions. The most favored spoons for
playing are made of boxwood.
TURKISH MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS