Musical instruments of Central Asia: gamysh balaman, tuyduk and others. Historical geography of musical instruments of Central Asia Musical instruments of the East and Central Asia
ABSTRACT
Historical geography of musical instruments of Central Asia
Introduction
The topic of my essay is "Historical geography of musical instruments". I think that this topic is quite interesting and relevant. Let's ask the question: "Why?"
Music is one of the most important and interesting phenomena in nature and in our life. From early childhood, we begin to hear the voices of other people, the chirping and singing of birds, the sound of the sea and the wind. These sounds fill our life with colors, without them life would be very boring.
Listening to the sounds of nature, a person from ancient times sought to learn how to imitate them, sought to create something with which he, too, could make such colorful sounds. So there were musical instruments. At first, they were made from the most common improvised means. For example, from an ordinary reed, if you make holes in it, you get a beautiful pipe. And the block, covered with animal skin, served as a drum for ancient people.
Gradually, with the development of culture and the emergence of different peoples, the variety of musical instruments, their sound and timbre increased. Each nation, trying to create its own special sound, by which other nations would recognize it, created its own musical instruments, which is why they got the name - folk. Not without reason, if we hear the sound of a balalaika, we immediately think of Russia, the sound of a dombra or kobyz reminds us of Kazakhstan.
Thus, gradually, musical instruments and music become an integral part of the culture of any nation, adding their own characteristics to it. With the advent of folk music, new traditions and customs began to appear. For example, among the Kazakh people, such a competition appeared - aitys.
Returning to my original question, I want to say that every person should know the history and culture of his people, and since music is one of its most important components, a person should also study it. After all, music, as mentioned above, had a great influence on culture, traditions and customs.
Now, in our time, many people play musical instruments, but they do not know the history of their occurrence. I consider it wrong. It's like not showing respect for the culture of the people who created this musical instrument and brought it and its sound to our world.
In addition, I think it is very interesting to study the history of the emergence of a particular musical instrument. How and why it was created, what legends exist in connection with the creation of this instrument.
In my essay, I would like to talk about the folk musical instruments of Central Asia using the example of such countries as Russia, the Chinese Empire and Kyrgyzstan.
All these countries have different and interesting story and culture. Their music is also different. I think it will be very interesting to read about the history of the emergence of the balalaika, gusli, guan, bankhu and the Kyrgyz chopo-choora and temir-komuz, and the musical genres that arose in connection with this.
1. Musical instruments of Russia
The history of the emergence of Russian folk instruments goes back to the distant past. Frescoes of St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, iconographic materials, miniatures handwritten books, popular prints testify to the diversity of the musical instruments of our ancestors. The ancient musical instruments discovered by archaeologists are true material evidence of their existence in Rus'. In the recent past everyday life Russian people was unthinkable without musical instruments. Almost all of our ancestors owned the secrets of making simple sound instruments and passed them down from generation to generation. Familiarity with the secrets of craftsmanship was instilled from childhood, in games, in work that was feasible for children's hands. Watching the work of the elders, teenagers received the first skills in creating the simplest musical instruments.
Also, among many peoples, the creation of musical instruments is closely connected with the gods, the lords of thunderstorms, blizzards and winds. So it was with the Russian people. The ancient Slavs honored their ancestors and worshiped the gods, the worship of the gods was performed in front of sacred deities in temples and under open sky with bells and idols.
Religious ceremonies in honor of Perun (god of thunder and lightning), Stribog (god of the winds), Svyatovid (god of the sun), Lada (goddess of love), etc. accompanied by singing, dancing, playing musical instruments and ended with a common feast.
According to researchers, song and instrumental art of those years developed in close relationship. It is possible that ritual chanting contributed to the birth of instruments with the establishment of their musical structure, since temple songs-prayers were performed with musical accompaniment.
The Byzantine historian Theophylact Simokatta, the Arab traveler Al-Masudi, the Arab geographer Omar ibn Dast confirm the existence of musical instruments among the ancient Slavs. The latter in his “Book of Precious Treasures” writes: “They have all sorts of lutes, harps and pipes ...”
In Essays on the History of Music in Russia from Ancient Times to the End of the 18th Century, Russian musicologist N.F. Findeisen notes: “It is absolutely impossible to admit that the ancient Slavs, who had a communal life, whose religious rites were extremely developed, varied and furnished with decorative splendor, would not be able to make their own musical instruments, completely regardless of whether there were similar instruments in neighboring areas."
wooden pipes and horns (brass for military and hunting);
bells, clay whistles (ceremonial);
pan flute;
gusli (stringed); balalaika;
nozzles and flutes (wind instruments yards long).
Let's talk in more detail about the history of the balalaika and the harp.
Balalaika
The balalaika is one of the instruments that have become (along with the accordion and, to a lesser extent, the pity) musical symbol Russian people.
The very name of the instrument is already curious, it is typically folk, conveying the character of playing on it with the sound of syllables. The root of the words "balalaika", or, as it was also called, "balabayka", has long attracted the attention of researchers by its kinship with such Russian words as balakat, balabonit, balabolit, joker, which means to chat, empty calls (go back to the common Slavic *bolbol of the same meaning ). All these concepts, complementing each other, convey the essence of the balalaika - an instrument of light, funny, "strumming", not very serious.
For the first time, the word was attested in the Ukrainian language of the early 18th century (in documents of 1717-1732) in the form of "balabaika" (obviously, this is its older form, also preserved in the Kursk and Karachev dialects). In Russian, for the first time in the poem by V.I. Maikov "Elisey", 1771, song 1: "set me a whistle or a balalaika."
The history of the origin of the balalaika is rooted in the depths of centuries. Everything is not so simple here, because there are a fairly large number of documents and information about the origin of the instrument. Russian balalaika Many believe that the balalaika was invented in Rus', others think that it came from the folk instrument of the Kirghiz - kaisaks - dombra. There is another version: perhaps the balalaika was invented during the Tatar rule, or at least borrowed from the Tatars. Consequently, it is difficult to name the year of origin of the instrument. Historians and musicologists argue about this as well. Most adhere to 1715, but this date is arbitrary, as there are references to more early period- 1688. Probably, serfs invented the balalaika to brighten up their existence in submission to a cruel landowner. Gradually, the balalaika spread among peasants and buffoons traveling all over our vast country. Buffoons performed at fairs, entertained people, earned their livelihood and a bottle of vodka, and did not even suspect what miracle instrument they were playing. The fun could not last long, and, finally, the Tsar and Grand Duke of All Rus' Alexei Mikhailovich issued a decree in which he ordered all the instruments (domra, balalaika, horns, harp, etc.) to be collected and burned, and those people who would not obey and give balalaikas, flog and send into exile in Little Russia. But time passed, the king died and the repressions gradually ceased. Balalaika again sounded throughout the country, but again not for long. The time of popularity was again replaced by almost complete oblivion until the middle of the 19th century.
So the balalaika was lost, but not quite. Some peasants still played music on the three-string. Vasily Vasilyevich Andreev And, one day, traveling around his estate, a young nobleman Vasily Vasilyevich Andreev heard a balalaika from his yard Antip. Andreev was struck by the peculiarity of the sound of this instrument, and yet he considered himself an expert on Russian folk instruments. And Vasily Vasilyevich decided to make the most popular instrument out of the balalaika. To begin with, he slowly learned to play himself, then he noticed that the instrument was fraught with enormous possibilities, and decided to improve the balalaika. Andreev went to Petersburg to violin maker Ivanov, for advice and asked to think about how to improve the sound of the instrument. Ivanov, however, opposed and said that he would not make a balalaika, categorically. Andreev pondered, then took out an old balalaika, which he bought at the fair for thirty kopecks, and masterfully performed one of the folk songs, of which there are a huge number in Russia. Ivanov could not resist such an onslaught and agreed. The work was long and hard, but still a new balalaika was made. But Vasily Andreev conceived something more than the creation of an improved balalaika. Taking it from the people, he wanted to return it to the people and distribute it. Now all the soldiers serving were given a balalaika, and, leaving the army, the military took the instrument with them.
Thus, the balalaika again spread throughout Russia and became one of the most popular instruments. Moreover, Andreev decided to create a family of balalaikas different sizes according to the model string quartet. Family of balalaikas To do this, he gathered masters: Paserbsky and Nalimov, and they, working together, made balalaikas: piccolo, treble, prima, second, viola, bass, double bass. From these instruments, the basis of the Great Russian Orchestra was created, which subsequently traveled to countless countries of the world, glorifying the balalaika and Russian culture. It got to the point that in other countries (England, USA, Germany) orchestras of Russian folk instruments were created on the model of the Great Russian.
Andreev first played in the orchestra himself, then he conducted it. At the same time he gave solo concerts, the so-called balalaika evenings. All this contributed to an extraordinary surge in the popularity of the balalaika in Russia and even beyond its borders. Moreover, Vasily Vasilyevich brought up a huge number of students who also tried to support the popularization of the balalaika (Troyanovsky and others). During this period, composers finally paid attention to the balalaika. For the first time, the balalaika sounded with an orchestra.
Today the instrument is experiencing better times. There are few professional performers. Even in the village they forgot about the balalaika. In general, folk music is interesting to a very narrow circle of people who attend concerts or play any folk instruments. Now the most famous balalaika players are V.B. All these people are trying to keep the popularity of our great instrument and are engaged in teaching and concert activities.
There were ups and downs in the history of the balalaika, but it continues to live and it is not for nothing that all foreigners are the personification of Russian culture.
Gusli
Gusli is the oldest stringed plucked musical instrument, under the name of which in Russia several varieties of recumbent harps are understood. Psalted psaltery, have similarities with the Greek psalter and the Jewish kinnor; these include: the Chuvash harp, the Cheremis harp, the clavier-shaped harp and the harp, resembling the Finnish kantele, the Latvian kukles and the Lithuanian kankles.
We are talking about instruments that existed on the territory of Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Finland and some other European countries. These instruments are united by an exceptionally constructive feature: a fan of strings, a string holder, a peg row and a resonator located under the strings for the entire length of the string. In the design of each individual instrument, features and exceptions are possible, but the listed four parts are usually present.
The history of the Slavic gusli, and the Finnish kantele, and the Estonian kannel, and the Latvian kokle, and the Lithuanian kankles, and all the instruments not mentioned here from the same list is reduced to the same roots at some stage. Only on what? Nobody has accurate information. There is too much speculation in the literature about the "where" and "when" of this stage. But only conjectures, only conjectures.
In ancient times, the elastic bow string was called differently - "gusla". Here is one of the hypotheses for the origin of the name of the instrument. And by attaching a hollow vessel to a string, we get a primitive musical instrument. So: strings and a resonator that amplifies their sound is the main principle of this plucked instrument.
In the Old Russian manuscript, “The Tale of a Belarusian Man and Monasticism”, the miniaturist depicted in the letter “D” the figure of the king (possibly the psalmist David) playing the harp. Their form corresponds to the instrument that existed in those days in Rus'. These are the so-called "helmet-like" harps. The shape of their body really resembles a helmet. Subsequently, the shape of the flat resonator box changed. Trapezoidal gusli appeared. The number of strings on the instrument has decreased, and the shape of the body has also changed. So the winged gusli appeared.
Back in the 9th century, the Slavs surprised the kings of Byzantium with the harp. In those distant times, the psaltery was made from dugout dry boards of spruce or maple. Maple "Yavor" is especially loved by musical craftsmen. This is where the name of the harp comes from - “Yarovchatye”. / And as soon as the strings began to be pulled from metal, the harp rang and began to be called “voiced”.
The fate of this instrument has long been associated with the folk song and epic tradition. For centuries, craftsmen have passed on the secrets of making gusli. Goose tunes, songs of singers, were loved by both the people and the kings. But often folk singers sang unflatteringly about the authorities.
The persecution of the harpists (this word sounds so correct), or, as the harpists began to call them disparagingly, did an unkind service to the fate of the instrument. Interest in his improvement was not the same as he was in the fate of the violin. But time has changed this ancient instrument. Its design, body shape, wood processing technology, varnishes, decorative finishes - all this has long taken the harp out of the category of a purely folk instrument, turning it into a stage professional instrument with a rich unique sound.
Currently, interest in the harp has grown markedly. Modern harp players appeared - storytellers who set out to recreate the ancient tradition of both playing the harp and singing to the harp. Along with three types of plucked harps, the main technique of playing which is plucking and rattling, keyboard harps also appeared. The mechanics installed on them, when you press the keys, open the strings, and makes it possible to select the desired chord. This greatly simplifies playing the harp as an accompanying instrument.
2. Musical instruments of China
musical folk balalaika
The history of Chinese folk musical instruments spans several millennia. Archaeological excavations show that more than 2000 years ago, and possibly earlier, various musical instruments were already in use in China. For example, as a result of excavations in the village of Hemudu in Zhejiang province, bone whistles from the Neolithic period were recovered, and in the village of Banpo in Xi'an, a "xun" (fired clay wind instrument) belonging to the Yangshao culture was discovered. In the Yin ruins, located in Anyang, Henan Province, a "shiqing" (stone gong) and a drum covered with python skin were found. From the tomb of the imperial dignitary Zeng (buried in 433 BC), discovered in the Suxiang county of Hubei province, “Xiao” (longitudinal flute), “sheng” (lip organ), “se” (25-string horizontal harp), bells, "bianqing" (stone gong), various drums and other instruments.
Ancient musical instruments had, as a rule, a dual use - practical and artistic. Musical instruments were used as tools or household items and at the same time for playing music. For example, "shiqing" (stone gong) may have come from some kind of tool that had the shape of a disk. In addition, some ancient instruments were used as a means of conveying certain information. For example, beats on drums served as a signal to set off on a campaign, strikes on a gong - to retreat, night drums - to beat off night guards, etc. A number of national minorities still have a tradition of expressing love by playing melodies on wind and string instruments.
The development of musical instruments is closely connected with the development of social productive forces. The transition from the manufacture of stone gongs to metal gongs and the manufacture of metal bells became possible only after the development of metal smelting technology by man. Thanks to the invention and development of sericulture and silk weaving, it became possible to manufacture stringed instruments such as "qin" (Chinese zither) and "zheng" (an ancient plucked musical instrument with 13-16 strings).
The Chinese people have always been distinguished by their ability to borrow useful things from other peoples. Since the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), many musical instruments have been brought to China from other countries. In the era of the Han Dynasty, the flute and "shukunhou" (vertical zither) were brought from the western regions, and in the era of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) - cymbals and "son" (Chinese clarinet). These instruments, which became more and more perfect in the hands of masters, gradually began to play an important role in the Chinese folk music orchestra. It should be noted that in the history of the development of Chinese folk musical instruments, string instruments appeared much later than percussion, wind and plucked instruments.
According to historical records, the string instrument, the sounds of which were extracted using a bamboo plectrum, appeared only in the era of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and the string instrument bowed instrument, whose bow was made from a horse's tail, originated in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Since the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368), other stringed instruments have been invented on this basis.
After the founding of new China in the middle of the last century, musical figures carried out large-scale work and reform to eliminate a number of shortcomings of folk instruments, manifested in the impurity of sound, fragmentation of the system, sound imbalance, difficult modulation, and unequal pitch standards for various tools, the absence of medium and low register instruments. Musical figures made significant progress in this direction.
Guan
Guan - Chinese wind reed instrument(whale. 管), genus Oboe. A cylindrical barrel with 8 or 9 playing holes is made of wood, less often of reed or bamboo. A double reed cane, tied with wire in the narrow part, is inserted into the guan channel. Tin or copper rings are put on both ends of the instrument, and sometimes between the playing holes. The total length of the guan ranges from 200 to 450 mm; the largest have a brass socket. The scale of the modern guan is chromatic, the range is es1-a3 (large guan) or as1 - c4 (small guan). Used in ensembles, orchestras and solos. In China, guan is widely distributed in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of the PRC. In the south, in Guangdong, it is also known as houguan (Chinese). 喉管). Traditional Chinese name this instrument - beat (Ch. 筚篥) (exactly in this form ( 篳篥 in traditional spelling) it has moved to Korean and Japanese). Banhu Banhu is a Chinese stringed bowed musical instrument, a type of huqin. In the 20th century, the banhu began to be used as an orchestral instrument. There are three types of banhu - high, medium and low registers. The most common high register banhu. 3. Musical instruments of Kyrgyzstan
The music of the Kyrgyz people is not just singing with music - it is a whole art. professional game the masters were listened to here by entire communities, gathered together. Akyns ( folk performers) is a significant part of the musical culture of the country. But that's not all. Kyrgyz music has myriad directions, genres and styles of song performance. The music of Kyrgyzstan has its own history, starting from the 16th century, when from the tribes Central Asia formed the Kyrgyz people. Different parts of the country have their own special music. In the south, for example, there were recitative performances of songs, while the songs of the north of the country, on the contrary, were viscous and calm. Many genres were laid at the heart of the traditional music of Kyrgyzstan: ritual, traditional, labor, epic, lyrical, funeral, satirical, and also ditties. There were also girls' songs, locally "kyzdar yry", women's - kelinder yry and children's songs called baldar yry, as well as other various genres. Mentions of singing in antiquity have also been preserved. For example, there were songs "Bekbekey" - they were sung by women in chorus when they guarded the herd at night. The song "Shyryldan" was also sung by the choir, and its melody was viscous and sad. Love songs also took place in the music of the Kyrgyz people. The formation and improvement of folk musical instruments continued throughout the history of the Kyrgyz people and ended around the 16th century. The most popular of the Kyrgyz folk instruments is the three-stringed plucked instrument komuz made from apricot wood. A popular two-stringed string instrument kyl-kyyak, the soundboard of which is usually made of camel skin. In folk musical practice, reed mouth instruments are also used: temir komuz, made of metal, and jygach ooz komuz, made of wood. Chopo-choor Chopo - choor (clay choor) - a kind of Kyrgyz folk wind instruments. It was distributed mainly in the southern, agricultural regions of the republic under various titles- chopo choor, ylai choor. Its form is arbitrary. One of the ancient samples, which is in the collection of Professor S. Subanaliev, is made in the form of a small ball of white clay; its height is a little more than 5 cm. Two game and one muzzle holes are located in such a way that it is possible to cover them with the lips and index fingers of both hands at the same time (the instrument is supported with the thumbs). Folk chopo choor is simple in performing practice. The timbre is mesmerizing, soft, deep. Obviously, therefore, chopo-choor can serve as musical toy for children, and an equal tool in folklore ensemble. The tool has now been improved. By reconstructing it ancient pattern a family of new chopo choors was created. In ancient times, it was used by the Kyrgyz for grazing cattle. Hearing the sounds of chopo - choora, made by the shepherd, the sheep never fought back from the herd, they followed the shepherd to the place of migration and back. Temir-komuz Kyrgyz folk plucked reed music. tool. Vargan genus. It is an iron (also copper or brass) horseshoe with elongated and tapering ends (length 60-120 mm, width at the base 3.5-7 mm). The tongue is a steel plate reinforced in the middle of the forging arc. Pressing the tool with a forging to the teeth with one hand, the performer on T.-to. (so-called komuzchi) pinches the tongue index finger the other hand, receiving the main. tone (usually within f - d1), the oral cavity serves as a resonator (hence the term common among different peoples for instruments of this kind: German Maultrommel - oral drum, etc.). By changing the shape of the mouth, the performer extracts dec. overtone sounds that form a melody. The melody sounds with a continuous bourdon (main tone). Operating range - within the sixth; the maximum range does not exceed the duodecim (the range width is determined by the ability of the performer to regulate the air supply). T.-to. - a solo instrument, they perform ch. arr. kyu, as well as melodies of folk songs. The technique of the right hand is diverse - with its help numerous are achieved. sound and visual effects. Sometimes a performer in T.-to. combines playing with whistling. T.-to. widespread, especially among women and adolescents. Less common among the Kirghiz is a wooden harp, called. "Jigach-Oozkomuz ».
Conclusion
In the course of this essay, we examined the history of the emergence of musical instruments in Russia, China and Kyrgyzstan. It was very interesting to learn about the origin and structure of such instruments as gusli, bankhu and temir - komuz. After reading all about these tools and writing this work, I became closer to the culture of these peoples. And that was my main goal. After all, as I said in the introduction, the duty of every person is to respect and know the culture of his people, as well as to study other cultures and treat each of them with respect. Used Books 2.http://sounds.kg/ru/dyhovie/21 "Chopo-choor" Http://russian.china.org.cn/russian/219364.htm "The emergence of Chinese folk instruments", "Banhu" "Guan". (China Internet Information Center. China.org.cn) 11/23/2006 Http://antisait.ru/inc/content/strany/kyrgyzstan.php "Music of the Kyrgyz people" 2012 Http://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enc_music/7479/%D0% A2% D0% B5% D0% BC % D0% B8% D1% 80 "Temir - komuz" Http://eomi.ws/plucked/gusli/ Gusli 2010 Dutar. Du - two. Tar - string. An instrument with forged frets and two vein strings. Do you think the fewer strings the easier it is to play? Well, then listen to one of the the best craftsmen playing the dutar - Abdurakhim Khaita, Uighur from Xinjiang, China. Azerbaijani saz. The nine strings are divided into three groups, each of which is tuned in unison. A similar instrument in Turkey is called baglama. Be sure to listen to how this instrument sounds in the hands of a master. If you have little time, then watch at least starting at 2:30. Oud or al-ud, if you call this instrument in Arabic. It is from the Arabic name of this instrument that the name of the European lute originated. Al-ud - lute, lute - do you hear? The usual oud has no frets - the frets on this specimen from my collection appeared on my initiative. Listen to how a master from Morocco plays the oud. Listen to how the kemancha sounds when Imamyar Khasanov plays it. The rubab has five strings. The first four of them are doubled, each pair is tuned in unison, and the bass string is one. The long neck has frets in accordance with the chromatic scale for almost two octaves and a small resonator with a leather membrane. What do you think the downward curved horns coming from the neck towards the instrument mean? Does its shape remind you of a sheep's head? But okay form - what a sound! You should have heard the sound of this instrument! It vibrates and trembles even with its massive neck, it fills all the space around with its sound. Listen to the sound of the Kashgar rubab. But my rubab sounds better, honestly. Listen to how the Iranian tar sounds. Azerbaijani tar has not six, but eleven strings. Six of the same as the Iranian tar, an additional bass string and four unplayed strings that resonate when played, adding echoes to the sound and making the sound last longer. Tar and kemancha are perhaps the two main instruments of Azerbaijani music. Listen for a few minutes, starting at 10:30 or at least starting at 13:50. You have never heard such a thing and could not imagine that such a performance is possible on this instrument. This is played by the brother of Imamyar Khasanov - Rufat. There is a hypothesis that the tar is the ancestor of the modern European guitar. Recently, when I talked about the electric cauldron, they reproached me - they say, I take out the soul from the cauldron. Probably, about the same thing was said to a person who, 90 years ago, guessed to put a pickup on an acoustic guitar. About thirty years later, the best examples of electric guitars were created, which remain the standard until today. A decade later, the Beatles appeared, Rolling Stones followed by Pink Floyd. But musical instruments did not always spread from east to west. For example, the accordion has become unusually popular instrument in Azerbaijan in the 19th century, when the first German settlers appeared there. My accordion was made by the same master who made instruments for Aftandil Israfilov. Hear what this instrument sounds like. The world of oriental musical instruments is large and diverse. I haven't even shown you a part of my collection, which is far from complete. But I must tell you about two more instruments. Celebrations and weddings begin with the sounds of the zurna in the Caucasus, Turkey and Iran. Here is what a similar instrument looks like in Uzbekistan. In Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, zurna is called surnay. In Central Asia and Iran, the lingering sounds of another instrument, the karnay, are necessarily added to the sounds of the surnay and tambourines. Karnay-surnay is a stable phrase denoting the beginning of the holiday. Interestingly, an instrument related to karnay exists in the Carpathians, and its name is familiar to many - trembita. And the second pipe, shown in my photo, is called balaban or duduk. In Turkey and Iran, this instrument is also called mey. Listen to how Alikhan Samedov plays the balaban. We will return to the balaban, but for now I want to talk about what I saw in Beijing. You can read more about the Chinese variety of zurna Here's what it looks like. Guys, comrades, gentlemen, but this is the duduk! Watch and listen from the 18th second! Just listen to what a luxurious sound the Uighur balaman has - yes, here it is called exactly the same as in the Azerbaijani language (there is such a pronunciation of the name). And let's look for additional information in independent sources, for example, in the Iranian encyclopedia: Or does Iranika sympathize with the Azerbaijanis? Well, the TSB also says that the word duduk is of Turkic origin. After all, only the lazy did not hear that "duduk is an ancient Armenian instrument." At the same time, they hint that the duduk was created three thousand years ago - that is, in an unprovable past. But the facts and elementary logic show that this is not so. Go back to the beginning of this article and take another look at musical instruments. Almost all of these instruments are played in Armenia too. But it is quite clear that all these instruments appeared among much more numerous peoples with a clear and understandable history, among which the Armenians lived. Imagine a small people living in dispersion among other peoples with their own states and empires. Will such a people create a complete set of musical instruments for an entire orchestra? I foresee one more argument of the defenders of the version of the Armenian origin of the duduk. Like, a real duduk is made only from an apricot tree, which in Latin is called Prúnus armeniáca. But, firstly, apricots in Central Asia are no less common than in the Caucasus. The Latin name does not indicate that this tree has spread throughout the world from the area bearing geographical name Armenia. Just from there it penetrated into Europe and was described by botanists about three hundred years ago. On the contrary, there is a version that the apricot spread from the Tien Shan, part of which is in China, and part in Central Asia. Secondly, the experience of very talented peoples shows that this instrument can even be made from bamboo. And my favorite balaban is made from mulberry and sounds much better than apricot ones, which I also have and are made just in Armenia. Listen to how I learned to play this instrument in a couple of years. People's Artist of Turkmenistan Gasan Mammadov (violin) and People's Artist of Ukraine, my countryman from Ferghana, Enver Izmailov (guitar) participated in the recording. With all this, I want to pay tribute to the great Armenian duduk performer Jivan Gasparyan. It was this man who made the duduk an instrument known throughout the world, thanks to his work a wonderful school of playing the duduk arose in Armenia. Please note that I myself do not indicate either the exact place or the exact time of the appearance of the duduk. Probably, it is already impossible to establish and the prototype of the duduk is older than any of the living peoples. But I am building my hypothesis about the spread of the duduk, based on facts and elementary logic. If someone wishes to object to me, then I want to ask in advance: please, when building hypotheses, in the same way, rely on provable and verified facts from independent sources, do not shy away from logic and try to find another intelligible explanation for the facts listed. At all times, people devoted part of their lives to culture. So, despite the nomadic way of life and various difficult times, the inhabitants of Central Asia carried their musical culture through the centuries. Thanks to the akyns and masters of the past, national instruments practically in the same form as they were 100 and 200 years ago. The peoples of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan can still hear, play or simply hold in their hands the unique musical instruments characteristic of Central Asia. Let's tell you more about them. Uzbek karnai Karnay is a massive wind instrument made of copper and brass alloys. A large trumpet reaches a length of up to 3 meters and allows you to create unique melodies. Modern Uzbek musicians traditionally use karnai at weddings. These deep solemn sounds symbolize the holiday today. You can hear them not only from the next street, you can even hear them from another quarter of the city. At the festival, melodies, decorated with karnay, loudly and publicly declare that a celebration is being celebrated in this house. Previously, karnay was used both as a tool for convening warriors, as well as in order to notify the population that an enemy was approaching, a nuisance. The sound of the karnay was heard throughout the village and people were ready for certain actions thanks to the volume of the national wind instrument.
Tajik rubab The rubab is a stringed instrument with a long history. It is made by hand from special types of trees. The process of cutting out a jug-shaped body is very painstaking and requires not only great diligence, but also special skills. The secrets of soaking log cabins, stretching the skin of an animal on the main part of a musical instrument, tuning strings and pegs in Tajikistan are passed on only from master to student. Rubab sounds very lyrical. The strings give rise to a wondrous melody or accompaniment for a poet's song. But real masters of the game can also play Tajik national dance melodies on the rubab, many of which are already countless years old, and they are simply considered traditional folklore.
Kyrgyz komuz Komuz is a national Kyrgyz stringed musical instrument. It has only three strings, but it has a very sonorous and melodic sound. A real komuz is made from wild apricot (apricot tree). The carpentry process for creating the shape of the komuz, the corresponding recess in the body, the top, the neck, and so on, is very complex and requires great skill. A piece of sawn wood for the future komuz must dry completely; for this, it can be placed in a special dark room for several years. There are no frets on the neck of the komuz, as well as on some other musical instruments of the peoples of Central Asia. They learn to play it by ear, so not everyone can become a komuzchi (a master of playing the komuz). sound string instrument, practically, cannot be imitated, therefore, so many characteristic melodies have been written for komuz, which are performed by national akyns, both solo and in an ensemble. Sources of information, photos and videos Extraordinarily rich and varied. Even in ancient times, in the territory of the present Near and Middle East, the simplest percussion instruments were used for ritual dances and the celebration of significant events. The following is a list of the most common Uzbek musical instruments with names and a brief description. Doira is an Uzbek musical instrument from the percussion family, resembling a tambourine in appearance. Widely distributed in the countries of the Near and Middle East. The instrument is a rim made of dried grapevine (beech or walnut is less commonly used), on which a leather membrane is stretched. The average diameter is about 40 cm. modern version This Uzbek folk musical instrument can be used with metal rings. There are also versions of doira with attached to the inside of the main hoop. Usually they number from 40 to 100. For a more sonorous and distinct sound, doira must be heated near a fire or in the sun before playing. Hot air dries the skin stretched over the frame and the tension force of the membrane increases. In ancient times, this instrument was played exclusively by women. In the caves of the mountains of the Ferghana Valley, images dating back to 2000 BC were found. e. The pictures show female figures playing the doira, surrounded by dancers performing ritual actions. The na doira has been improved over many centuries and has now reached high level. The instrument is used both as an addition to the ensemble of other Uzbek national musical instruments, and as an accompaniment for the voice. Sound extraction techniques are very diverse: light tapping with the little fingers, strong blows with the palms, sliding the fingers along the membrane, and others. Depending on the location of the fingers, you can change the pitch. Striking in the middle of the membrane allows you to play low notes, and as you move your hands to the edge, the sound rises. It is also possible to enrich your playing with various ornate rhythmic patterns and all kinds of melismas, such as trills, tremolo, grace notes. Dynamics are available from the quietest piano to the thunderous forte. Another Uzbek musical instrument related to percussion is nagora. It is a pair of timpani in the form of ceramic pots covered with a leather membrane. Instruments vary in size, which makes it possible to achieve a variety of sounds. Nagora does not have a precise setting, but there are several varieties: Before the performance, the Uzbek timpani are warmed up in the sun. This helps to achieve clear and sonorous beats. Unlike the doira, the nagora is rarely used as a solo instrument. It is used mainly for playing in an ensemble with woodwind instruments such as karnay and surnay. It can be heard less often in combination with strings (mainly in Armenia). The instrument enriches the compositions with various rhythmic patterns and helps to convey the character of trance or incendiary music. Nai is a woodwind musical instrument with six finger holes. It is made mainly from bamboo wood. Modern versions of this instrument are complemented by brass and tin. The nature of sound extraction is labial (that is, with the help of lips). A variety of melodic pattern is achieved with the help of various fingering combinations, partial and complete closing of the playing holes and varying the intensity of the air flow. Nye is used as a solo and ensemble instrument. Surnay is another Uzbek wind musical instrument. It is a narrow tube, expanding at the end. On average, the length of the instrument is 45-55 cm. Surnay is distinguished by a rather complex mechanism: a small metal tube with bamboo plates is inserted in the upper part. To extract sound, the performer needs to press his lips tightly with a small flat piece called "sadat". Playing such a trumpet with a double reed requires certain skills and a high level of proficiency in the instrument. Surnay is used mainly in the ensemble during national celebrations. The palette of sound production is quite rich - from smooth legato to fast jumps and melismatic decorations. Karnay is a folk Uzbek musical instrument of the copper family. Also widely distributed in Iran and Tajikistan. The karnay is a straight tube that widens at the end. The length of the tool reaches two meters. The sound produced by the karnay resembles a trombone. The range does not exceed an octave. The powerful and strong sound of karnay can be heard at solemn ceremonies and sports games in Uzbekistan. In ancient times, it also served as an instrument for signaling the start of war and boosting the morale of the army. Another well-known Uzbek musical instrument is the chang. It belongs to the genus cymbals. It consists of a trapezoid-shaped wooden body, on which 42 are stretched. The top soundboard contains small resonator holes that help improve the sound. The chang is played with two bamboo or reed sticks. The sound has purity, brightness and good duration. The chang is used both as a solo and ensemble instrument. Sato is an instrument with a thousand years of history and a delightful, mesmerizing sound. The emergence of varieties of bowed stringed instruments in the East dates back to the 10th century. By the beginning of the 20th century, they were on the verge of extinction, however, master Usman Zufarov managed to revive the ancient traditions. The sato is a pear-shaped wooden body with an attached neck, on which the frets are applied and the strings are stretched. Sound extraction is made by conducting a bow along the strings. Exciting and mysterious music of the East fascinates with its complex rhythms and ornate melodic patterns. The peoples of Asia managed to preserve the ancient cultural traditions and the wisdom of the ages, conveying to contemporaries the real treasure of their ancestors. Persian stringed bowed musical instrument. It is believed that this particular instrument is the ancestor of all other types of bowed strings. Today this instrument is widespread in Central Asia and the Middle East.
There is also a Turkmen dutar. The strings and frets of the Turkmen dutar are metal, the body is hollowed out of a single piece of wood, the sound is very bright, sonorous. The Turkmen dutar has been one of my favorite instruments over the past three years, and the dutar shown in the photo was brought to me from Tashkent quite recently. Amazing tool!
From saz and baglama came the Greek instrument bouzouki and its Irish version.
From the Chinese two-stringed erhu violin with a simple resonator body and a small leather membrane, the Central Asian gidjak originated, which in the Caucasus and Turkey was called kemancha.
The Iranian tar has a double hollowed-out body made from a single piece of wood and a membrane made from fine fish skin. Six paired strings: two steel strings, followed by a combination of steel and thin copper, and the next pair is tuned to an octave - a thick copper string is tuned an octave below the thin steel. The Iranian tar has forced frets made of veins.
The Iranian tar is the ancestor of several instruments. One of them is an Indian setar (se - three, tar - string), and I will talk about the other two below.
And all this progress did not interfere with the manufacturers. acoustic guitars and classical guitar players. 
A pipe with a bell at the top is called a zurna. And the instrument under it is called duduk or balaban.
As far as you understand, I collect musical instruments. And as soon as I had a free moment during my trip to Beijing, I immediately went to the musical instrument store. What I bought myself in this store, I will tell you another time. And now that I did not buy and what I regret terribly.
In the window there was a pipe with a bell, the design exactly resembling a zurna.
- How does is called? I asked through an interpreter.
- Sona, - they answered me.
- How similar to "sorna - surnay - zurna" - I thought aloud. And the translator confirmed my guess:
- The Chinese do not pronounce the letter r in the middle of a word.
But, you know, zurna and balaban go hand in hand. Their design has a lot in common - maybe that's why. And what do you think? Next to the sona instrument was another instrument - the guan or guanji. Here's what it looked like:
And when did he get there? In the eighth century. Therefore, it can be assumed that it came from China - the timing and geography coincide.
So far, it is only documented that this tool spread to the east from Xinjiang. Well, how do they play this instrument in modern Xinjiang?
BALABAN
CH. ALBRIGHT
a cylindrical-bore, double-reed wind instrument about 35 cm long with seven finger holes and one thumb hole, played in eastern Azerbaijan in Iran and in the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijanis and Uzbeks bribed the compilers?
Well, well, you definitely won’t suspect the Bulgarians of sympathy for the Turks!
on a very serious Bulgarian site for the word duduk:
duduk, dudyuk; duduk, dudyuk (from the Turkish düdük), squeaker, svorche, glasnik, additional - Naroden darven is a musical instrument of the aerophonite type, half-closing pipes.
Again they point to the Turkish origin of the word and call it their folk instrument.
This tool is widespread, as it turned out, mainly among the Turkic peoples, or among the peoples who had contact with the Turks. And every nation reasonably considers it to be its folk, national instrument. But only one takes credit for its creation.
Frankly, I also thought: “Okay, those were big and complex instruments, let’s leave them aside. But at least the Armenians could come up with a pipe?” And it turns out that no, they didn't. If they came up with it, then this pipe would have a purely Armenian name, and not the poetic and metaphorical tsiranopokh (the soul of an apricot tree), but something simpler, more popular, with one root, or completely onomatopoeic. So far, all sources point to the Turkic etymology of the name of this musical instrument, and the geography and dates of distribution show that the duduk began its distribution from Central Asia.
Well, let's make one more assumption and say that the duduk came to Xinjiang from ancient Armenia. But how? Who brought him there? What peoples migrated from the Caucasus to Central Asia at the turn of the first millennium? There are no such nations! But the Turks were constantly moving from Central Asia to the west. They could well spread this tool in the Caucasus, and on the territory of modern Turkey and even in Bulgaria, as the documents indicate.
But speaking of "Armenian duduk" is justified only about specific instruments, if they are made in Armenia, or about the type of music that arose thanks to J. Gasparyan. Point at Armenian origin duduk can only those people who allow themselves unsubstantiated assertions.
Doira - a kind of tambourine
Nagora - an analogue of the timpani
Nai - Pan's oriental flute
Surnay - a type of woodwind instrument
Chang - an ancient analogue of cymbals
Sato - bowed string instrument
"Kemancha" in Persian means "small bowed instrument". Kamancha arose in the 19th century, in this era historians state the heyday of performing arts kamancha games. This is connected with the development of the art of professional khanende singers.
Khanende are Azerbaijani folk singers. They possessed not only beautiful voices, but also a rare ability to improvise. Hanede was highly respected. It was these singers who "brought to light" the kamancha.
The first tools were made from hollowed-out gourds or Indian walnuts. As a rule, they were richly decorated with ivory.
The body of the kemancha is round. The neck is wooden, straight and rounded with large pegs. The soundboard is made of thin snakeskin, fish skin or bovine bladder. The bow is bow-shaped with horse hair.
According to one of the assumptions about the origin of the kamancha, it appeared on the basis of the bowed gopuz. Gopuz is an Azerbaijani folk stringed musical instrument. This is a two- or three-stringed instrument, somewhat reminiscent of a guitar.
Knowledge about the kamancha is supplemented by information from classical poetry and fine arts. Thanks to this, you can get an idea of \u200b\u200bit. So, for example, kamnacha is mentioned in the poem "Khosrov and Shirin" Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi. He compares playing the kamancha to divine music that groans and burns.
To imagine what a kamancha looks like, just look at the miniatures of medieval Azerbaijani artists. There she is depicted as part of an ensemble.
- an ancient wind musical instrument. Its origin from the ram's horn is not accidental. The fact is that in the Semitic languages the word "shofar" and the name of a mountain sheep are words of the same root. In the Talmud, it is allowed to make a shofar from the horns of rams, wild and domestic goats, antelopes and gazelles, but it is still recommended to use the ram's horn, which is associated with the sacrifice of Isaac. The Midrash states that the shofar from the left horn of the ram sacrificed by Abraham sounded at Mount Sinai, and the shofar from the right horn will be blown when the scattered tribes of Israel come together.
The shofar is used on special occasions. So, in ancient times, the sounds of the shofar should have announced the onset anniversary year. The same instrument reported the beginning of misfortunes - military operations or any disasters. Shofar is an indispensable attribute of various festivities.
There are two varieties of shofar - Ashkenazi and Sephardic. The Ashkenazi shofar is processed inside and out, it is given a crescent shape. Sephardic shofars are long and twisted. Shofars are made by artisans who pass on the tradition from generation to generation.
The shofar has a distinct religious character. It is played during some rituals, on days of fasting or prayers. The sounds of the shofar, according to legend, brought down the walls of Jericho ("Jericho trumpet"). No Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) is complete without the shofar. In Israel, for example, the shofar can be heard in such unexpected places as near railway station or so shopping center. According to custom, during the two days of Rosh Hashanah, the shofar should be heard a hundred times, so during the morning service they blow many times. The sound of the shofar on the day of Rosh Hashanah enhances solemnity and encourages repentance. According to popular notions, these sounds should confuse Satan, who on this day of judgment acts as an accuser.
- This is a festive flute, common in the Near and Middle East, Transcaucasia, India, Anatolia, the Balkans, Iran, Central Asia. Like any flute, it has the appearance of a tube with holes and a small beep. Usually there are up to nine holes on the tube, one of which is on the opposite side.
A close relative of the zurna is the oboe, which has the same double reed. Note that the oboe is still longer than the zurna, it has more side holes, and, in addition, it is equipped with valve mechanics, like a clarinet, flute, bassoon. However, the zurnas and the double oboe reed are so similar in terms of the arrangement of the zurnas that sometimes zurnachi musicians buy an oboe reed in a store for their instrument.
Zurna has a special specific sound. Its range is up to one and a half octaves, and the timbre is bright and piercing.
Zurna sounds good as part of an instrumental ensemble. Musicians often perform in threes. The first musician is called the mouth (or master), he plays the main melody. The second musician, as it were, complements the playing of the first and echoes him with lingering sounds. The third musician plays percussion instrument and performs a varied rhythmic basis.
The most ancient zurna is over three thousand years old. During excavations on the territory of the Armenian Highlands, the oldest copy of the zurna was discovered. It is known that such a tool exists in Ancient Greece. He accompanied gymnastic exercises, theatrical performances, sacrifices, military campaigns. True, it had a different name then - avlos, but it differed little from the current zurna.
The basis for the manufacture of zurna is a tree - apricot, walnut or mulberry. The diameter of the tool barrel is about twenty millimeters. The tool expands downwards to sixty millimeters in diameter. The average length of a zurna is three hundred millimeters.
A bushing (“masha”) is inserted into the upper end of the barrel. Its length is about one hundred millimeters. It is carved from willow, walnut or apricot wood. It is the sleeve that regulates the setting of the plate. The mouthpiece of the zurna is made of dry reeds, its length is ten millimeters.
The performer blows air through the mouthpiece and thus sounds are obtained. The range of the zurna is quite large for such a small instrument - from "B flat" of a small octave to "C" of the third octave. However, a professional musician can extend this range to several sounds. Experienced performers know how to make the zurna sing softly and gently.
The flute is a woodwind instrument. This is the general name for a number of instruments that consist of a cylindrical tube with holes. The oldest form flute, apparently, is a whistle. Gradually, finger holes began to be cut in the whistle tubes, turning a simple whistle into a whistle flute, on which it was already possible to perform musical works. The first archaeological finds of the flute date back to 35 - 40 thousand years BC, so the flute is one of the oldest musical instruments.
There is in the world big variety flutes: recorder, transverse flute, Panflute, piccolo flute and others. - this is also a flute, which is common in the Arab-Iranian, Tajik-Uzbek and Moldavian cultures. Ney is a kind of longitudinal flute, which includes a flute, pyzhatka and whistle. is not the only name for such a flute. Its name depends on the material from which it is made. So, a wooden flute is called agach-Nai, a tin flute is called garau-NaiNai, and a brass one is called Brindgzhi-Nai. Longitudinal flute was known in Egypt five thousand years ago, and it remains the main wind instrument throughout the Middle East
Consider nei, about which not much is known. The Arabic flute has eight playing holes, while the Uzbek flute has six. Despite such differences, this does not reflect on the game, which has a lot of fans. Flute sounds are not only "ordinary", familiar to most listeners, but also chromatic. As for the Moldavian flute, its components are numerous - up to twenty-four pipes. They should be of different lengths, the pitch depends on it. The tubes are reinforced in an arched leather clip. Her scale is diatonic.
Nai (or nei) - it doesn't matter new tool, he appeared from the improved garga tuiduka, which was known for many centuries among Eastern peoples. However, this ancient wind instrument - gargy tuyduk - has survived to this day. It is made of reed and has six fret holes. There are no specific sizes for it, each copy is cut differently. These instruments are also used individually: some for solo playing, others for accompaniment. The longitudinal flute, capable of octave blowing, provides a complete musical scale, individual intervals within which can change, forming different modes by crossing the fingers, closing the holes halfway, and changing the direction and strength of breathing.
