The Armenian Studies Program web page is sponsored by a grant from
The Bertha and John Garabedian Charitable
Foundation, Fresno.
www.duduk.com
Music is an
essential part of life for the Armenian people. Many traditional folk
instruments have been played for centuries
and are still played today. These
include the duduk, saz, kamanche, dumbeg, oud,
kanun, and many more. All of these instruments express
rich rhythmic
melodies and harmonies, which have all been greatly influenced by Komitas, an
Armenian priest and famous composer. Komitas
continually chose harmonies that
would respect the modal nature of the Armenian melody. Latter composers of
Armenian music referred
to Komitas as a key source for determining which
melodies coincide with the Armenian traditions.
The duduk
is an instrument dating back
1,500 years. It is best described as a double wind
instrument made of apricot wood with a sound that has a humanlike voice
quality.
The duduk has a cylindrical wooden pipe, with nine holes,
equally spaced throughout the wood (8 for finger holes, and one for the thumb).
The
music that it produces is unique, with a warm, soft tone. The duduk
is used for slow lyrical tunes, such as folk songs and also faster
dance-tunes.
www.hyeetch.nareg.com.au
In addition to
the duduk, the kamanche is a popular instrument among Armenians.
The kamanche is
a bowed spike fiddle and contains four metal strings.
The body consists of a wooden hemisphere covered with thin sheepskin. The
instrument
bridge runs diagonally across this sheepskin membrane. Kamamches
are most similar to the size of a viola and are played in the upright
position,
either by resting it on the knee when sitting, or held in front of the player
when standing. This instrument also has a bow,
made of horse-hair, known as the
doksar.
The kamanche
dates back to the 15th century
The instruments
used in modern Armenian culture date back
centuries, however are still valued
and cherished today. For the Armenians,
music is an approachable way to express its history, its
people, and its
current situation. For images or more information on numerous Armenian
traditional instruments, visit http://www.face-music.ch/instrum/armenia_instrum_en.html.
