Turkish Classical Music Instruments

1.String Instruments:

a)Plectrum instruments: (Lute, Tambur, Lavta)

b)Bow instruments: (Yayli Tambur, Classic Kemençe)

c)String-repercussion instruments: (Santur, Kanun)

2.Wind Instruments: (Ney, Nefir)

3.Repercussion Instruments:

a)Hide beating instruments: (Kudüm, Bendir, Kös)

b)Strike Instruments: (Zil-Halile)

NOTE: Some western type of musical instruments are also practiced in the Turkish music, like Violin, Clarinet, Viola, Violencello, Contrabass, Piano and Accordion.

UD (LUTE)

Lute is the only instrument in the Turkish music that has no frets on the handle. It has been practiced among the western and Eastern countries for about 3000 years. Various mitologies have been narrated in connection with the birth of lute.

Many books have been written about lute which attracted the interest of many musicians since the 7^th century.

Lute which was played in the Central Asia, old Egypt, China, Mezopotamia, Iran, Arabia and finally, in Anatolia was in the shape of a pear with silk wound strings on the fretted handle up to the 9^th century but in the later periods, frets were removed.

Farabi, a Turkish Theorist, gave us the most perfect date about lute. Up to his time, there were only 4 strings on lute.

If we suppose that the lowest string is tuned to Yegah RE (La in the western music) then, the system of sounds on frets was being inadequate. Therefore, Farabi added the fifth string on the lute to eliminate this inconvenience. In the later periods, the sixth one was also added. This produces the lowest sound and it is fitted to the uppermost.

Lute which was transferred to Spain by the Arabs, was greatly admired by the elite of Europe and England between the 13^th and the 18^th centuries under the name of LUTH (AL-OUD) and it has been played with much pleasure.

What is different between a LUTH and an UD is that the handle of the LUTH is longer and it is played with fingers.

Although lute was popular among the Ottomans in the 17^th century, it did not surpass the superiority of Ney-Tambur combination which were the instruments of religion and the place until the 19^th century, a period known to be the climax of the classical music.

It is noticed that lute regained its popularity towards the 19^th century when it began to be played in group concern together with Sine-Keman, kemençe, lavta and tambourine.

Lute has got a half-pear shape, a short handle and rings on it which can be tuned to as high as to six octane.

The body of lute is made by bringing together the slicer fine woods (like the watermelon slices) which are obtained from valuable trees such as Walnut, plum, plane-tree, juniper mahogany, balsam-tree and rosewood.

The front table is made of a ladin-tree (white-pine) which has got three round latticework, one big and two small. There are lutes also with one latticework.

The latticework are cut from trees, bones, ivories, animal horns and mother-of-pearls. There is also a bridge on the front table where strings are tied up. The bridge is made of walnut, horn beam, balsam-trees and stuck to the panel with a strong glue.

Under the front table were the supporting narrow stripes of ladin wood to avoid any possible collapse. The middle part of the handle is made of a tekne wood again in thin slices. The part of the handle where fingers are applied on, is made of resistible trees such as abanese and balsam-tree.

An ivory or bone-made bridge is stuck to the top of handle and strings are tightened on pegs going over this bridge. The uppermost string (the 6^th) is a single one and the others go in double. (pairs)

The lute strings are tuned to the following notes (Sounds):

Lute is tuned according to the key SOL in the Turkish Music.

In fact, the sounds produced are lower by one octave. Lute has a sound range of 3,5 octaves and 54 kg. force tension on its total strings. In the early periods, it was played by plectrums which were made of eagle-wings but today they are made of plastic. Lute is played on the lap and the handle should be held parallel to the floor.

Lute players are called UDI. There are some differences in making and quality between the Turkish and the Arabian lutes except the tonal and dimensional differences as well. The best lutes were and still are being made by the Turkish artists.

Length of strings of the Turkish lutes are 57-58,5 cm. and length of handles are 19-19,5 cm.s, Their length of body is 48-50 cm.s with of body is 36-37 cm.s. and the depth of body is 18-18,5 cm.s

Length of strings of the Arabian lutes are 60-63 cm. and length of handles are 20-21 cm. Their length of body is 52-54 cm. with of body is 36-38 cm. and the depth of body is 20-22 cm.

Many renowned personalities have played lute in past centuries. For instance, some book mention that prophet acquired the popular union simple by playing his lute.

In the Turkish Music, there are many musicians who played lute skilfully such as Nevres, Serif Içli and Serif Muhiddin Targan and, young musicians of today are quite enthusiastic to play this delightful instrument.

Tanbur

It is one of the important plectrum instruments of the Turkish music. It is in a half apple shape and has a fairly long handle. The body of tanbur is made of slices of fine woods. The woods are obtained from hard and valuable trees such as plum, mulberry, walnut, balsam-tree, rosewood, paoros, palük, vengi rebing makase, teak, juniper and abanese trees.

The front table is made of a white pine-tree and on the handle are catgut or gut wound frets. A two-octave sound range is divided among some 50 frets. Tanbur has got a 3 octave sound range. In same tanburs this can be increased to 4 as well. Sound range is expanded from Kaba Yegah to high Neva (from 110 frequency to 1760 frequency).

There are 7 steel and brass made strings on tanbur. Its plectrum is made of a turtois bone, Baga. It is also played with a bow. The strings are in four groups. The first, second and the third from the bottom are in pairs but the uppermost string is stretched single.

The first strings are tuned to 200 frequency Yegah sound (LA in the western music). second ones are to 146 frequency Kaba Rast (RE in the western music) or 164 frequency Yegah and finally, fourth string is tuned to 110 frequency Kaba Yegah (LA in the western music). There is a 78,5 force tension on the 7 strings of tanbur.

Turks, after migrating from the Central Asia, have settled in Asia, Europe and Africa and have disseminated their civilisations there. Therefore, tanbur came to be known with different names. For instance; Sumerians who have settled in Mezopotamia in 4000 B.C. and considered to be a Turkish branch of Ural-Altay communities by language and some traditions which have migrated from the Central Asia, have called this musical instrument with the name of PANTUR. In Sumerian Language PAN meant "bow" and TUR meant "small". Therefore, it means a "small bow" in the Sumerian language. Gürcüler who were close to the Sumerians have also called Pantur.

Even to-day, Kirgizlar and Kalmuklar by the Casbean Sea play the tribal two-string TANBUR.

According to Burhan-I Kati Dictionary (Persian-Turkish Dictionary), tanbur means the chest of a dove. It is the basis instrument of our classical music with its mystic sound. Tanburi Cemil Bey was a musician who played tanbur with a profound skill.

Lavta

It is transferred to the West by the Arabs after the conquest of Spain. As for the western musicologists, French version of LUTH comes from an Arabic word EL-UD. Many kinds of Lavta can be seen in today's Europe.

The early forms of Lavta have been traced in Sumerians, old Egypt, Assyrians and Babillians. Lavta which was developed by Arabs in the 11^th Century, was carried to Europe through Endülüs in the 15^th century and eventually, it lived its golden epoch in the 16^th and 17^th centuries. It was played both by a folk poet and also by some important personalities too.

While Western Lavtas have 6 to 24 strings on them, the Turkish ones, like in Tanbur, have 3 pairs and one single strings (Totally 7 strings). It resembles Lute and it is made exactly with the same materials used in Lute production.

The slight difference from the lute is that it has a narrower body, a longer handle with frets like in tanbur. It has got the structural characteristic lute. The strings are catgut and silk wound and tuned like Alto key forms.

1^st String to LA

2^nd String to RE

3^rd String to SOL

4^th String to DO

It was played with a special plectrum like that of the lute. Lavta which was long forgetten, is becoming rather popular recently. It was played by great musicians like Tanburi Cemil Bey. Lavta has a 2, 5-3 Octave sound range.

Classical Kemençe

It was marked earlier that the musical instrument played by Turks in the Central Asia was called Iklig (Oklug). After Islam was adopted by the Turks, the Turkish language was influenced, from a religious and poetic viewpoint, by the impact of the Arab and Persian Cultures and ultimately, the word Iklig replaced by on Arabic word "Rebab", a Persian word "Keman" and "Kemençe".

The word Keman was introduced by the Persians and produced from a verb "Hemiden" that means to "bend". Kemençe means a "Small Keman-Small Violin" in Persian. It is the developed form of Iklig.

Kemençe which was practiced by the Turks who have settled from the North down to the River Danube and Balkans, has also become quite popular in countries such as Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Yugoslavia, Romania, Poland and Hungary.

Documents with us prove that Keman (Violin) is the developed form of Kemençe which was popular enough in Europe in the 15. Century. Further, LAVIGNAC points that violin descends from the Turkish Kemençe-i Guz (Oguz Kemençesi) Page: 156. Kemençe took even other names in the recent years. Kemençe was used in the performances of Tavsanca, Köçekce and group concerts (Fasils). It was called Fasil Kemençesi and Armudi Kemençe since its body looked like a half pear shape. The body of the classical Kemençe is made of walnut, malburry, plum, juniper, rosewood, balsam-trees and the front table is made of a cypress tree. It has a short handle, longish pegs and three strings on it. The strings are catgut and steel wound. It is tuned to the Turkish music form RE-SOL-RE (LA-RE-LA in the western music).

Yayli Tanbur

Tanbur was, for the first time, played with bow by Cemil Bey and his "taksims" on phonograph's have aroused great interest among people. Tanbur is placed in between two knees and played in upright position with a bow. It produces a hoarse and a mystic sound.

Although it is noted that this was first time played with bow by Cemil Bey, there are references by Abdülkadir Meragi of the 15^th century that this practice, was there in early times too.

Santur

It is in isosceles triangle shape and played by a pair of mallets striking them on silk thread wound strings. It is known as Çembalo and Simbal in various European countries. Santur is assumed to be one of the early samples of Kanun which was highly appreciated by Turks.

It was widely practiced in Anatolian. Santuri (Santur player) Ziya Bey who wrote the methodic system of santur, has mentioned in his works that because of the old santur is, the instrument became less and less important. As for him, the old santur players have resisted to tune it to the lower sound than that of Mansur (Melody in the key of A) and Sah.

In fact, since it was quite difficult for the singers to sing from such a high pitch, santur became an an important musical instrument and replaced by lute and kanun which were more convenient for the low tunings.

This may not, however, be the only reason for its becoming unpopular. There are two types of santurs. One is Hamali Santur which was played 40-50 years ago in Istanbul and is being played in some parts of today's Turkey; second is the technically developed santur which was played by Hilmi Bey of Royal Orchestra, his student Ismet Bey and Ethem Efendi some 50-55 years ago.

While in old santurs 32 sounds were produced on 32 frets and 160 strings, in the developed santurs 28 sounds were produced on 19 frets and 95 strings.

The size of a santur is proportinal with the size of the front table. Different santure should be practiced for low and high tunings. For low tuning, the length of the lower part of the front table should not be more than 85 cm. and the length of the upper part of the front table should not be less than 55 cm. The length of the lower part of the front table to be fixed on a small santur for high tunings can be reduced from 80 cm. to 65 cm. Santur has got a sound range of 3 octaves between Kaba Rast and Tiz Acem.

Old santur players stroke the mallets on the strings plainly. Only Santuri Ethem Efendi used felt-pointed mallets. These produced softer melodies (sounds) than the plain wooden mallets.

Kanun (Zither-Like Musical Instrument)

It is understood that the word Kanun is introduced into Turkish from the Arabic word "Kanun". Although the origin of Kanun could not be ascertained, there are historical documents which depict that early models of this instrument were used by the Sumerians and Egyptians.

An instrument called Çeng is said to have been played at the same time with Kanun and this instrument was not practiced after the 18^th century.

It is also reported that not much known as who has given the first physical shape to this instrument, Kanun.

Some claimed that Kanun was first invented by a Turkish scientist Farabi and others defended that this was Horasanli Ibni Hallegan. It is difficult to assume that it was Farabi who has first invented Kanun. It can only be thought that he might have made some modifications on the structure of Kanun only. Because, it is proved by the historical documents that most of the musical instruments that we play today go as back as the those of the Sumerians.

Some primary information about Kanun can be found in the Encyclopedic work of Ahmet oglu Sükrüllah. In the work of Sükrullah who lived in the 15^th century, there are interesting remarks on how Çalav, a Turkish musical instrument, was made and played.

He categorised the instruments as "Kamil sazlar" and "Eksik sazlar" and he defined kanun in "Eksik Sazlar" group and informed about the forms, dimensions and string order of Kanun.

After reading those lines, we note that there is not much difference between the then Kanun and the one of Today.

Since author made no mention of animal's hide, it can be thought that the hide below the bridge was later added just like the pegs. Since Kanun which was widely, played by the Turks in the 14^th and 15^th centuries had no pegs and could not produce all the sounds of the Turkish music, it became almost forgetten in the beginning of the 18^th century.

It was revitalised by Kanuni Ömer Efendi towards the end of the 19^th century. This trend was later progressed by Kanuni Haci Arif Bey. One most not confuse Haci Arif Bey (1862-1911) who played kanun without pegs, with the composer Haci Arif Bey (1831-1885).

He was, then, followed by Ama Nazim Bey, Sari Talat Bey, Ali Bey and Tahsin Bey. Though Kanuni Haci Arif Bey played Kanun without pegs, we learn from his statements that there were Kanun with pegs as well.

Although it is not known as who has, for the first time, fitted pegs on the Kanun, it is only a guess that Kanuni Ömer Efendi might have done it himself. It is in trapezoid with one right angle shape, 95-100 cm. long, 38-40 cm. wide and 5-6 cms. deep. The table is made of a plane-tree and on it are lettuce work of the same tree or the mother-of-pearls. The sides are made of white pine and horn-beam trees and decorated. The back of the instrument is ideally made of the lindane tree.

Fine animal's hide is stretched tightly on the front table which is divided by four compartments (12x40 cm). And in the very center of hide, a bridge is fitted vertically the top of which is 1,5 mm. bottom 10 mm. and height 3 cm.

The bridge is made of a Kelebek tree or a horn beam tree. Strings are tightened by means of pegs after coming from the bottom of the instrument where they are tied up and passed over the bridge.

About 200 metal pegs are fitted on the pegging table which serve as frets and these are, generally, made of silver alpaca and brass. The pegs should adequately be levelled and polished, otherwise, they, at a short time, may wear and cut the strings. Catgut strings were replaced by nylon ones nowadays. 72 to 75 strings are fitted on Kanun. Thickness of strings range from 0,60 mm. high tone as low as to 1.20 mm. in low tone.

Roughly a 441 kg. force tension is loaded on the total 75 strings of Kanun. Because of this tension, strings create a pressure of 13,5 kg. on the hide by way of bridges. This pressure, however, is not on the total surface but it is local. There happens no pressure on the sides though.

Kanun which is placed on the knees, is played by means plectrums, "Baga", made of sea-turtoise bone fitted to the special thimbles worn on the fore-finger tips of both the hands. The one who plays Kanun is called a "Kanuni". There is a sound range of 3,5 octave on Kanun. The highest pitch is SOL (RE) 1173,37 frequency.

Kanun is widely practiced and a very popular instrument of the Turkish Music. It produces sounds like that of an Harp. Even the fastest melodies can be played with this typically Turkish Musical instrument.

Ney (A Reed-Flute)

The word Ney, after it was used as NA in the Sumerian language, became HAY in Persian which meant "the reed".

Eventually, it came to be spelt as Ney in Turkish. Ney which dates as back as 3000 B.C. is now preserved in the Philadelphia University as a "Sumerian flute".

After the adoption of Islam by the Turks, Ney became popular especially in the religious music. Mevlana, the great philosopher of Islam, demonstrated the importance when he attributed to Ney in his "MESNEVI" by saying "Hear what Ney whispers…."

Ney is a wind instrument made of a hollow reed. Its mouthpiece is called "Baspare" and it is made of an animal's horn. There are 7 holes on Ney, 6 on the upper part and one on the lower.

In order to get the Ney properly tuned, the nodes on the reed must be quite proportional. Since very few reeds have this particularity, it is hard to find an acceptable one and therefore, Neys are rather expensive musical instruments.

3 octave sound can be obtained from Ney by way of modifying the blowing strength. They are in different tuning orders as to their lengths, and diameters. Thus, they are known with different names relatively.

Their names range from high pitch to low as follows:

Mansur Nisfiye, Sah Ma'beyn, Sah Nisfiye, Davut Nisfiye, Bolahenk Ma'beyn, Bolahenk Nisfiye, Süpürde Ma'beyn, Süpürdü Nisfiye, Müstahzen Nisfiye, Yildiz Ma'beyn, Kiz neyi, Mansur Ma'beyn, Mansur, Sah Ma'beyn, Sah, Davut Bolahenk Ma'beyn, Bolahenk.

It is called a NISFIYE when each ney is made one octave on high-pitch. The lower they go by sound, the longer they became and therefore, it becomes difficult for a player to perform it. To avoid this inconvenience, one octave high pitch Neys are made which are half the length of the previous ones. These are called Nisfiye which means the "Half Ney".

There are also neys with half note differences with each other and these are called "MA'BEYN". Ney Player is generally called a "NEYZEN" and called a "NAYI". Blowing Nay is a more common term rather than playing Ney. Another Turkish musical instrument which is almost being forgotten, is a Girift. It is relatively shorter than Ney and made of a 6 node reed. While Ney has got a nodes and 7 holes, Girift has got 8 holes. There is a 2 octave sound range between Kaba Rast (SOL) and Gerdaniye (SOL). It did not become popular among musicians for it was rather difficult to play it. Girifteen Asim Bey was the master of this instrument.

Nefir

It was another wind instrument which was not practiced for two centuries in the Turkish Music. As mentioned by Abdülkadir Meragi in his work Gamiul-Elhan, it was the longest of all wind instruments. Even longer ones were called "Burgu". "Kürenay" were those the ends of which were curved.

It was made of a simple metal pipe that had no holes at all. It was difficult to play it and practiced only in the Military Bands for alarm purposes.

They were made of brass in the Ottoman Turks. There were also the kinds which were made of a buffalo horn. According to Abdülkadir, the length of those which were made of brass was 1,68 cms.

Kudüm (A Small Double Drum)

In Arabic, it means "to come from for distances and to step on a place". It is one the most important repercussion instruments of the Turkish religious and classical music. They are always used in pairs and made of two copper bowls the top of which are stretched tightly with camel skin.

The drum on the right side is called "Düm" (strong beat) and the one on the left is called "Tek" (light beat)

In the Mehter Music, those which were smaller than Kudüm were called "Nakkare" and the larger ones were called "kös".

Mevlevis called it "KUDÜM-I SERIF" since it was considered a holy instrument and played it during their religious ceremonies. Kudüms are played by Kudükzens. They are either played by a pair of sticks or simply by hands.

In Mevlevi, religious services, SEMAZENLER keep in step with the beats of Kudüs. These beats may. however, be "velveleli" and "velvelesiz" (Subdividing the beats of a rhythmic pattern to make a more complex pattern).

Generally, the drum "Düm" is tuned to key SOL or LA and the other one is to a softer tonep. Kudüm is made of a pair of copper bowl drums. One is larger and the other is smaller. The diameter of the larger one is 32,5 cms. and the diameter of the smaller one is 30 cms. Their depths are half of their diameters. The camel skins on them are as thin (fine) as 1,5-2 mm.

After the wetting process of the skins, they are tightly stretched on kudüms-with catgut's and strings. To diminish the metallic sound of Kudüm, felts are put in them and outside is rapped with an animal's hide.

Bendir

Though it resembles Def (Tambourine) by shape, it is larger than def (40-50 cm.s in diameter) and there are no bells around the hoop contrary to def.

A fine animal's hide is stretched on one side of the hoop. A catgut is also stretched across the hoop to be right under the hide. Therefore, this catgut produces a sizzling sound that mixes nicely with the singing of the vocalists.

In some Bendirs there are chains in place of a catgut string and in some, there is neither of them. The ones which are smaller than bendir are called "Def" and those Defs which are with cymbals are called "Zilli Def". Bendirs are known as Mazhars at the same time.

Kös (Kus)

It is the largest repercussion instrument in the Turkish music. It was used in the military bands and in Mehterhane-i Hakani. Therefore, it is known as "Kus-i Hakani", and the player is called "Kusi" and Kuszen in Persian and Kösçü in Turkish.

It resembles Kudüm but is larger than that. Like in Kudüm, they are made of large copper bowls in half egg shape with thick camel hides stretched on them. It is the forefather of timbals which are being used by the western countries. Kös are a pair of drums diameters of which vary between 90 and 150 cms.

They are placed on either sides of animals such as horses, camels and elephants, Kös player also rides on the same animal and he beats the drums rhythmically, with a pair of mallets while riding.

An elephant Kös of Suleiman the Magnificent which he used during the conquest of Zigetvar in 1556, is preserved in the Military Museum and is in 1,30 cms diameter and 1,27 cms hight.

The smallest Kös are those which are loaded on horses and mules. Kös for camels are larger and those which are deliberately made for elephants are the largest.

They, with their impressive sight and roaring sounds, have raised the morale of the Ottoman Armies in the past centuries.

Halile (Cymbals)

They resemble those practiced in Europe and are 30 cm.s in diameter. They go in pair and are played by striking them together oppositely with each other. Halile is practiced only in the religious Turkish Music.