Family

string instruments

Description

Kamancheh is a bowed string instrument which is made of wood, animal skin, bone and metal. Kamancheh could be traced back in paintings of the book Musighi Al-Kabir (the great book of music) by Abu Nasr Farabi (c 870-950). He mentioned Kamancheh as “Rebab” in this book which was a two-stringed instrument and he even speculate that there might be one-stringed Rebab as well. Rebab is the Arabic name of Kamancheh and a primitive Rebab is common and played among traditional Arab players. In Azerbaijan Rebab is called “Iklig” and in Turkmenistan “Gheychak”. Kamancheh is also widespread in Southeast Asia cultures such as china and is named “Erhu” in traditional Chinese music. Generally it is widely used in the classical music of India, Iraq, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kurdistan Regions with slight variations in the structure of the instrument. Kamancheh was one of the instruments of Iranian classical music in Safavid and Qajar period and paintings in Chehel Sotoun show that it was commonplace alongside the instruments Ney, Qanoun and Daf in court parties. Kamancheh was found in folk music too.

Traditionally kamanchehs had three silk strings, but modern ones have four metal ones which were affected by the advent of the violin.

The resonator in Kamancheh is shaped spherical and is made in two ways. The old way is a wooden block that is hollowed out whereas in the second way the curved sticks stick together to make the spherical resonator. The resonator is mostly made of wood but in Southeast Asia it is made of other substances like metal, coconut and pumpkin.

Players

the oldest record of Kamancheh players is “Khoshnavaz” playing Kamancheh with Ali-Akbar Farahani (Tar player) registered by a French globetrotter named “Gobineau”  in 1856. Other players in Qajar period are Hassan-Khan, Mousa Kashi. Recorded discs in Qajar period retain the art of Kamancheh playing of  “Baqer-Khan Rameshgar”, “Hussein-Khan Esmailzadeh” and “Safdar-khan”. The advent of violin drew aside Kamancheh for at least ten years and it was absent from the art of music in the beginning of 20th century. The only player who continued the tradition of Kamanche playing was” Ali-Asghar Bahari” who was encouraged by “Ruh-Allah Khaleghi” to play Kamanche in the style of Dastgahi music.

Kamancheh parts

Kamancheh playing range

Pitches of open string

Audio sample

title: Improvisation in Abu Ata

Artist: Master Asghar Bahari