Exotic instruments add some spice and flare to musical arrangements of many types and styles. Their incorporation can add authenticity to a piece. They help to create the vibe of a faraway time and place. They can create a sound different than any that can be made by a standard collection of instruments. Three such instruments are the oud, the saz and the hurdy gurdy.
The oud is typically found in Middle Eastern and North African music. It is a stringed instrument that is believed by some to have been invented by the Adam of the Bible's grandson. Pictorial evidence that is over 5000 years old have been found and are on display in museums throughout the world.
The oud appears throughout Mesopotamian history. It has been a part of the musical tradition of virtually every ancient civilization in the Middle East and Mediterranean. The modern oud is somewhat different from its ancient orgins. It also varies region to region but it does have some defining features. It does not have a fretted neck. It has eleven strings. Perhaps most remarkable is its body. It has a bowl shaped back which allows for resonance.
The saz is found in Near Eastern, Eastern Mediterranean and Central Asian cultures. It is also known as the baglama. Turkish music is famous for this instrument. It is Turkey's most common folk instrument and is still used frequently in Turkey and beyond.
The saz has three main parts. It is made up of the bowl, the neck and the sounding board. It also has seven strings. The sounding board is made of spruce. The bowl can be spruce, mulberry wood, beech or juniper. The neck is juniper or beech.
The hurdy gurdy is known by several names, one of them is the wheel fiddle. It creates a sound similar to that of a bagpipe. This sound is made when a cranked wheel rubs against its strings. This rubbing makes a constant, even pitched sound. This instrument's style varies by its region. There isn't a standardized design. The two main body styles are the bowl and the conventional guitar.
The hurdy gurdy is featured at many European folk festivals. It is centered primarily in Eastern Europe in countries such as Hungary, Poland, Belarus and Ukraine. Folk dances are often done to its music.
Exotic instruments expand our horizons both culturally and musically. We learn about history through them and apply it to create new styles and songs. These instruments help move the evolution of music along. Read more about: exotic instruments
The oud is typically found in Middle Eastern and North African music. It is a stringed instrument that is believed by some to have been invented by the Adam of the Bible's grandson. Pictorial evidence that is over 5000 years old have been found and are on display in museums throughout the world.
The oud appears throughout Mesopotamian history. It has been a part of the musical tradition of virtually every ancient civilization in the Middle East and Mediterranean. The modern oud is somewhat different from its ancient orgins. It also varies region to region but it does have some defining features. It does not have a fretted neck. It has eleven strings. Perhaps most remarkable is its body. It has a bowl shaped back which allows for resonance.
The saz is found in Near Eastern, Eastern Mediterranean and Central Asian cultures. It is also known as the baglama. Turkish music is famous for this instrument. It is Turkey's most common folk instrument and is still used frequently in Turkey and beyond.
The saz has three main parts. It is made up of the bowl, the neck and the sounding board. It also has seven strings. The sounding board is made of spruce. The bowl can be spruce, mulberry wood, beech or juniper. The neck is juniper or beech.
The hurdy gurdy is known by several names, one of them is the wheel fiddle. It creates a sound similar to that of a bagpipe. This sound is made when a cranked wheel rubs against its strings. This rubbing makes a constant, even pitched sound. This instrument's style varies by its region. There isn't a standardized design. The two main body styles are the bowl and the conventional guitar.
The hurdy gurdy is featured at many European folk festivals. It is centered primarily in Eastern Europe in countries such as Hungary, Poland, Belarus and Ukraine. Folk dances are often done to its music.
Exotic instruments expand our horizons both culturally and musically. We learn about history through them and apply it to create new styles and songs. These instruments help move the evolution of music along. Read more about: exotic instruments
