Bowed instruments
Kabak kemane
Kabak kemane: A traditional bowed folk instrument whose body is made from a gourd and covered with skin. The bowed instrument of Anatolian folk music; it is particularly associated with the melodies of the Teke region (Antalya, Burdur, Isparta).
In brief
- Family: Bowed, fretless
- Body and materials: Gourd body (sometimes coconut or carved wood), opening covered with skin
- Strings: Originally three; today there are also types with four or more strings
- Playing: Held upright, the iron spike resting on the knee or the floor; played with a horsehair bow
- Range: About two and a half octaves
- Regions: Especially the Teke region (Antalya, Burdur, Isparta) and Western Anatolia
- Other names: Rebap, ıklığ[1, 2]
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History
The bowed instrument of Anatolian folk music; it is particularly associated with the melodies of the Teke region (Antalya, Burdur, Isparta).
Construction
The body is made from a dried gourd or carved wood, and its opening is covered with skin. An iron spike under the body rests on the floor or the knee; three or four strings are fitted.
How it is played
It is held upright and played with a horsehair bow; the player changes strings by turning the instrument rather than the bow.
Its place in makam music
Being fretless, it renders the comma intervals of folk music freely; it is used in uzun hava (free-rhythm songs) and dance tunes.
Getting started: types, sizes, tuning
Start with this instrument
Masters on recordings
Performers who play this instrument on recordings of works in the score archive (MusicBrainz).
Frequently asked questions about the Kabak kemane
What is the difference between the kabak kemane and the classical kemençe?
The body of the kabak kemane is made from a gourd or carved wood, its opening is covered with skin, and underneath it has an iron spike that rests on the ground or the knee. The classical kemençe, by contrast, has a small pear-shaped body carved from a single piece of wood and a wooden soundboard. The kabak kemane developed in folk music, especially in the Teke region; the classical kemençe in the court and fasıl music of Istanbul.
Are the names kemane, kemençe and keman related?
Yes. In Persian “kemân” means bow; kemane means an instrument played with a bow, and kemençe means “little kemân”. The violin that came from the West was also given the name keman in Turkish from this root. So although their names are similar, the kabak kemane, the Black Sea kemençe, the classical kemençe and the violin are instruments of different construction and of different traditions.
What are the relatives of the kabak kemane?
This family of bowed instruments, with skin-covered bodies and spikes and held upright, has spread over a wide region. The kamancha of Iran and Azerbaijan, the ghijak of Central Asia and the rebab of the Arab world are considered relatives in this family. In Anatolia, the kabak kemane lives on in folk music, especially around Antalya, Burdur and Isparta.
Is the kabak kemane hard to learn?
Because it is fretless, finding the right pitch takes a good ear; bowing technique and changing strings by rotating the instrument also take getting used to. On the other hand, its three- or four-string design and narrow range make it possible to start on simple folk melodies quickly. Usually the most effective way is to learn regional melodies by listening to and imitating a master's playing.