Wind instruments
Sipsi
Sipsi: A small, high-pitched folk wind instrument made of reed. A small single-reed wind instrument of the Aegean and Teke regions; it is played in zeybek and teke tunes.
In brief
- Family: Single-reed wind instrument
- Body and materials: Made of thin cane, about 15–25 cm; usually built in two parts
- Holes: Six holes, five in front and one at the back; the holes are placed according to the Hüseynî scale
- Tuning / range: About one and a half octaves; high, bright sound
- Regions: Teke region; from Fethiye to Denizli, around Burdur, Isparta and Altınyayla
- Music: Zeybeks, gurbet (exile) songs and the dance tunes of the Teke region
- Played with: Usually together with the cura, bağlama and kabak kemane
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History
A small single-reed wind instrument of the Aegean and Teke regions; it is played in zeybek and teke tunes.
Construction
It is a short tube made of cane; it has five holes in the front and one in the back. A single reed (dil) is cut into the upper end, also from cane.
How it is played
It is held between the lips and blown; skilled players use continuous breathing. Its sound is high and bright.
Its place in makam music
It is played in the folk music ayaks; comma intervals can be adjusted with the mouth and fingers.
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 Sipsi
What is the sipsi, and how does it differ from the zurna?
The sipsi is a small folk instrument made of a short tube of reed or bone, played with a single reed at its upper end. The zurna is played with a double reed, and its body is conical and much larger; its sound is far louder. The sipsi's sound is high, bright and playful. Since the zurna's reed is also called “sipsi” in Anatolia, the two names can be confused.
In which regions is the sipsi played?
It is common in Western Anatolia, above all in the Aegean and Teke regions, in zeybek and teke tunes. It is also played in shepherd music and at weddings; double versions, with two tubes tied side by side, are also known. Its high sound carries easily in dance tunes together with the davul or darbuka.
Is the sipsi hard to learn?
Because it is small and light, producing the first sounds is relatively easy. The real challenge is giving clean pitches by adjusting reed pressure and breath, and playing with uninterrupted breath like master players. Cutting and adjusting the reed tongue yourself is also part of sipsi playing, so learning from a master makes things much easier.
Can makam scales be played on the sipsi?
Although its holes are fixed, pitches can be raised or lowered somewhat with mouth and finger techniques, so the comma-inflected notes of folk music ayaks can be given approximately. Since its range is narrow, it suits short, playful folk melodies rather than makam melodies with wide scales.