Wind instruments
Zurna
Zurna: A loud double-reed wind instrument; at weddings and festivities it is usually played together with the davul. Together with the davul, it is the sound of weddings, festivals and the old Ottoman mehter band. It is played across a wide area stretching from Anatolia to the Balkans and Central Asia.
In brief
- Family: Double-reed wind instrument (related to the oboe)
- Origin: Central Asia and Anatolia; the name comes from Persian sûr-nây (wedding pipe)
- Body and materials: Plum, apricot, walnut, boxwood or, preferably, cherry wood; the end flares like a funnel
- Holes: 7 in front, 1 at the back
- Sizes: Kaba (about 33 cm), orta (31), cura (29), zil zurna (23)
- Playing: Played without a break using circular breathing; very loud, suited to the open air
- Music: With the davul at weddings, folk dances and in the mehter; from the Caucasus to the Balkans (surla, zurla)
- 16th–17th centuries: The leading instrument of the mehterhane; Evliya Çelebi lists six kinds, including the kaba, cura and Acemi zurna; the cura zurna played with the davul was very common[1, 2, 3]
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History
Together with the davul, it is the sound of weddings, festivals and the old Ottoman mehter band. It is played across a wide area stretching from Anatolia to the Balkans and Central Asia.
Construction
It consists of a body carved from wood that widens like a funnel at the end; it has seven holes in the front and one in the back. A double reed (sipsi) made of cane and a lip rest are fitted.
How it is played
Players store air in their cheeks and play with uninterrupted (circular) breathing; the sound is very loud and suited to the open air.
Its place in makam music
In folk dances and mehter music it is played in makam scales; commas can be adjusted with the mouth and breath.
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 Zurna
What is the difference between the zurna and the mey?
Both are played with a double reed, but the zurna's body is conical and flares like a funnel at the end; its sound is very loud, bright and made for the open air. The mey has a short, cylindrical body and a very wide reed; its sound is soft, veiled and heartfelt. The zurna is the instrument of weddings, dances and mehter music, the mey of uzun hava and laments.
What types of zurna are there?
By size there are types such as the kaba zurna, orta zurna and cura zurna. The kaba zurna is the largest and lowest, used for uzun hava and slow dances. The cura zurna is small and high-pitched and is preferred in fast dance tunes. Names and dimensions vary from region to region.
Why is the zurna played together with the davul?
The zurna carries the melody and the davul the usul; since both are very loud, they complement each other outdoors and in crowded settings such as weddings, festivals and wrestling matches. From Anatolia to the Balkans and Central Asia, the “davul-zurna” duo is the basic ensemble of folk dances. In the Ottoman mehter, too, the zurna and davul formed a large-scale version of the same pairing.
Is the zurna hard to learn?
Applying the right lip pressure to the reed and keeping the loud sound under control are difficult at first. Circular breathing, used by master zurna players (that is, breathing in through the nose while continuing to blow with air stored in the cheeks), also requires long practice. Making and adjusting reeds is part of the zurna player's craft too; it is usually learned alongside a master.
Where can I hear the zurna?
The “Listen” section on this page has sound samples taken from real zurna recordings. The zurna has not yet been added as a virtual instrument; to try a wind instrument in your browser, you can open the virtual ney or the virtual clarinet.