Turkish Musical Instruments

There are dozens of different instruments in Turkey. This is owing to it's wealth of music, made possible by the influence of the many different cultures that have once been here, been in the Ottoman empire, or are here now. This list is only a start, there are more.


The Saz, seen all around the mediterranean, is called the baglama saz in Turkey. It uses the special Turkish scale- akin to the Arabic scale, but not exactly the same. This is probably the most popular instrument in Turkey. Like the guitar in the U.S.. Here's a sample:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5bk09_ahmet-koc-haber-7-baglama-show-supe_music













The Cura, the balagma saz's little cousin. Check this video out:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=1978849













Yes, you see the bagpipe in Turkey. In the northeast in a place called Rize on the Black Sea coast. Introduced by cultures emigrating from Russia, Georgia, and throughout the Caucasus mountains into Turkey. Check it out:
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1017406/amazing_instrument_tulum/











The accordion was also introduced by cultures from the Caucasus mountains into northeastern Turkey. See it here: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2857194/akordeon_show/















The Zurna- It has a very nasally, loud sound. And the Davul drum, which is heard during Ramazan to wake people up for the morning prayer, and to remind them to eat before daylight.
Right here: http://www.vidivodo.com/90510/davul-zurna-keyfi















The Kaval. Known as the shepherd's flute. You'll see different sizes. Here's a couple:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=60022774
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=50214509












The tef, a kind of tambourine. Right here:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xafar1_riqzilli-tef-improvisation-soft-pos_music






The Tanbur, an instrument used in classical Turkish music. It has a mellower tone and lower range than the balagma, but same tuning. Check it: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-4S4LyJ9msB0/m_zigin_renkleri_tanbur_02_b_lb_l_ussak/



















The Yayli Tanbur. The Tanbur's bowed cousin. Beautiful, cello like tone.
See a sample of the playing here:



The Kabak Kemane. An ancestor of the modern violin, that traces it's origin to the spike fiddles of central asia. Brought with the nomadic Turkish people on their migrations westward. Here:
http://tr.sevenload.com/videolar/EFO0T2p-Muzigin-Renkleri-Kirmizi-Bugday-Kabak-Kemane
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=44219144



















The Kemence Karadeniz. The fiddle of the Black Sea region and the Laz people of that area. Here a couple examples:
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2902907/an_l_y_lmaz_kemence/
http://www.karadenizvideo.net/mirzalu-ali-kemence-video.html














The Turkish Rebab. The Ottoman answer to the rebab fiddles of the Arabic people, some of whom were under their rule. It is bowed and played like a spike fiddle, rested on the leg. See an example here:

And this is an older type found at the Mevlani museum in Konya.















The Classical Kemence. The lyrical, violin sounding instrument used in classical Turkish music. It is played by stopping the strings with the nail instead of the tips of the finger. For a sample, go to:
http://theworldofthedervishes.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/03-ussak6.mp3
Or scroll to my previous post of Feliz Bodur playing it live.




















The Violin. Mostly used in the soulful music of the gypsies of Turkey, but also incorporated into traditional Turkish music. See my post on Istanbul music-"good advertisement".















The Kanun. A zither type instrument, plucked with plectrum on the fingers. Also used frequently in the music of the gypsies in Turkey. See the post on Istanbul music again.




















The Ud. Famous all around the middle eastern region, it is also used frequently in Turkish music.




















The Ney. If there was one instrument to rival the baglama for popularity, it would be the ney. The voice-like tone of the ney is synonymous with the Sufi music of Turkey.












The Cumbus. Resembling the American banjo but with no frets. In fact, both the cumbus and banjo can trace their history back to northwestern and western Africa.




















The Darbuka. The most frequently used drum in group playing in Turkey, and seen all throughout the middle east. The sound is distinctive, and you're able to get a deep tone from the middle, and tight high sound from the edge.