Zurna plays. What type of musical instrument is the zurna? Usually musical instruments undergo changes in different countries, they are adjusted to the music of a particular people, but not in the case of the zurna. Range But the zurna’s cane is double

Zurna is a musical instrument with a rich history. This word is found in many languages: Azerbaijani, Armenian, Kurdish and even Persian. It literally translates as “festive flute.” This instrument is very common in the countries of Asia Minor, the Middle East, Central Asia, India and the Caucasus. Instruments related to the zurna existed in almost all countries of the world, from Japan and China to the Balkans.

What is zurna

It is a hollow tube made of wood with a fairly wide socket and several holes (usually 8-9). One of the holes is on the back side, like a recorder.

The Armenian zurna is no different from the Indian one. This is very interesting, usually musical instruments undergo changes in different countries, they are adjusted to the music of a particular people, but not in the case of the zurna.

Range

But the zurna’s reed is double; modern oboe reeds are very similar to it, which not only makes them related instruments, but also suggests that the zurna became the predecessor of the oboe. In addition, it has a bright and piercing timbre, which also puts it on par with such instruments as the pity and English horn.

Zurna is a musical instrument with a range of one and a half octaves, and, importantly, in both the diatonic and chromatic scales. The lowest note that can be played on the zurna is B-flat of the small octave, and the top note is considered to be up to the third octave, but it is possible to expand the range by several more tones. This requires special skill, and performers call these notes beyond the normal range “sefir seslar.”

About the tree

If you ask musical masters about what a zurna is, they will say that it is wooden. Therefore, the most important thing about it is the wood. As a rule, zurna is made from mulberry, hazel or apricot. At the upper end (where the cane is attached) the tube has a diameter of 20 mm, and at the bottom it expands sharply to 60-65 mm. In this case, the total length usually ranges from 30 to 32 centimeters. There is also an essential detail in the design - “Masha”. This is a bushing, usually made from the same wood (but wild willow can be used) and inserted into the top end of the tool, allowing the plate to be adjusted. The mouthpiece is made of reed and has a length of seven to ten millimeters, which is almost half as long as that of a modern oboe.

Story

What a zurna is can be judged from archaeological excavations. If you believe them, then it existed already three thousand years ago: the find dates back to this age on the territory of modern Mingachevir, the fourth largest city in Azerbaijan. Archaeologists found four copies of the zurna, but the material was not wood, but deer antler. Specimens of a related instrument, the balaban, were also found there.

A musician who plays the zurna is called zurnachi. “Usta” is a zurnachi playing a melody in an ensemble. As a rule, the group consists of three musicians, and the second zurnachi plays drawn-out, fundamental notes in harmony, which makes the music similar to Scottish and Irish, where bagpipe bourdons accompany the melody with continuous monotonous sounds that create a chord. The third musician in the ensemble is the drummer; he creates a complex, intricate rhythm. In such ethnic ensembles, archaic ones such as nagara or dhol are used, which are large or medium-sized drums. The drummer can beat out the rhythm with one hand or use sticks.

Varieties

The question of what zurna is cannot do without a story about its varieties. As a rule, the differences between the types are insignificant and do not affect the specifics of sound production. Especially famous are gara zurna, jura zurna, shehabi zurna and some others.

The zurna was usually used for playing outdoors due to its shrill timbre and unpretentiousness in relation to the weather. Zurnachs alone or in an ensemble played music for rhythmic, fast dances, but indoors they preferred the balaban or duduk to the zurna - related reed woodwind instruments, but with a softer, velvety and bewitching sound. They are somewhat different from the zurna: they do not have a wide bell, the wood is more capricious, and the cane is much wider. However, all related instruments have similar playing techniques, so it is not difficult for a skilled zurnachi to master several instruments. In 2005, the music of the Armenian duduk was included in the UNESCO list as a masterpiece of intangible cultural heritage.

Now zurna is used to perform folklore, for example in mugamat, one of the genres of traditional Azerbaijani music, as well as during open-air folk festivals, when the performance of dance melodies, such as dzhangi, is required. In such folk music samples, the zurna is usually a soloist in an orchestra or ensemble.

Zurna - Reed woodwind instrument

Zurna -reed woodwind musical instrument with a double reed, common in the Near and Middle East, the Caucasus, India, Asia Minor, the Balkans, Central Asia. Persian name— " surnay", literally translated as - festive flute. The zurna is closely related to the oboe; it has the same double reed and is considered one of its predecessors, although it sounds much more shrill and expressive. This ancient instrument is now widely used in Armenia and Georgia, Azerbaijan and Dagestan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. In different countries, zurna is made differently; they can differ in their shape, local materials and type of wood (apricot, mulberry, cherry, walnut wood and others)

In Armenia, zurna is made from apricot wood. The instrument is a wooden tube smoothly expanding towards one end with nine holes for playing - eight on the front and one on the back. The dimensions of the instrument can be from 320 to 340 mm in length, the diameter of the wide part of the zurna is about 55-60 mm. The range of its sound is small - about one and a half octaves, and the timbre is bright and piercing. Therefore, the zurna is usually played in the open air, accompanying folk dances, festive ceremonies and solemn processions. As a rule, one zurnachi (as the zurna player is called) plays a melody, and the other echoes him with long drawn-out sounds. There is also a third musician in this ensemble: he beats out a complex, whimsical rhythm on a percussion instrument (dhol). In Armenian folklore, the zurna is often mentioned as the favorite instrument of various characters, sometimes endowed with magical properties.

Pku - Armenian horn

Pku- an unusual Armenian reed wind instrument that decorates any composition in an ethnic style, not to mention the performance of folk music.

If we compare the pku with other wind instruments, we can call it something between zurny And duduk, but, however, such a comparison is unlikely to be correct.

The basis of the originality of the pku is the combination of materials from which it is made: the horn of a young bull or buffalo and the wood of the apricot tree. This combination allows you to achieve an exclusive, unique sound created by skillfully selected materials and the shape of the instrument. Apricot wood gives an unusual, incomparable resonance, and its use can be considered a feature of Armenian wind instruments. The horn of a young bull does not have a very large diameter, so the “soft” resonance from the apricot tube with holes spreads evenly.

Compared to the pku, the duduk sounds softer, and the zurna, on the contrary, is more expressive, so there is literally nothing to replace the Armenian horn! Of the classical wind instruments, the English oboe is closest to the puk and zurna in terms of timbre and sound characteristics, but in terms of expression, Armenian instruments are much superior to calm oboes.The number of holes on the punch can vary from five to seven and even eight, the capabilities of the tool depend on this. You can only adjust the PC manually if you carefully, literally to microscopic sizes, expand the holes in the PC tube. Such a responsible procedure can only be entrusted to a qualified craftsman.

How to care for your instrument?

In order for the pku to serve for a long time, it must be carefully looked after, then the sound of this instrument will be close to perfection. High temperatures and high humidity are strictly contraindicated for this instrument, so the pack should be stored in an airtight case with ventilation holes in a cool, dry place. To prevent drying out, the wooden part of the pacu can be treated with fresh nut oil. The technology is as follows: place several kernels of ripe walnuts, peeled from the shell, in a piece of soft natural fabric (it is advisable to use soft, lint-free material). The nuts are then softened with a hammer or pestle until the fabric is soaked in the nut oil that comes out. Then the crushed nuts must be thoroughly shaken off, and with a soft oiled cloth, gently wipe the wooden surface of the pku.

The “horny” part of the pku also needs careful care. Do not overdry the horn or leave it in direct sunlight, as this may cause the material to crack. When caring, you must avoid any chemicals that may cause the horn to dry out; It is better to clean accidental dirt mechanically using a soft cloth. Under no circumstances should you scrape the horn or try to treat it with sandpaper. Particular attention should be paid to the junction of the wood and the horn, as well as the fastening of the mouthpiece.

With regular care, the instrument will sound flawless for a long time, captivating the hearts of listeners with sounds that are amazing in their expressiveness and melody.

The Sprint-Answer website continues to replenish the “TV Game” section with new questions and answers to them, this time we will consider the question of a type of musical instrument called a zurna.

The correct answer is traditionally highlighted in blue and in bold in the list of answer options.

What type of musical instrument is the zurna?

In folk music, 2 zurnas are used at once when performing. The weaving sound is produced by nasal breathing. To play, the instrument is placed in front of you with a slight tilt. For short music, the musician breathes through his mouth. When playing for a long time, the performer must breathe through the nose. Zurna has a range from “B flat” of the small octave to “C” of the third octave.

Zurna (surnai, Karach-Balk. sarnai, syryina, literally - festive flute) is a reed woodwind musical instrument with a double reed, common in the Near and Middle East, the Caucasus, India, Asia Minor, the Balkans, and Central Asia.

• brass
• strings
• drums
• keyboards

As you can see, the correct answer to the game question is: wind instruments.

At the moment, the zurna is one of the instruments of the brass band. At the same time, it can play the role of a solo instrument.