Turkish Traditional Musical Instruments

Every culture has its own voice and rhythm. The sounds and traces left by two different continents and countless civilizations have been passed from generation to generation with a very rich variety throughout this land. Turkey is one of the areas where this diversity is most evident in art and in music.

The birth of different types of music has led to the development or even invention of dozens of different instruments for various genres. When you visit Turkey, you’ll get the chance to witness hundreds of different sounds and very unique tones. Get ready to meet traditional Turkish musical instruments.

Tef (Def) Tambourine

This percussion instrument, known as a tambourine (tef) in some sources, can be also spelt as def in Turkish. It is made with a leather cover that is stretched around a wooden frame and played with fingertips. It dates back to ancient times and has connections to different civilizations. Turkish Art Music is one of the genres in which the tambourine is used the most. While researching Mesopotamian cultures, a recent excavation revealed some figurines holding tambourines. The tambourine can be a delightful gift for those who want to get lost in the rhythm and those who want to carry the rhythm home.

Bağlama & Saz

One of the main instruments of Turkish Folk Music is the Bağlama. This stringed musical instrument has a long handle and is used with plectrum. It has originated from the lute in Asia and made its way to Anatolia. If you want to listen to this instrument, which has a sound that can drag people to different feelings when it is heard, the Anatolian lands are definitely the best location in the world

Kanun – Qanun or Kanoon

Kanun plays a leading role in Classical Turkish Music with its enchanting and captivating sound. This instrument of Asian and Anatolian origin is considered to be one of the most difficult instruments to play, like violin or piano. Kanun is placed on the knees and played with a plectrum. You’ll be sure to find a sound or tune that you will connect to when listening to this beautiful instrument.

Kaval – The Shepherd’s Flute

The Shepherd’s Flute, which is one of the most important Turkish wind instruments, is known for its two main types: with or without a reed. According to tradition, the purpose of the shepherds' flute is to keep the grazing animals calm and comfortable.

Although there are different views and inferences about the origin of the shepherd’s flute, what is known is that it is one of the oldest instruments known to humankind. Different forms of the instruments are found in the Middle East and Central Asia. This cheerful and relaxing sound can be heard at any time in Anatolian towns.

Kemençe The Black Sea fiddle

The phenomenal instrument and almost symbolic icon of the Black Sea region is a three-string traditional folk instrument played with the help of a bow. In order not to be confused with the classical violin in western music, the instrument in question is called the Black Sea fiddle. The style of work differs from other cultures by being played very actively and accompanied by a dance

Organ  music is popular in Italy  musical instruments in Italy.

In the Medieval period,music accompanied all aspects of human life. The church was the great inspiration. Organ music was the most popular of church music.

Traditional Italian musical instruments

The piano is an acoustic, stringed musical instrument invented in Italy by Bartolomeo Cristofori around the year 1700 in which the strings are struck by wooden  Claudia Paternoster , one of ours students studies to the musical conservatory the piano, in this photo she is performing.

 The Tamburine

Typical of the popular tradition, the tambourine has very ancient origins: perhaps it already existed in the second millennium BC. and it was common to all ancient civilizations, from the Jews to the Egyptians, from the Sumerians to the Hittites.  It was an exclusively male instrument, as evidenced by the paintings of the great medieval painters such as Giotto. It is believed that its circular shape with the rattles around it was chosen because of its resemblance to the Sun, symbol of Astarte, goddess of fertility. For this reason painters often represented him with the red wooden crown and flames painted on it.

  The drums

The drums are a musical instrument made up of drums, cymbals and other percussion instruments arranged in such a way that they can be played by a single musician, called a drummer.  The drums that make up a drums are: the bass drum (generally controlled by the right foot), the snare, two toms one more acute and another serious, and one or more floor tom (called "tympani", although different from the tympani of the orchestra symphony). The cymbals that can be attached to a battery are: ride, hi-hat also called hi-hat (the pedal opens and closes the two cymbals), crash, splash, china. There is a wide range of cymbal models each available in various diameters, thicknesses, profiles and shapes to be able to customize the sound of the musician and the music you want to play.

The guitar

The modern guitar originates from the Baroque guitar which in turn derives from the medieval five-string instrument called quinterna (from the Latin "quinque" = five and from the Persian "tar" = string).

The first Persian lutes were assembled with only 4 strings of silk threads hence the word "Chahar" four and "Tar" strings from which the Arabic word Qîtâra. The early medieval guitars had four strings as well as the lute: from the Greek kithára, and then from the Latin cithara derive the terms guiterne (quinterna), Gittern, citola and guitar.

The oldest found guitar-like instrument is 3500 years old and was discovered in the Egyptian tomb of Har-Mose Sen-Mut [1]. In turn, the roots are to be found in the Persian setar (Iran) and in the citara.

From the second half of the seventeenth century until the mid-nineteenth century, with the projects and innovations brought to Spain by Antonio de Torres, the prototype of the modern classical guitar was born

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Zither

Zithers are played by strumming or plucking the strings, either with the fingers (sometimes using an accessory called a plectrum or pick), sounding the strings with a bow, or, with varieties of the instrument like the santur or cimbalom, by beating the strings with specially shaped hammers. Like a guitar or lute, a zither's body serves as a resonating chamber (sound box), but, unlike guitars and lutes, a zither lacks a distinctly separate neck assembly. The number of strings varies, from one to more than fifty.

Bock (bagpipe)

Variants of the bock, a type of bagpipe, were played in Central Europe in what are the modern states of Austria, Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. The tradition of playing the instrument endured into the 20th century, primarily in the Blata, Chodsko, and Egerland regions of Bohemia, and among the Sorbs of Saxony. The name "Bock" (German for buck, i.e. male goat) refers to the use of goatskins in constructing the bag, similar to the common use of other goat-terms for bagpipes in other nations, such as the French cabrette.

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