Kemenche (,

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

: کمانچه) or Lyra is a name used for various types of stringed bowed musical instruments originating in the

Eastern Mediterranean The Eastern Mediterranean is a loosely delimited region comprising the easternmost portion of the Mediterranean Sea, and well as the adjoining land—often defined as the countries around the Levantine Sea. It includes the southern half of Turkey ...

, particularly in

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, and

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

. and regions adjacent to the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...

. These instruments are

folk instrument A folk instrument is a traditional musical instrument that has remained largely restricted to traditional folk music, and is not usually used in the classical music or other elite and formal musical genres of the culture concerned, though relate ...

s, generally having three strings and played held upright with their tail on the knee of the musician. The name ''Kemenche'' derives from the

Kamancheh The kamancheh (also kamānche or kamāncha) (, , , ) is an Iranian bowed string instrument used in Persian, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Kurdish, Georgian, Turkmen, and Uzbek music with slight variations in the structure of the instrument. Th ...

, meaning a "small bow".

Variations

The

Kemençe of the Black Sea The Kemençe of the Black Sea (, ''Pontiakí lýra'' or ''Pontic lyre'', (ჭილილი), ''Qamani'', ) is a Greek and Turkish traditional musical instrument. It belongs to the category of stringed bowed musical instruments. It has thr ...

(), also known as ''Pontic kemenche'' or ''Pontic lyra'' (), is a box-shaped lute ( in the Hornbostel-Sachs system), while the

classical kemençe The classical ''kemenche'' (), ('pear-shaped kemenche') or (, 'Constantinopolitan lyre') is a pear-shaped bowed instrument that derived from the medieval Greek Byzantine lyre. It was mainly used by Greeks, Greek immigrants from Asia Minor an ...

( or ''Armudî kemençe'', ) is a bowl-shaped lute ( ). Other bowed instruments have names sharing the same Persian etymology include the

kamancheh The kamancheh (also kamānche or kamāncha) (, , , ) is an Iranian bowed string instrument used in Persian, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Kurdish, Georgian, Turkmen, and Uzbek music with slight variations in the structure of the instrument. Th ...

(or ''Kabak kemane'' in Turkish), a spike lute ( ), and the Cappadocian kemane, an instrument closely related to the kemenche of the Black Sea with added

sympathetic string Sympathetic strings or resonance strings are auxiliary strings found on many Indian musical instruments, as well as some Western Baroque instruments and a variety of folk instruments. They are typically not played directly by the performer (ex ...

Circassians The Circassians or Circassian people, also called Cherkess or Adyghe (Adyghe language, Adyghe and ), are a Northwest Caucasian languages, Northwest Caucasian ethnic group and nation who originated in Circassia, a region and former country in t ...

have a similar instrument named the Shikepshine which means horse tail violin.

References

External links

Kemence, from Folk Tours Middle Eastern Dance & Music
{{Authority control Lutes Bowed instruments Laz musical instruments

Variations

See also

References

External links