A duduk mouthpiece

History of Duduk

The duduk is one of the oldest double reed instruments in the world which dates back over 3,000 years. Variants of the duduk can be found in Armenia and the Caucasus. The roots of Armenian duduk music go back to the times of the Armenian king Tigran the Great (95-55 BC). The instrument is depicted in numerous Armenian manuscripts of the Middle Ages.

The earliest instruments similar to the duduk's present form are made of bone or entirely of cane. Today the duduk is exclusively made of wood with a large double reed. Armenian duduks are mainly made from aged apricot wood, although other regional varieties use other materials (mulberry, etc.) The particular tuning depends heavily on the region which it is played.

Duduk mouthpiece, reed, (Armenian: ramish or ghamish), is made from one or two pieces of cane in a duck-bill type assembly. Unlike other double-reed instruments, the reed is quite wide, helping to give the duduk both its unique, mournful sound, as well as its remarkable breath requirements.The duduk is also the national musical symbol of Armenia.

There are many countries neighboring to Armenia where variants of Armenian duduk play: Georgia (called "duduki"), Turkey (called "mey"), Azerbaijan (called "balaban").

Duduk performances, with its haunting exotic sound, can be heard in film and television scores, such as The Hulk, The Siege, Ararat, Dead Man Walking, Syriana, Alexander, The Crow, Gladiator, Passion of Christ.

About Tsimbaly

Tsimbaly are related to a group of instruments called zithers. This group of instruments has strings that run the entire length of the body and parallel to it. Usually the whole body acts as a resonator but sometimes a supplementary resonator is added. There are great varieties of forms and names of these instruments in different countries.

The names are: Japanese Koto, Chinese Yang Chin, Korean Kayakeum and Djiunadjan, Iraqi Santir, Turkish Qanum, Norwegian Langleik, Swedish Hummels, Finish Kantele, Hungarian Cimbalom. These are just some names of the instruments from the Zithers group.

Byelorussian Tsimbaly is a trapezoidal hammered - dulcimer - type instrument, which roots leads to the Middle Ages in Central Europe.

The sound of Tsimbaly may remind you a classical Guitar or a Mandolin. The Byelorussian Tsimbaly were modernized by Joseph Zhinovich in the 40's of 20's century.