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Kabak Kemane is the only example of a stringed, bowed and leather-covered instrument in Turkish Music. Its origin is based in Central Asia. Turks spread the Kemane and Kemençe cultures over three continents. It was called Kemança in Azerbaijan, Iyık or Yançak Komus among the Altays, Kıl Kıyak among the Kyrgyz, and Gıcak among the Turkmens. Kabak kemane is an instrument widely used in Turkiye, especially in the Aegean Region in Western Anatolia. In addition to the names Kabak, Kabak Kemane, Kemane, Rebap, it is also known as Rubaba in Southeastern Anatolia, Hegit and Iklığ in the Hatay region. Iklığ is also the name of the instrument related to Kemane, called İgil or Iklığ, meaning İKİLİ (Couple), which is also used by Tuva and Sakha Turks, and even by the Mongols.

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Today, the Kemane is used in the entire Turkish geography, Iran, the Middle East and North Africa. The Kemane is a fretless instrument, and all kinds of chromatic sounds can be obtained easily. Its voice has the feature of playing long and Legato, Staccato and Pizzicato can be played.  The sound width is 2.5 octaves. Kabak kemane is a folk instrument that has preserved its authentic appearance from past to present.

 

The boat part is usually made of gourd.  Also, wood is common. While making the Kabak Kemane, the gourd is cut 1/3 from the bottom of the upward tapering knuckle, and the heart membrane or skin is put on it. The diameter of the boat is about 10-15 cm . Handle and Screws come after the boat.  The handle part is made of hard woods. There is a Shaft made of wood or metal under the hull part. The shaft is placed on the knee and the instrument moves left and right. This stick also allows the gourd and the stem to hold each other. The bow is made by connecting the horsetail hairs from one end of a rod to the other end. In order to obtain a good, quality and loud sound, resin is applied on the bristles. Previously, strings called “Beam” made of intestines were attached to the Kabak Kemane, but today metal wires are used. The original Kemane has two strings or three strings, with a fourth string added later to get a wider sound. In the 4 Stringed Kabak Kemane, the pitch of the strings is “LA–RE–LA-RE” from the thickest string. According to the piano, in order to make this tuning, which is “DO–FA–DO–FA” or “SI–MI–SI–MI”, binding strings must be inserted from the thickest strings. Today, together with the 4 String Kabak Kemane, the 5 String Kabak Kemane made by Halil Çelik and Özgür Çelik is also used, towards the 2000s. Unlike the 4 String Kabak Kemane, another thick string has been added to the 5 String Kabak Kemane. This string is Bam String, which is also used in Baglama and the tuning of the 5-string Kabak Kemane is “RE-LA-RE-LA-RE”. According to the piano, it is “FA-DO-FA-DO-FA” or “MI-SI-MI-SI-MI”. 

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In 2014; The 6-String Kabak Kemane, whose dimensions, string numbers and tuning system were determined by the young musician Cafer Nazlıbaş. This is the first 6-stringed Kemane made and has brought its owner the title 6 Stringed Kabak Kemane Inventor. Cafer Nazlıbaş added one more octave to the classical Kabak Kemane sound with his invention. By adding one thin and one thick string to the Kemane, it is aimed to reach more extreme sounds in lows and highs, to obtain a wider vocal range, and thus to enable more pieces to be played. In addition, the sounds are now much more pleasant to the ear.

The large or small diameter of the gourd causes the sound to be high or low. The distance between the two thresholds (upper and lower thresholds) is 32–33 cm under normal conditions. should be long. However, the fact that the skin is more or less tense is a factor in changing this distance.

 

You can learn how to play the Kemane or improve your current level by taking One-to-One Private Kemane Lessons or One-to-One Group Kemane Lessons or Online Private Kemane Lessons from our valuable teachers and instructors we have within our staff at Söyler Sanat Academy.

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