The Sound of Music

The Oud

The international group Trio Joubran uses the oud to cread a sound that is uniquely cultural.

Oud Master Marcel Khalife

The oud can blend seamlessly with contemporary saxophones and trumpets.

The Tablah

The tablah is a small hand drum, the most commonly played of the percussion instruments. Typically made of earthenware or metal, the tablah is placed either under the left arm or between the legs. The player strikes it in the middle for the strong beats and on the edge for sharp in-between beats.

The Rikk

The rikk is the Middle Eastern equivalent to the English tambourine, consisting of a round frame, covered on one side with goatskin. Pairs of metal discs are set into the frame to produce the jingle when struck by the hand. The sounds of this percussion instrument set the rhythm of much Middle Eastern music, particularly for classical pieces.

The Qanan

The qanun is a descendent of the old Egyptian harp and has played an integral part in Middle Eastern music since the 10th century. A kind of dulcimer, its Arabic name means rule or law.

The qanun consists of a trapezoid-shaped flat board with 81 strings stretched across it. The instrument is placed flat on the knees or table of the musician, which allows him to show off his virtuosity as he plucks the strings.

The Buzuq

A long-necked string instrument furnished with two metal strings played with a plectrum, offering a metallic yet lyrical resonance.

The word buzuq comes from the Turkish and is looked upon as a larger and deeper-toned relative of the Turkish saz, with the same relationship of the viola to the violin in Western music. It was long associated with the gypsy music of Lebanon and Syria.

The Mijwiz

The word mijwiz, means dual in Arabic. It is a type of double reed clarinet popular in Syria, Lebanon and Palestine. Its North Africa equivalent is known as the maqrum. It is played by gently breathing through a circular aperture at the end and manipulating the fingers over the holes at the front of the tube in order to produce specific sounds.

In the hands of a skilled musician, the poetical timbre makes it especially suitable for effects expressing both joy and yearning.