What is Kamantcheh?
Kamantcheh is a bowed stringed instrument with four strings. Of course, in the beginning, this instrument had 3 strings, but after violin, this instrument was affected and a string was gradually added to it. The bowl of this instrument is made in a spherical and hollow shape which produces a very pleasant sound. Kamantcheh is mostly made of mulberry wood, and the thin pieces of wood are glued together in this instrument. This instrument is played by the bow. The person who wants to play it, places the Kamantcheh sitting down and plays it with the bow.
Kamantcheh a genuine Iranian musical instrument
Kamantcheh is one of the instruments of Iranian music which inscribed in 2017 as Iran cultural and intangible heritage at UNESCO . In addition to the abdomen, handle, and head, Kamantcheh has a base at the lower end of the instrument that rests on the floor or player’s knee. There is a type of Kamantcheh known as Lori that is open back and they call it “Tal”.
Kamantcheh is one of the national instruments of Iran. Due to the large volume of sound (more than four octaves) as well as the delicacy of sound, it is very common in the Middle East, and Far East and has a long history. In his book on the history of Iranian music, Ruhollah Khaleghi considers Kamantcheh to be the evolution of Rabab.
Kamantcheh is one of the main instruments of Iranian music, and it can be said that it is the most important instrument of Iranian music after Tar.
Where is Kamantcheh played?
Kamantcheh is widely used not only in Dastgah music, but also in maqami music in Iran. Kamantcheh is one of the string-bow instruments and its material used in its various parts are shepherd, skin, bone and metal.
The art of playing Kamantcheh
Kamantcheh is played in a sitting position, with the player holding the instrument vertically in the left hand and the fingers of the same hand moving along the handle, and the bow is held with the right hand horizontally, pulling in back and forth movements on the strings.
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Kamantcheh also has a metal base with a wide appendage at the end of the foot or ground. The instrument is usually made of old and processed wood from mulberry and maple trees. The length of Kamantcheh from the metal base to the top (upper part of the head of the punch) is about 75 cm.
