How the kemenche makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the kemenche belongs to the lutes: strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck – the family of the guitar, violin, sitar and oud.
More broadly it is one of the chordophones (string instruments), where sound comes from vibrating strings, amplified by a resonating body.
Its timbre – the colour that lets you tell it apart from other instruments playing the same note – comes from the mix of overtones its body and resonator emphasise.
From Wikipedia
Kemenche (Turkish: kemençe; Greek: κεμεντζές) or kamancha (Persian: کمانچه; Armenian: Քամանչա) is a name used for various types of stringed bowed musical instruments originating in the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly in Greece, Armenia, Iran, Turkey, and Azerbaijan. and regions adjacent to the Black Sea. These instruments are folk instruments, generally having three strings and played held upright with their tail on the knee of the musician. The name Kemenche derives from the Persian Kamancheh, meaning a "small bow".
Other lutes
Frequently asked questions
What does a kemenche sound like?
As one of the lutes, its sound comes from the way strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck.
What type of instrument is the kemenche?
It is classified as lutes (Hornbostel–Sachs 321.32).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q10969818 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Kemenche – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by @rent – CC BY-SA 3.0