How the kobza makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the kobza 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
The kobza (Ukrainian: кобза), smetimes also known as the bandura (Ukrainian: бандура), is a Ukrainian folk music instrument of the lute family (Hornbostel–Sachs classification number 321.321-5+6), a relative of the Central European mandora. The term kobza however, has also been applied to a number of other Eastern European instruments distinct from the Ukrainian kobza.
Other lutes
Frequently asked questions
What does a kobza 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 kobza?
It is classified as lutes (Hornbostel–Sachs 321.32-5).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q167126 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Kobza – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by own work – CC BY-SA 4.0