Duduk - history and playing a musical instrument

Even for general cultural development, it will be useful to know what a duduk is, how the Armenian national instrument looks and sounds. With a deeper acquaintance, you need to figure out what tree it is made of. The tuning, size and tuning of the instrument are also very relevant, as well as the technique of playing it.

Many people only know that the duduk is the national Armenian wind instrument. However, in reality, everything is somewhat more complicated. Of course, the associations between the duduk and Armenia are correct, if only because it is in this state that it is most widespread. But it is not entirely correct to consider it a specific Armenian musical instrument. The fact is that the duduk (as well as instruments similar to it) has a very long history, while it was born much earlier than the Armenian people.

Similar musical instruments can be seen in other regions of the Caucasus and Transcaucasia. Many believe that the duduk is a purely oriental musical instrument. Therefore, the duduk is as much an Azerbaijani instrument as the Armenian one, and such a clarification should not be surprising. Moreover, it is found not only among the Caucasian, but also among other nearby peoples.

Another common misconception is that the duduk is an ancient folk instrument, which in modern conditions is used only as a heritage and memory and to attract tourists. In reality, a large number of people play the duduk, and they continue to compose author's music for it. As it turns out, the number of connoisseurs of duduch performance is growing, since in 2005 the melodies performed on it were included in the list of the world intangible cultural heritage, which is annually updated by the leadership of UNESCO.

It should be understood that duduks are somewhat different in different countries. Specifically, the Armenian wind instrument has a special double reed. Outwardly similar objects belong to the category of whistle or mouthpiece flutes. What is interesting: for all their mutual hostility with the Armenians, the Turks and Kurds also have their own version of the duduk. And also its similarities are traditionally used:

• in the southwestern regions of Bosnia;
• in various parts of Albania;
• among the Bulgarians;
• in the east and south of Serbia.

Besides, linguists have established that the word "duduk" is taken from the Turkish language, and from there it came from Farsi. This makes the history of the instrument even more intricate. Undoubtedly, something remotely similar already existed in ancient Persia, but what exactly is left to be guessed at.

There is, of course, an "alternative etymology." Many people in Armenia believe that the name of the instrument is associated with onomatopoeia at one of the stages of playing it. And what should be especially emphasized, the associations of duduk with the Armenian cultural tradition are fully justified. It is there that it plays a much larger role than similar instruments in other countries. To his music for many centuries:

• holidays and celebrations are held;
• dancing for fun;
• organize weddings;
• arrange a funeral.

And this is far from a complete list.

Already in the Middle Ages, Armenian manuscripts constantly included drawings of duduk, which showed its importance for state self-identification (although not national, since a nation is a concept of 1789). In the overwhelming majority of cases, it is played in pairs. The roles of the leading and slave duduk player are strictly distributed.

It is curious that among such instruments there are not only Turkish mei, but also Chinese guan, and Japanese chitiriki. It has been established that duduk and its early counterparts in the past were made from bones or from hard reed. The specific sound is due to the wide reed, which is larger than that of other reed instruments. To learn this art, they additionally practice zurna and other wind instruments, and for the performance of dance melodies they accompany the doole - another Armenian, but already percussion instrument.

Duduk is suitable for playing in a variety of keys. It depends not only on the skill of the performers, but also on the length of the tube. Experts note that no significant design changes have been made for many centuries, the adjustments were mainly related to the way of playing. Although the sonic range of the instrument does not exceed one octave, it is not easy to become a professional duduk player.

Returning to the history of the duduk, it is worth emphasizing that it was known even in the ancient state of Urartu, albeit under a different name. If this is true, then such a thing has existed for about 3 millennia. According to some scholars, the duduk was created precisely in the Army during the reign of Tigran II the Great (1st century BC). The spread of this tool took place in two ways. Both the settlement of Armenians in the neighboring states and trade, the importance and scale of which is often underestimated today, could play a significant role.

To hear the duduk, you don't have to look for specific music, come to a concert, or specially go to Yerevan.It fell in love with many directors, was used in a large number of domestic and foreign films.

As has been said many times, the sound of a pipe depends a lot on the material. And the second name "tsiranapoh", or "apricot pipe" (sometimes there is a variant "soul of an apricot tree"), speaks for itself.

The Armenians themselves believe that flute music is capable of conveying absolutely all the emotions and excitements that people face. The sound is soft and warm. Often in reviews it is mentioned that he resembles a human voice with a velvet timbre. The lyrical component is very expressive. When performed professionally in pairs, duduch music is soothing and inspiring. In this case, one musician leads the main theme, and his partner is responsible for the background.

The sound range is one octave or slightly wider. But even such a small strip can be used very effectively. If the holes are only partially covered, then not only diatonic, but also chromatic sounds can be played. The signal is generated by the vibrations of the reed tongue.

The sound of a duduk depends on its scale and length:

• action G (Salt) - 380 mm;
• action A (A) - 360 mm;
• tuning B (B-flat) - 340 mm;
• action H (Si) - 330 mm;
• action C (Up) - 300 mm;
• action D (Pe) - 290 mm.

The first of these types of duduk provides the lowest sound and velvety timbre. The duduk of order A is the most common. With it, you can play melodies from the F-sharp of a small octave to the B note of the first octave. A slightly less common instrument is the B-scale. H-grade models produce a very bright dance sound, and the C scale can be used for soloing and accompaniment. Group D instruments sound a little cleaner than others.

When the duduk player plays at the mourning (sad) ceremony, a quiet cry is heard. Intense emotional singing of the instrument accompanies weddings, anniversaries and official holidays. The sound of a traditional Armenian instrument is quite appropriate in the performance of jazz, blues, rock-n-roll, classical, folk and pop compositions.

At present, the repertoire of most of the performers is mainly limited to old folk music. However, the tenor, baritone and bass varieties of the instrument make it possible to play works by Bach, Rachmaninoff, Khachaturian, Spendiarov, Mozart and a number of other composers.

The length of the traditional duduk varies from 280 to 400 mm. The front side of the instrument is usually equipped with 8 holes for playing. There are 2 more holes on the opposite side: with the help of one of them, the thumb is inserted inside to influence the sound when playing, and the second is used for tuning. The so-called cane (ramish) reaches a length of 90-140 mm. As for the ensemble variants, the length of the bass duduk is 600-650 mm.

First, a little theory. The sound inside the duduk appears due to the vibration of the reed plates. To influence its timbre and color, the air pressure is changed. For the same purpose, the play (front) openings can be locked and opened.The key is usually adjusted using the knob on the cane's cap: pressing the knob increases the frequency, and moving it away, decreases it.

If the duduk does not want to play, you should pay attention to the state of the cane. From time to time it needs to be checked even during the game.

Duduk players must constantly monitor their posture and position of the instrument. The musician himself is obliged to relax. Keep your head straight while playing. Bending your back is unacceptable. In relation to the body, the duduk should be at an angle of 50 degrees.

Breathing freedom is very important. A slight lift of the elbows helps to provide it. If you play while sitting, you cannot cross your legs, otherwise the abdominal press will be overloaded, breathing will be hampered. When the musician is standing, his left leg is slightly behind his right leg. But all this is not enough for completely correct breathing.

It is necessary to draw in air quickly and immediately into the deep parts of the respiratory system. Exhale it should be stretched, smoothly. Physiologists call such breathing combined (abdominal) - it guarantees both optimal sound and lowering of the diaphragm (that is, ease of play). Taking a deep breath, they achieve expansion of the chest, and during a uniform exhalation, the sternum and diaphragm slowly retreat to the starting position.

At the moment of the beginning of the game, the plates inside the reed should be slightly parted. If they are closed, moisture gets there. After draining it and returning the cap to its place, wait 15-20 minutes, and then you can start the lesson.

The starting position is the tip of the cane slightly clamped by the lips. Having done this, the cheeks are puffed out, achieving a slight removal of the lips from the gums. Then carefully, slowly exhale. Training starts with simple exercises. You can put your hands in a simplified way (without using the left little finger) and in a complete way - with the inclusion of all fingers in the work. The complete method is recommended for trained duduk players.

Care must be taken to ensure that the fingers are correctly positioned. Usually all holes are tightly closed. Sometimes individual holes are not clamped tightly. The lack of sound is often associated with strong squeezing of the cane with the lips. It is necessary to monitor your breathing constantly, but you should not blow too much - even a small pressure is enough for the game.

The sound range of the duduk is due to the division of the classical Armenian melody into 8 frets. But skilled craftsmen prefer to make an instrument with a scale similar to a uniform tempered scale. This helps to prevent falsifications in the game and unnecessary actions that complicate the game. Whichever transposition is used, they prefer to tune the duduk to the "Sol" scale of the Dorian sample.

The fingers of the right hand (2, 3, 4 and 5) are placed on the lower playing grooves. Identical fingers of the left hand are used for the upper canals. But the hand needs an emphasis when playing. It usually turns out to be the right thumb. Until recently (until about the 1950s) the duduk did not have a transposition system. The musicians were guided when playing either by ear, or by fitting to the "C" position.

Both approaches did not allow to reveal the possibilities of fingering and to maintain its integrity. Therefore, experts came to the conclusion that the "C" note must be changed. Now, with six fingers, block the upper channels, while making sure to block the upper dorsal notch.

Importantly, the duduk has no play valves. Even modern models only have so-called inaccessible channels.During the game, they are replaced by the action of the performer's fingers. This action allows you to display all sounds even in the weakest beats. Micro-positions ensure smooth shifts between sounds, sometimes reaching glissandos.

Finger training is not enough. Be sure to pay attention to breathing exercises. It is necessary to learn how to synchronize the abdominal region with the buccal reservoirs. A typical exercise is as follows:

• pour water into a glass;
• blowing in air with a straw for drinking juice;
• achieve during inhalation so that the air stream continues to be pumped into the reservoir from the cheek space;
• make sure that the gurgling goes on continuously (even a second break is unacceptable).

Only a complete mastering of the described breathing techniques allows one to then proceed to the study of sound intonation with a mouthpiece. After practicing the exercises with the mouthpiece, they begin to rehearse with the instrument as a whole. Any other order is excluded. Of course, you can master the duduk correctly and deeply only under the guidance of an experienced teacher.

The first steps in learning are mastering the top single notes. The next workouts - mastering the sequential extraction of different notes. You need to learn to pull each note as long as possible. Then comes the time of scales, triads and arpeggios. The "Svirelka" program will help you to learn the fingering of the duduk.

For more information on duduk, see the next video.