How to play the duduk?

Duduk is an ancient Armenian wind musical instrument resembling a flute. Its appearance is that of a pipe made of hardwood, but instruments made of apricot wood reproduce especially enchanting sound. There are 8 holes on the body (there are models that have 7 or 9) on the playing side and 1 hole (or 2) on the back.

Playing the duduk cannot be called simple, since it has its own difficulties and peculiarities, as, indeed, other musical instruments. Before you start playing, you need to master the basics of technology.

When playing the duduk, all fingers of both hands are used. The index, middle, ring and pinky fingers are required to close and open the holes on the playing side of the instrument. Moreover, the fingers of the right hand are responsible for the 4 lower holes, and the fingers of the left hand are responsible for the upper ones.

The thumb of the right hand has the function of supporting the instrument and the duduk player's hand. The thumb of the left hand is clamped to the back hole in the upper part of the instrument. If there are 2 back holes, then the lower one is either pressed to the chest, or closed with a special valve, if necessary.

The fingering of the instrument is absolutely the same for any tuning of the instrument, only its scale is different. The musical notation is also the same, but the scale of the duduk must be indicated.

Breathing for the duduk player is of particular importance. The beginning musician will need preparation to learn how to breathe correctly while playing.

The breathing technique of the performer on this instrument is considered rather difficult: one should learn to synchronize the breathing system with the cheek cavities. This can be compared with two communicating reservoirs, where air from the first is injected into the second by impulses, and from the second the air flow comes out evenly.

It must be said that breathing training can take a lot of time. There are special exercises to help develop breathing. They are carried out without tools.

1. Calmly inhale air through the nose and corners of the mouth, and exhale through the mouth. In this case, it is necessary to observe the processes of inhalation and exhalation, as well as the state of the muscles involved in them. Exhalation should be controlled - it should be carried out evenly with equal force. Later, the exercise is performed in different rhythmic segments for inhalation and exhalation.
2. Inhale air quickly, hold your breath for 8 seconds, exhale slowly for the same 8 seconds. Inhale air for 8 seconds, exhale for 1 second, hold your breath for 8 seconds. Repeat a quick breath, hold your breath and exhale slowly.
3. Training for the development of three types of breathing: chest, diaphragmatic (abdominal) and mixed (chest-abdominal). But it is better to start with the latter, which gives a softer sound when playing and allows you to achieve ease of performance.

The instrument is supported while playing with the thumbs of both hands and, naturally, with the playing fingers. It can be horizontal or inclined, depending on the style of the performer or the model of the duduk. In some cases, it can even fit almost vertically if it is necessary to cover the lower dorsal canal. The mouthpiece of the instrument is inserted from the side of the upper end of the tube-body, therefore the most convenient position of the duduk is at a slight slope (within 45-60 ° to the vertical).

Legs should not be crossed, and elbows should be kept raised for breathing freedom. When playing in a standing position, the right foot is usually extended slightly forward for stability.

Anyone who wants to master the technique of playing the duduk must at least undergo initial training with a teacher. Lessons with a professional will help you learn:

1. breathe correctly;
2. place your fingers on the playing holes;
3. place the mouthpiece in the labial apparatus;
4. tune the instrument to the desired key;
5. learn the first melody.

After that, you can purchase a self-study guide and continue to study on it on your own. The whole technique of the game consists in breathing and closing or opening a certain number of playing holes.

True, there are also features with the energy of the air blown through the mouthpiece: the stronger the flow, the higher the sound.

All this affects the quality and accuracy of the melody being reproduced.

It is worth listening to how the music on the duduk sounds in the video below.