What is kubyz and how to play it?

Today, the variety of musical instruments is simply mesmerizing. In this article, we will consider what a kubyz is and how to play it.

Kubyz is an original musical instrument that has much in common with the jew's harp and is popular in Bashkiria. It is a self-sounding plucked instrument made from different materials. It can be either wooden or metal.

Kubyz is presented in the form of an arc, with a tongue located in its center. For a sound to appear, you should clamp the kubyz with your lips, and support it with your left hand. You need to pinch the tongue with the finger of your right hand. It is he who will emit a drone sound during vibration. If you change the articulation, you will get overtones. It should be noted that the sound of kubyz is rather quiet. The range includes sounds within one octave, 7 notes in total.

The standard kubyz is presented in two varieties, as noted above. It should be added that the metal version can be rectangular, trapezoidal or arched.

If you understand the principle of creating music with the help of kubyz, then you can quickly learn how to play it, because this instrument is quite simple. If the metal version is used, then you need to hold it with your left hand, clamp it with your lips and bring it closer to your closed teeth. The fingers of the right hand should pinch the tongue itself. In this way, vibrations are generated, which are transformed into sound.If we consider a wooden model, then to create a sound, it is necessary to pull the tongue by the thread that is attached to it.

Kubyz is not a popular musical instrument in the world, but it ranks first on the territory of Bashkortostan. Of course, among the local population there are real masters who play this instrument amazingly beautifully. Let's get to know them better.

• Robert Zagretdinov. He is a professional kubyz player and has received many awards. So, almost 30 years ago, at the International Festival of Traditional Folk Instruments, he was awarded the title of a virtuoso of the whole world in Yakutia. Austria hosted an international festival 20 years ago, where he was one of the jury members, which testifies to his enormous experience.

• Mindigafur Zainetdinov. This is the Honored Artist of the Republic of Bashkortostan. He was also awarded the title of "Virtuoso of the World" at the international-level jew's harp music competition, which took place in Yakutia 10 years ago. Another victory was the first place at the International Festival-Competition of Jew's Harp Music, which was held in Turkey last autumn.

Special attention should be paid to the craftsmen who make kubyzes, because the sound also largely depends on the instrument itself.

• Timur Vakhitov. Vatikhova's Tatar standard kubyz is a fairly well-known model. It has excellent controllability, allows you to modulate the sound with both the throat and the tongue. Sound is characterized by brightness, stability and clarity.

• Mustafin's kubyzes are quite famous. They are made of metal, have a low cost and convenient dimensions. Product weight is about 21 grams.

You don't need to have any special skills to learn how to play the kubyz. The training takes only a few minutes, while everyone can learn how to do it, the main thing is desire. So, the learning process includes several simple steps.

1. Take the musical instrument in your hands, while trying to keep your fingers away from the tongue. Fingers can be positioned in different ways. Usually, for beginners, the following method is suggested: firmly hold the ring between your thumb and forefinger. Although there is not much difference, since the main thing is convenience. The instrument must be secured and the tongue must be freely accessible.
2. Next, you need to place the musical instrument near the teeth, open them slightly and press the decks against them. You need to be very careful, because you should not bite or pinch the kubyz, namely, press the body to the tips of the teeth. As a result, a small gap should form, in the future, the tongue will be able to vibrate in it, which will be accompanied by the creation of sounds. But the lips should not be pinched - slightly embrace, hug the decks of the instrument, but also not interfere with the game itself.
3. Hit the tongue. You can strike both towards yourself and away from yourself, while you can use any finger to strike. The main thing is that the impact on the tongue should set it in motion. Experts advise initially beginners to hit themselves, then the game will turn out cleaner and easier. And if you hit the tongue by slightly lowering or lifting it, then it can hit the body or teeth, while creating a rather unmusical sound.
4. Try to practice a lot. Of course, you can learn how to create sounds on a kubyz in just a few minutes, but only practice will allow you to play it beautifully.The world famous virtuoso Robert Zagretdinov said that every day he devotes 1 hour to training his mouth, lips, facial expressions and fingers, and also rehearses on a musical instrument for about 2 hours.

You can use special tutorials to quickly and beautifully learn how to play the kubyz.

• Video course “Altai komus. First Acquaintance ”includes information that will allow you to acquire initial skills. This manual describes the techniques of playing the kubyz. The teachers are the masters N. Shumarov and V. Potkin, who are famous in the Altai Territory.
• Educational materials from R. Rakhimov - a popular folklorist who masterfully owns kubyz and jew's harps. He is a kubyz class teacher at the Ufa Music College. It is worth paying attention to his monograph “Rakhimov RG Bashkir kubyz (Maultrommel). Folk collection ". In this manual, the author conducts research that concerns the history of the musical instrument. He talks about its varieties, the Bashkir masters of the kubyz. This brochure specifies the nuances of playing the instrument, and also contains notes of traditional Bashkir tunes. Everyone can make a wooden kubyz according to the scheme. In addition, the manufacturing process is complemented by colorful pictures, which is important. And also the set includes a disc on which expeditionary recordings of the performance of folk music on kubyz are presented.