All about the Yakut khomus

Thinking about mastering an original musical instrument, it makes sense to turn your attention to the Yakut khomus. Learning to play the jew's harp does not present any particular difficulties, but the emerging music will not leave anyone indifferent.

The Yakut khomus, also known as the jew's harp, is a musical instrument of the indigenous people of the Sakha Republic. It is believed that the history of its existence dates back more than 5 thousand years. Always considered an attribute of shamans, the khomus has a mystical, like a cosmic sound that sets it apart from all other musical devices. They say that an object that fits in the palm of your hand is capable of "singing with the voice of nature." Today the jew's harp is not only a "participant" in shamanic rituals, but also a symbol of folk culture.

Previously, it was customary to carve the Yakut khomus out of wood or bone, trying to outwardly give it the shape of a tree into which lightning fell. It is noticed that when the wind shakes such a tree, mysterious sounds arise. Once upon a time, people considered it sacred and even kept the slivers falling out. The modern jew's harp is most often made of iron, which has great advantages. Initially, it repeated the shape of a wooden khomus, but today it looks like a horseshoe, as it is composed of a rim and two elongated sticks, the so-called "cheeks".

The steel tongue starts in the middle of the rim and moves between the cheeks. Having passed the sticks, this part bends, forming a vibrating plate with a curved tip, capable of producing sounds.The jew's harp is often decorated with national patterns, the meanings of some of which have not yet been determined.

For the Yakuts, the use of a jew's harp is a very intimate action. Shamans used a musical instrument to fight diseases and get rid of evil spirits. In addition, "space" music was often accompanied by declarations of love. Women also played music on the khomus - thanks to this, even a whole genre of khomus chants was gradually formed. It is interesting that today's residents of Altai most often play the instrument without hands while milking cows, which, when calming down, give more milk. After the revolution, the jew's harp was banned for some time, but today the tradition is being revived, and more and more people are interested in the opportunity to study with the masters.

To play the Yakut khomus requires complete concentration, since the music will have to be perceived not only with the ears, but also with the whole body. Masters of jew's harp music also claim that before starting training with a device, you must "merge", wearing it as a pendant around your neck or in your pocket. Of course, it is forbidden to transfer the jew's harp to someone else during this period. It is curious that for the owner of the khomus, his case also plays a significant role. The tradition is quite widespread to make it in the form of a totemic animal, or to decorate it with an image of a spirit, which was to play the role of the keeper of the instrument.

The Yakut khomus can differ both in structure, including the number of tongues, and in the material of manufacture, in the pitch and tone of the sound produced. There are both miniature and slightly enlarged models. The purity of sound, depth and tonality depend on the dimensions of the device.

The design of the Yakut khomus is very simple: the base is a ring and a freely moving tongue. The instrument can be either one-piece (when the tongue is immediately cut into the base), or multi-piece (when the separated tongue is fixed to the ring). Outwardly, the jew's harp can resemble an arc or a thin narrow plate. Arcuate varieties are forged from metal rods, in the center of which a steel part is attached, ending with a hook.

Expensive models are often made from a silver or copper rod, and then decorated with inlay and engraving. Lamellar jew's harps are created from a solid plate, in the middle of which there is a slot, and the tongue is either also additionally fixed, or simply cut out of the same base. Musical plates are usually made of wood, bone, or bamboo.

The varieties of jew's harp that exist in the regions of the country, and the whole world, have their own specifics. For example, the Altai komuz is a medium-sized instrument with a light tongue and an oval base. The German multrommel is a large unit that produces low and loud sounds. Vietnamese Dan Moi refers to the lamellar varieties. It should be pressed against the lips, resulting in a soft, high and long sound. The tongue of a small Nepalese murchunga is elongated in the opposite direction.

The musicians themselves are also constantly improving this instrument. So, khomus Osipova is considered a versatile tool, ideal for beginners. It allows you to create fast and slow, quiet and loud music, and you can beat both on yourself and against yourself. The sensitivity and pitch range are the same, but the sound is still organic.

Luginova's harp has a rich sound and a wide range of overtones.

The Yakut khomus Mandarova is famous for its dense low timbre. The metal construction with soft tongue is ideal for energetic performance. The resulting sound is called unpretentious and undemanding to the professionalism of the musician.

Maltsev's singing khomuses are deservedly recognized as one of the best. Clean sound, bright sound, low timbre - all this explains the popularity of this variety among performers. The average hardness of the tongue allows you to maintain the rhythm even with an acceleration of the pace.

Master Chemchoev's jew's harp creates a loud and surround sound. Medium-hardness tongue is suitable for performers in any direction.

The Yakut khomus has from one to four reeds. An instrument with one detail sounds on one note. Its vibration is created by the exhaled and inhaled air, as well as the articulation of the player. The more reeds there are, the richer the sound produced will be.

The sound of the jew's harp largely coincides with the manner of the throat singing of the peoples of Siberia. The music becomes especially mesmerizing when the khomusist begins to weave speech into the sounds, as if singing through the jew's harp and, of course, thereby intensifying the vibrations. The jew's harp is considered to be a self-sounding instrument, emitting “velvety” sounds, but with a “metallic note”. Professionals believe that such music is soothing and thought-provoking.

The State Khomus Museum, which has international status, is located in the city of Yakutsk. The exposition presents about 9 thousand exhibits from all over the world, including the Chukchi khomus, Tuvan folk, Indian, Mongolian and many others. The cultural institution was founded on November 30, 1990 by Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Ivan Yegorovich Alekseev. Today it is an actively developing cultural institution in which all kinds of events are held, the main fund of which is increasing every year.

The exposition of the first hall allows guests to get acquainted with the peculiarities of making a musical instrument and see the creations of recognized masters, including those of the 18th-19th centuries. The second hall is dedicated to jew's harps from almost 90 different countries. It is here that you can get acquainted with products made of bamboo, reed, bone, iron, wood and their combinations. The collection of the khomusist Shishigin plays a significant role here. In the third hall, the collection of Frederick Crane, received by the museum in 2009, awaits visitors. The American professor has been collecting more than six hundred exhibits since 1961, and the oldest of them date back to the XIV century. In the adjacent room, you can learn the fascinating history of the establishment of the Guinness record for one-time play on the khomus in 2011, as well as see a sample that has been in space.

To learn how to play the jew's harp, you must first master the basic technique, and then, having learned to keep the rhythm, start improvising. Holding the khomus correctly is not as difficult as it might seem. With his leading hand, he takes the ring, after which the outer "cheeks" are tightly pressed against the teeth so that a small gap is formed. It is important that the tongue passes between the teeth, but does not touch them. To make the jew's harp sound, you need to make the tongue move. This is usually done with the index finger, which is lightly tapped on this part.

Lessons on playing the khomus also imply mastering the basic techniques of striking the tongue. Future musicians will have to learn how to twist with a free brush, while simultaneously tapping with a bent finger on the front of the part. With the acceleration or deceleration of the rhythm, both the strength and the pace of this mechanical action change. It is not forbidden to rotate the brush in the opposite direction and also knock your finger on the tongue.

Setting the direction of sound is obtained thanks to the organs of speech. For example, if you put your lips around the body, the music of the jew's harp will become more intense. Vibrations of the tongue and lip movements will also help.

How the Yakut khomus sounds, see the video below.