Instruments of Malhun Music
Malhun music originally developed as an exclusively vocal style of music, with the singer accompanying himself on a drum (deff). Today, Malhun music can be accompanied by a bendir or tbla, or by the instruments traditionally used in Andalusian ensembles.
The gimbri (also known as the sintir or hajhuj), is a plucked lute with three strings. The strings are tuned with a tuning noose, which can be raised and lowered to change the pitch. A metal piece, with rings, is attached to the neck of the gimbri, which produces a jingling sound audible during play. The gimbri tone is bass. The gimbri used in Malhun music was borrowed from the Gnawa tradition. Another type of gimbri sometimes used is the swisen, which is a small, high-pitched folk lute.
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The oud is a five-stringed plucked instrument used in music throughout the Middle East. The oud used in Malhun music is the Arab oud, which is tuned slightly lower than the Turkish oud. The western cousin of the oud is the lute.
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The darbouka, also called the doumbek, is a single-head drum. It is played held under the arm, or held sideways on the lap. Variations of this drum are found across North Africa and the Middle East.
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The taarija is a hand-held drum, made out of clay, with a goat-skin head. They can also occasionally be made out of metal. They are held in the palm, and can produce various tones depending on where on the head is hit.
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The modern kamenjah is a violin played on the knee, as shown in the picture. The violin is traditionally tuned to G, D, G', and D'.
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The tbel (also known as ganga) is a large double-headed drum played with one curved stick and one straight stick. It used in more spirtual performances of Malhun.
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The bendir is a frame drum played with the fingers, and it usually has a snare stretched across its back (as shown in the photograph), which produces a buzzing sound when the instrument is played. It is commonly used in Moroccan Berber music. It is also found across North Africa, ancient Egypt, and Mesopotamia.
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