Qanun Instrument: The Middle East And Asian Regions (Other (Not Listed) Sample)

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Qanun Instrument
The qanun refers to a string instrument mostly played in the Middle East and Asian regions. It is a traditional instrument with a large zither and a narrow trapezoidal soundboard made of PVC or nylon strings stretched over one bridge and on fish skins on the other end. In Jordan, for instance, it takes the structure of a large soundbox resembling the traditional zither with the same trapezoidal shape. On the right-hand side, the strings attach to a transcended bridge that rests or goat or fish skin covered windows. The left-hand side, however, has strings passing over a series of small levers permitting the practice of micro-tuning to produce quarter, centi, and with tones. Similarly, the number of strings as well as the technique of tuning contrast based on the regional predilection. Case in point, in Jordan, the instrument serves to provide a somewhat harp-like quality of sound.
Even though the instrument applied in Arabic music as diverse and numerous, it is one of the historical instruments introduced in Europe by 12 century, becoming popular in the periods from 14th all through the 16th century as a psaltery or zither. In France, it referred to as a canon and Kanon in Germany. The prevalence of crusades further facilitated its return to Europe in the region of 14th and 16th centuries. During the era of Sultan Selim III, there were no accounts of qanun players, yet after the reign of Mahmud II (1808-1839), records mentioning qanun players emerged. Later in the 19th and 20th centuries, the qanun became a popular instrument, especially among the women.
In the Arabic perspective, the qanun means ‘law’ and in English, it exists in the form of a canon. The form of qanun present in Jordan, for instance, resembles a shape of a trapezoid with a flat board with over 81 strings running. In addition to that, the traditional qanun instrument comes in groups of three consisting of 24-tremble chord for every note. An individual playing the instrument places it on the knees or a table of reasonable height used by the musician. Playing the instrument follows the process of plucking the strings using a finger or an equivalent of two plectra, one plectrum attached to the finger of left and right hands. Moreover, a transcended bridge resting on a goat o...