KAZAKH TRADITIONAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

KAZAKH
TRADITIONAL
MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS
COMPLETED:GABDYGALYMOVA AZHAR

Kazakh traditional music can be divided into
two genres: instrumental music and vocal music.
Instrumental music is called Kuy and performed
by soloists using Kazakh traditional musical
instruments, e.g. dombra, kobyz, etc. Among the
most famous kuy composers there are
Kurmangazy, Dina, Dauletkerey, Tattimbet, etc.

Dombra is probably the most popular
Kazakh musical instrument. Its gentle, soft
and velvety melodious sound is produced by
only two strings.
Nowadays some dombra kuys are arranged
and performed in rock or modern pop style,
e.g. by Ulytau, Asylbek Ensepov, and even
classical music is performed by traditional
Kazakh instruments, which give them new
sounding.

According to archeologists, along with dombra, a
kobyz was also one of the most common musical
instruments of early nomads. Kobyz is a bowed
string instrument, mainly used in religious and
magical rituals by baqsi (shamans), as well as folk
singers. Kobyz served as a means of communication
with the spirits. Imitation of nature sounds are
characteristic to kobyz kuys, e.g. howling of wolves,
cry of swans, running horse, the sound of a released
arrow.
Kobyz is believed to be the most ancient of all
bowed string instruments in the world.

Sybyzgy is widely used instrument in the
past, made from a hollow stem of saltwort.
The simple form and the availability of the
material from which it is made, contributed
to its popularity among Kazakh musicians.
By its tone quality sybyzgy produces a
trembling sound, resembling tremor and
agitation of the sound. Sybyzgy sounds
could be heard on summer pastures, at
weddings, birth of a child ceremonies,
during arrival of honourable guests.



Zhetygen is an ancient Kazakh and Turkic stringed
musical instrument resembling a lying harp. Classic
zhetygen has seven strings, modern renovated ones
have 15 strings.
The most ancient type of zhetygen was an oblong
box, carved from a piece of wood. On this zhetygen
there were no upper decks or tuners. The strings
were stretched by hand from the outside of the tool.
Later zhetygen’s upper part was covered with a
wooden deck. Under each string tripped on both
sides asyks (bones) acting as pegs. Moving them
one could adjust strings and their sound.
Currently, folklore ensembles use reconstructed
zhetygen in which in order to expand the range of
sounds, the number of strings is increased up to 15.
Zhetygen has a mild, melodious sound.

Shankobyz is a tongue folk instrument. It
refers to self-sounding reed musical
instruments.
To play shankobyz, it should be pressed
against one’s teeth or the lips and the oral
cavity serves as a resonator. Changing the
articulation of the mouth and breathing
makes it possible to change the tone quality
of the instrument. In addition, new tones to
the sound are made by changing the
diaphragm position, many pharyngeal,
laryngeal, tounge, lip and other methods of
sound production. Shankobyz is usually
made from metal or wood.

Daulpaz is a Kazakh national percussion
instrument. It is a musical instrument with a
very strong loud sound, it served in the past to
give military signals, such as an attack signal.
Loud sounds of percussion instruments were
also used to invite people to hunting or to
perform religious rites, announce the
upcoming migrations, etc.

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