kemençe
Turkish stringed instrument
A kemençe is a bowed string instrument from the Black Sea region of Turkey and nearby areas.
It has a small, narrow body and three strings, held upright on the knee while played.
The instrument is central to traditional folk music and dance in its home regions: The kemençe's sharp, nasal tone cut through the crowd as dancers circled.
Landlocked sea near Caucasus
- GreeksNatives of Athens' homeland
- PontusBlack Sea coastal kingdom
- Pontic GreeksHellenic people from Anatolia's coast
- diasporaScattered population sharing origins
Anatolia · mountain music · highland · nostalgia · homeland · emigration · traditional craft
Respectful forward inclination
- stringsThin flexible lines
- fiddleAdjust restlessly; folk violin
- lyraGreek stringed instrument
- spike fiddleLute with protruding endpin
pear-shaped · soundbox · horsehair · bridge · tuning pegs · resonator · frets · neck
Inherited communal music
- lamentsExpresses grief vocally
- balladsNarrative verse set to music
- improvisationSpontaneous, unplanned creation
- melodyPleasing sequence of notes
ornamentation · drone · modal · pentatonic · microtones · vibrato · glissando · trills
Group moves in ring
- weddingMarriage rite and feast
- celebrationFestive event marking occasion
- folk danceCommunal heritage choreography
- rhythmPatterned stress and silence
tempo · festivity · village · gathering · stamping · communal · line dance · traditional
Of ancient Greece/Rome
- ConstantinopleHistoric Turkish metropolis
- IstanbulTurkish city, formerly Constantinople
- palaceMonarch's official residence
- Ottoman courtTurkish imperial administration
Black Sea
Landlocked sea near Caucasus
- GreeksNatives of Athens' homeland
- PontusBlack Sea coastal kingdom
- Pontic GreeksHellenic people from Anatolia's coast
diaspora · Anatolia · mountain music · highland · nostalgia · homeland · emigration · traditional craft
bow
Respectful forward inclination
spike fiddle · pear-shaped · soundbox · horsehair · bridge · tuning pegs · resonator · frets · neck · soundhole
folk songs
Inherited communal music
- lamentsExpresses grief vocally
- balladsNarrative verse set to music
- improvisationSpontaneous, unplanned creation
melody · ornamentation · drone · modal · pentatonic · microtones · vibrato · glissando · trills · repertory
circle dance
Group moves in ring
- weddingMarriage rite and feast
- celebrationFestive event marking occasion
- folk danceCommunal heritage choreography
rhythm · tempo · festivity · village · gathering · stamping · communal · line dance · traditional · ceremony
classical
Of ancient Greece/Rome
- ConstantinopleHistoric Turkish metropolis
- IstanbulTurkish city, formerly Constantinople
- palaceMonarch's official residence