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Nagara (drum)
Encyclopedia
The nagara is a folk
drum
with double head that is played on one side with the bare hands. It is performed in Azerbaijan
, Armenia
, Georgia
, Turkey
and other Caucasus
regions. It has different names, according to the territory in which it is played. This membranophone
is different from the dhol
and nagara
of India
.
drum
or percussion instrument
. It is placed under the arm and beaten with the hands. It is longer compared to the regular drums and its diameter is smaller. This is the same as the Azerbaijani
naghara. There is a proverb in the Azerbaijani language
that says "toy-dan-sora-naghara!" This literally means after the wedding ceremonies naghara!
This instrument helped the doctors to deal with bad mood
, melancholy, intellectual
and physical
exhaustion, as well as low blood pressure. It was considered that the Naghara could substitute for some medicinal plants and tones like spicy cloves. The rhythmic beating of the naghara is believed to lead to the strengthening of the heart. The naghara is described in the Early Middle Age Azerbaijani literary epic, "Kitabi Dada Gorgud" (Book of Dede Korkut
) (The Book of my Grandfather). Instruments resembling the Naghara were also well known in ancient Egypt.
Thus, according to the rich scientific and musical heritage of our ancestors, it seems that not only did they listen to music for enjoyment and entertainment, but they perceived music a potent force in the prevention and treatment of various diseases.
in the Caucasus
. The body consists of a hollow wooden cylinder
covered with leather tightly attached to it with iron
rings. It is played by palm
s and finger
s, under or over the arm, while sitting or dancing. It is struck in the center to get the effect of forte and at the edges to get a piano
effect. The doli’s height and diameter of sound producing surface are about 3 to 1. Men mostly play the doli. In performance the doli creates the rhythm of the dance. The doli is often combined with other regional instruments including the chonguri
, the chiboni, the salamuri, the buzika and the duduki.
cylinder
drum traditionally covered with goatskin
on both sides, one high and one low in pitch. Seen here is a pre-fabricated head which is unaffected by changes in humidity, unlike natural skin. Played with the fingers and hands, the "dhol," rests in your lap and sets off to one side with one arm resting on top of the drum. The Dhol is the national percussion instrument of Armenia, used nowadays in almost every genre of traditional Armenian music. It is a versatile drum, very similar to the tom-tom
of a standard drum set in shape. The shell is usually made of pear or apricot wood and is approximately 12 to 14 inches in diameter and 12 inches deep. Both ends of the cylinder are covered in sheep or goatskin and are adjustable for tension using rope lacing and small pulleys. A dhol is capable of producing a very wide range timbre
s and volume
suitable for use in almost any setting.
and Dagestan
, this type of folk cylindrical drum with two skin heads is called baraban, different from the baraban (drum
) of mainland Russia
, which is played with sticks. See also Circassian Music
.
Folk
The English word Folk is derived from a Germanic noun, *fulka meaning "people" or "army"...
drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
with double head that is played on one side with the bare hands. It is performed in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
, Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and other Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
regions. It has different names, according to the territory in which it is played. This membranophone
Membranophone
A membranophone is any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by way of a vibrating stretched membrane. It is one of the four main divisions of instruments in the original Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification....
is different from the dhol
Dhol
Dhol can refer to any one of a number of similar types of double-headed drum widely used, with regional variations, throughout the Indian subcontinent and nearby regions. Its range of distribution in India and Pakistan primarily includes northern areas such as the Assam Valley, Bengal, Gujarat,...
and nagara
Naqareh
The naqqāra is a drum with a rounded back and a hide head. It is thus a membranophone.The term naqqāra , also naqqarat, naqqarah, naqqåre, nakkare, nagora comes from the Arabic verb naqr- that means "to strike, beat".-Construction:The rounded section of a naqqara is made of baked clay, while the...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Nagara
The nağara (also called koltuk davulu) is a Turkish folkFolk
The English word Folk is derived from a Germanic noun, *fulka meaning "people" or "army"...
drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
or percussion instrument
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
. It is placed under the arm and beaten with the hands. It is longer compared to the regular drums and its diameter is smaller. This is the same as the Azerbaijani
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
naghara. There is a proverb in the Azerbaijani language
Azerbaijani language
Azerbaijani or Azeri or Torki is a language belonging to the Turkic language family, spoken in southwestern Asia by the Azerbaijani people, primarily in Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran...
that says "toy-dan-sora-naghara!" This literally means after the wedding ceremonies naghara!
This instrument helped the doctors to deal with bad mood
Mood (psychology)
A mood is a relatively long lasting emotional state. Moods differ from emotions in that they are less specific, less intense, and less likely to be triggered by a particular stimulus or event....
, melancholy, intellectual
Intellectual
An intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
and physical
Human body
The human body is the entire structure of a human organism, and consists of a head, neck, torso, two arms and two legs.By the time the human reaches adulthood, the body consists of close to 100 trillion cells, the basic unit of life...
exhaustion, as well as low blood pressure. It was considered that the Naghara could substitute for some medicinal plants and tones like spicy cloves. The rhythmic beating of the naghara is believed to lead to the strengthening of the heart. The naghara is described in the Early Middle Age Azerbaijani literary epic, "Kitabi Dada Gorgud" (Book of Dede Korkut
Book of Dede Korkut
The Book of Dede Korkut, also spelled as Dada Gorgud, Dede Qorqut or Korkut-ata , is the most famous epic stories of the Oghuz Turks The stories carry morals and values significant to the social lifestyle of the nomadic Turks and their pre-Islamic beliefs...
) (The Book of my Grandfather). Instruments resembling the Naghara were also well known in ancient Egypt.
Thus, according to the rich scientific and musical heritage of our ancestors, it seems that not only did they listen to music for enjoyment and entertainment, but they perceived music a potent force in the prevention and treatment of various diseases.
Doli
The doli is played across GeorgiaGeorgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
in the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
. The body consists of a hollow wooden cylinder
Cylinder (geometry)
A cylinder is one of the most basic curvilinear geometric shapes, the surface formed by the points at a fixed distance from a given line segment, the axis of the cylinder. The solid enclosed by this surface and by two planes perpendicular to the axis is also called a cylinder...
covered with leather tightly attached to it with iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
rings. It is played by palm
Hand
A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered extremity located at the end of an arm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs...
s and finger
Finger
A finger is a limb of the human body and a type of digit, an organ of manipulation and sensation found in the hands of humans and other primates....
s, under or over the arm, while sitting or dancing. It is struck in the center to get the effect of forte and at the edges to get a piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
effect. The doli’s height and diameter of sound producing surface are about 3 to 1. Men mostly play the doli. In performance the doli creates the rhythm of the dance. The doli is often combined with other regional instruments including the chonguri
Chonguri
The chonguri is a plucked string musical instrument from Georgia. It has 4 nylon strings.-Choghur:The choghur dates back to the 12th to 16th centuries, the period between the gopuz and the saz. In the Caucasus, Iran and Anatolia, and in Sufi traditions, darvishes and ashugs used an instrument...
, the chiboni, the salamuri, the buzika and the duduki.
Dhol
The dhol is an ArmenianArmenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
cylinder
Cylinder (geometry)
A cylinder is one of the most basic curvilinear geometric shapes, the surface formed by the points at a fixed distance from a given line segment, the axis of the cylinder. The solid enclosed by this surface and by two planes perpendicular to the axis is also called a cylinder...
drum traditionally covered with goatskin
Goatskin (material)
Goatskin is the skin of a goat.Non tanned goatskin is used for parchment or for drumheads or sounding boards of some musical instruments, e.g., mišnice in medieval Europe, bodhrán in Ireland, esraj in India and for instrumental drum skin named bedug in Indonesia.Tanned leather from goatskin is...
on both sides, one high and one low in pitch. Seen here is a pre-fabricated head which is unaffected by changes in humidity, unlike natural skin. Played with the fingers and hands, the "dhol," rests in your lap and sets off to one side with one arm resting on top of the drum. The Dhol is the national percussion instrument of Armenia, used nowadays in almost every genre of traditional Armenian music. It is a versatile drum, very similar to the tom-tom
Tom-tom drum
A tom-tom drum is a cylindrical drum with no snare.Although "tom-tom" is the British term for a child's toy drum, the name came originally from the Anglo-Indian and Sinhala; the tom-tom itself comes from Asian or Native American cultures...
of a standard drum set in shape. The shell is usually made of pear or apricot wood and is approximately 12 to 14 inches in diameter and 12 inches deep. Both ends of the cylinder are covered in sheep or goatskin and are adjustable for tension using rope lacing and small pulleys. A dhol is capable of producing a very wide range timbre
Timbre
In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices and musical instruments, such as string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that determine the...
s and volume
Volume
Volume is the quantity of three-dimensional space enclosed by some closed boundary, for example, the space that a substance or shape occupies or contains....
suitable for use in almost any setting.
Baraban
In CircassiaCircassia
Circassia was an independent mountainous country located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia and was the largest and most important country in the Caucasus. Circassia was located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea...
and Dagestan
Dagestan
The Republic of Dagestan is a federal subject of Russia, located in the North Caucasus region. Its capital and the largest city is Makhachkala, located at the center of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea...
, this type of folk cylindrical drum with two skin heads is called baraban, different from the baraban (drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
) of mainland Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, which is played with sticks. See also Circassian Music
Circassian Music
Circassian music refers to music of the Circassians , people from Northern Caucasus, Russia. Their music demonstrates their traditions and habits.- Instruments :Circassian music is characterized by certain instruments, including:...
.
External links
- http://www.discoverturkey.com/english/kultursanat/b-h-nagara.html
- http://azeri.org/Azeri/az_latin/manuscripts/music_therapy/english/113_music_therapy_farid.html
- http://world-beats.com/instruments/dhol.htm
- http://www.nasehpour.com/peyman/id56.html
- Youtube Video - Baraban from Circassia
- Youtube Video - Baraban from Dagestan
See also
- NaqaraNaqaraA naqara was an especially large drum that was used by the Mongol in battle. The drum itself was so large it was necessary to have it carried in to battle by a beast of burden, traditionally a camel. Its main use was as a signaling device, to let warriors know when an attack, especially a surprise...
- NaqarehNaqarehThe naqqāra is a drum with a rounded back and a hide head. It is thus a membranophone.The term naqqāra , also naqqarat, naqqarah, naqqåre, nakkare, nagora comes from the Arabic verb naqr- that means "to strike, beat".-Construction:The rounded section of a naqqara is made of baked clay, while the...
- NakerNakerA naker or nakir is a small drum, of Arabic origin, and the forebear of the European timpani .The nakers were imported into Europe during the Crusades of the 13th century....
- KudumKudümKudüm is one of the most fundamental rhythm instruments in classical Turkish music. The personplaying it is called kudümzen. It is among ney, rebap, and halile as one of thefour main instruments in Mevlevi music....
- DholDholDhol can refer to any one of a number of similar types of double-headed drum widely used, with regional variations, throughout the Indian subcontinent and nearby regions. Its range of distribution in India and Pakistan primarily includes northern areas such as the Assam Valley, Bengal, Gujarat,...