Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches. The clarinet family  is the largest such woodwind family, with more than a dozen types, ranging from the B B? contrabass   to the A?soprano.  Of these many are rare or obsolete, and music written for them is usually played on one of the more common types. The unmodified word clarinet usually refers to the B? soprano clarinet, by far the most common clarinet.

A person who plays the clarinet is called a clarinetist or clarinettist. The clarinet was invented in   Germany by Johann  Christopher  Denner   around the turn of the 18th century, by adding a register key   to the earlier chalumeau. Over time, additional keywork and airtight pads were added to improve tone and playability. Today, the clarinet is used in both jazz and classical ensembles, as well as in chamber groups and as a solo instrument.

Common to Turkish musical styles, the metal low G Albert system clarinet is 31 inches in overall length, with a 3 1/4 inch diameter bell. Rekor made, concert pitched in G, with two right hand ring keys, C and Eb key rollers, and a patant C# mechanism. Comes with a soft reed and nylon case with handles and carrying strap. For replacment reeds, have a look at our Bb clarinet reeds (WIN179A, B, or C, SPS645 / 646 / or 647, or any of our many flavors of "flavored" clarinet reeds).

Mustafa Kandirali, Husnu Senlendirici most of the popular master Turkish clarinet players

Kudum (small double drum) consists of a pair of small, hemispherical drums. When used for religious purposes they were known as "kudüm", and as "nakkare" when used in a secular context or in mehter music. It was one of the four main instruments used in dervish mystical music (the others being the ney, rebap and halile) before its enrichment with instruments such as the tambur, kemençe and kanun.

The drums are some 28-30 cm. in diameter, made of beaten copper, and resemble two bowls, one larger than the other. Some 16 cm. high, these grow narrow towards the bottom. Skin 2 mm. thick is stretched over the mouth of the larger, and 1 mm thick over the smaller. The high-pitched drum (tek) is placed on the left, the other (düm) on the right. The tek, with its thinner skin, is slightly smaller than the düm. The drums are placed on two leather links filled with cotton to prevent them slipping and moving about, and are played with two wooden sticks known as "zahme". The metal body of the kudüm is generally covered with leather to prevent it giving off a tinny sound.

Kasik (spoon) is a Turkish percussion instrument. The ones made from boxwood are particularly favoured. The handles are taken between the fingers and the oval parts are held towards the inside of the hand ina backto back position. There are also different holding style.

Tayyar Akdeniz is playing kasik (spoon) in concert in Mexico City

Çalpare (Çarpare)

It is composed of 4 pieces of wood in the shape of a spoon, generally, made of boxwood. They are attached to each other with a string or another substance. It is played like Zilli Masa. Two are held in the palm of one hand and the other two in the palm of the other hand and sound is produced by striking both of them.

This was popular in the Iranian music. It was later adapted by the Arabs and from them the Spaniards and eventually, "Kastanyet" were shaped up. Some of our proverbs are also assimilated with Çalpare. For instance; "Çalparasiz oynamak", "Etegi çalpara çalmak" means to be very joyful.

Source : Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture, Directorate General of Fine Arts

Zills commonly have a diameter of about 5 cm (2 in). Accomplished dancers will often have a second — slightly larger — set for use in noisy situations. A set of zills consists of four cymbals, two for each hand.

Makers of zills commonly use brass rather than the bronze used for larger cymbals, but they may also employ many other alloys. They may plate some zills in order to give a silvery colour or a brighter surface. Dancers speak of silver tone and gold tone, and may have several sets with different tones for different dances, or of different colours to match different costumes. Modern dancers use elastic to secure the zills, one to the thumb and one to the middle finger of each hand. A hole or two slots allow the threading of the elastic through the zill. Performers use a variety of ways to cause the zills to ring, resulting in a wide range of sounds that the instruments can produce.

Zills belong to the standard instruments used in Ottoman military bands and also occasionally appear as part of Western orchestral or other musical performances. In these cases musicians usually just call them finger cymbals and use them to obtain a ringing sound with "Middle Eastern" associations. Percussionists playing finger cymbals sometimes use a less complicated technique than the traditional one used by dancers. The musician holds one cymbal in each hand by gripping the strap between the thumb and the index finger, and plays them by striking the rims together. They use this technique for occasional flourishes in the music rather than for complex rhythms and sounds.

The Daire/Tef (tambourine) percussion instrument was used in various ways by the ancient civilisations in Anatolia, Mesopotamia and Egypts, and by those that followed, as well as by the Ottomans for both religious and secular purposes. It then moved on from those regions to Europe.

The daire is about 30-40 cm. in diameter, and is made by stretching animal skin over one side of a wooden rim, generally made of walnut. Bronze discs, generally in pairs, are attached to struts running through holes in the rim. When the skin is struck, these discs rattle, producing a more colourful sound. As well as discs, various chains and links have also been employed. The instrument can come in different sizes, and large ones were used by shamans in former time, giving rise to the name "shaman tambourine". Versions without bells are more generally used in a religious context, and are called "bendir", "bender" or "mazhar".

Smaller tambourines are known as "tef", and these normally have a diameter of 28-30 cm. These are known as "duf" in Persian and "defik" in Arabic, and it is from these that the Turkish name comes. The most popular skins are dog and calf, although the skins of other animals are also used. The rim of the tef is usually 4-6 cm. tall. The rim is frequently decorated with veneers of various woods or ivory, mother-of-pearl and tortoiseshell, making them more valuable.

       Tayyar Akdeniz

 The nagara (also called koltuk davulu) is a Turkish folk 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, intellectualphysical 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. and  

Doli:

The doli is a widespread percussion instrument all over Georgia. It represents a small Doliwooden cylinder, both sides of which are covered with leather . The leather is tightly attached to the body and has iron rings , which are used for straining the leather on the surface. It is played by palms and fingers. When playing doli is held under the left arm or hung over the arm. Doli player plays the instrument in a sitting position or dances during performance. To get the effect of Forte it is played in the center. But to get Piano effect, at the edges of Doli. Doli’s body is made of wood; they give the form of cylinder to it and stretch the leather on it. The Doli’s height and diameter of sound producing surface are about 3 to 1. Men mostly play Doli. While dancing doli creates the rhythm of a dance. Doli is often combined with Chonguri, Chiboni, Salamuri, Buzika and Duduki.

           Tayyar Akdeniz

    Turkish Davul                                   Tayyar Akdeniz   

The davul (or screw davul) is one of the very oldest instruments, having been used down the ages by the various civilisations of Anatolia, and later by communities in Central Asia. Despite some changes in form and construction technique, the percussion instrument that has come down to the present day ıs actually one of the least altered traditional Turkish musical instruments. It is one of the fundamental elements of traditional Turkish music, and has been used for a variety of purposes. These include communications by means of local or mehter music, making announcements and issuing warnings. The davul is traditionally associated together with the zurna, although in many places it has also been used on its own, not unlike the meydan sazı. The davul has gone by a number of names down the years, including; tug, tavul, kuvrug, tuvil and tabl. Davul players have been called "tablzen", "davulzen" and "davulcu". The davul was the principle instrument used by shamans, and was and still is used in Turkey at weddings, to wake people so they can eat something before fasting all day, traditional sports and games, horse racing, wrestling matches and festivals. It has also been used to spread tidings of good news, security matters, war and fire. In essence, davuls can be classed into three different sizes. These are the small (diameter approx. 60 cm.), medium (diameter 70 cm.) and large (80-90 cm.). The width of the rim changes considerably from region to region and depending on the player. It consists of two main parts, the skin of leather which has been passed over a stretching hoop, and the wooden section joined to it, known as the "kasnak" (rim). The two kins that have been stretched over the hoop can be tightened as wished to produce the desired tone by means of the attachments on the side. The frame may be made of walnut, lime or fir, although oak is probably the most popular of all. Over it is stretched calf, dog, sheep or goat skin, attached to the top and bottom of the frame. They are put on wet, and tied down at the top and bottom with zig-zag cords. The skin is kept fully stretched once it has dried out in order to maintain the desired pitch. It is also oiled with sesame or olive oil to prevent it cracking as it dries out.

After being hung round the neck by a stout cord, the davul is played by hitting it with a thick stick called the "tokmak" (or comak, meccik, metcik or comaka) held in the right hand, and a thinner one known as the "thin stick" or ‘cubuk (or cirpi or zipzibi) held in the left. The tokmak beats the main stresses of the rhythm, and the cubuk the lighter ones. The cubuk is usually about 40-50 cm. long, and the tokmak

Tayyar Akdeniz is teaching davul in Folk Tours  dance&music camp

 Tayyar Akdeniz is teaching davul to Baran Efendioglu was 4 years old 

                                               Tayyar Akdeniz

Darbka

The goblet drum is a goblet shaped hand drum used in Arabic music, Persian music, Balkan music, Armenian music, Azeri music, Jewish music and Turkish music. Its thin, responsive drumhead and resonance help it produce a distinctively crisp sound. It is of ancient origin, and is believed by some to have been invented before the chair.

The instrument is known by different names in different regions. These names all refer to a goblet-shaped drum; however, the construction and playing methods of each are so varied as to make many of them different instruments altogether. Nowhere outside the United States is the drum called Dumbek or Doumbeck, regardless how similar the name might seem. Darbakeh/Tarabuka (General), Doumbek/Doumbeg (Armenian), Dumbul/Dunbul (Azeri), Tarambuke (Balkan),  Tombak/Tonbak (Iranian)

 African drums such as the Djembe are related in origin through the African connection, but are rarely included in discussions of the goblet drum.

 Materials

The great goblet drum has a single drum head on one end and is open on the other end. The body may be made of beaten, cast, or spun metal, ceramic (often with a glued-on head) or wood. Materials for the head include synthetics such as PET film or FiberSkyn, as well as more traditional animal skins, such as goat or fish. In general, goblet drums tend to have much lighter heads than African or Indian drums.

While ceramic bodies with skin heads are usually considered to have the best tone, metal bodies and Mylar heads are generally favored by professional musicians because of their practicality, since they are far more durable, easily tunable, and insensitive to weather conditions. Furthermore, drums with Mylar skins can be played very loudly, making them well-matched with modern brass and electric instruments.

The West African djembe, a related instrument, is larger and made from a log carved into a goblet shape.

Seido Salifoski is teaching Turkish stayle darbuka in folk tours dance & music camp

Name for some are Turkish classical rhythms used

2 time "Signature" or "usul": "Nim Sofyan"

3 time “Signature" or "usul": "Semai"

4 time “Signature" or "usul":   "Sofyan"

5 time "Signature" or "usul": "Turk Aksagi"  

6 time "Signature" or "usul" "Yoruk Semai"

7 time "Signature" or "usul" "Devr-i Turan" and "Devr-i Hindi"

8 time "Signature" or "usul" "Duyek" and "Musemmen"

9 time "Signature" or "usul" Aksak", Evfer" and "Raks Aksagi"

10 time "Signature" or "usul" "Aksak Semai" and "Oynak"

The Sipsi (sile a boatswain’s pipe) is a wind instrument made out of bone, wood or reed. The reed version is most common.

A small reed at the end of the instrument produces the sound. This is taken into the mouth and air blown over it.

The sipsi is most commonly found in the Aegean region of Turkey. It has six holes, five on top and one on the bottom.

Tulum (bagpipe) is one of the wind instrument group, it consists of three parts; the skin, "nav" and mouthpiece. Air is stored in the skin, and when this is squeezed the air is sent on to the nav, which is itself divided into two parts, the "analik" (main part) and "dillik" (tongue part). The mouthpiece is used to send the air into the skin.

The tulum is used in Trabzon, Rize, Erzurum and Kars, and in the northern and central regions of Anatolia, as well as in the Thracian region, where the tulum made from lamb and goat skin is called "gayda".

Mey is an old Turkish musical wind instrument. It is mainly practiced in the Eastern part of the country. Evliya Çelebi mentions the Asian name of Mey as follows: "Belbam or Balaban was first discovered in Shiraz. It does not have a "Kalak" like in Zurna. It is widely used by the Turks "100 people played it". That is to say that these instruments were practiced in Istanbul in the 17th century. Türkmens beyond the Caspian Sea use "Mey" even today with the same original name. (V. Belaier 1937: Fitret page:48) Lower point of the "Mey" body is not as large as in Zurna. It comes down straight as in Kaval (pipe). "Mey" is composed of three parts: 1.Body / 2.Reed / 3.Reed claws which help sounds to be produced accurately. In Turkish: (Ana Gövde/Kamis/Kiskaç )

The best meys are those which are made of plum-trees. They also vary in size; the body lengths are 40 cm in Ana Mey, 35 cm. in Orta Mey and 30 cm. in Cura Mey. It has one octavo sound range. These exist 8 sound holes, 7 on the top of the body and 1 at the bottom. 9-10 hole mey is still practiced in Azerbaijan and Türkistan under the name of "Balaban" 

    Hamit Golbasi

The Turkish ney reed flute, together with the Turkish tanbur lute and Turkish kemençe fiddle are considered the most typical instruments of Classical Turkish music. The ney also plays a primary role in the music of the Mevlevi Sufi rites (semâ). A rim-blown, oblique flute made of reed, the Turkish ney has six finger-holes in front and a thumb-hole in back. Using cross-fingering, finger-hole shading, and embouchure adjustment, the journeyman player can produce any pitch over a two-and-a-half octave range or more. Nearly all Turkish neys have a mouthpiece made of water buffalo horn, or sometimes ivory, ebony, plastic, or similar durable material. Sizes range from the lowest, Davud (in E/mi, 95 cm long), to the highest, Bolahenk n?sfiye (in d/re, 52.5 cm long). The low-pitched ?ah (Shah) ney (in F/fa, 90 cm long) is shown at right. Note: Pitches in the previous sentence refer to the note generated with all holes closed. In some Turkish musical circles, the "pitch" (akord) of a ney is determined differently, using the note (perde) which matches A=440 (diyapazon). This pitch is one note higher, e.g., Mansur being A/La rather than G/Sol. Note also that the lengths above are approximate. One refers to a Turkish ney player using the verb üflemek (blow) although for all other instrumentalists one uses the verb çalmak (play). One might speculate that the ney's close identification with the Mevlevi Sufis might be the origin of this usage.

The classical Turkish ney's closest relatives in other countries, the Arab nay and the Persian ney, do not use a mouthpiece, but rather blow against the sharpened edge of the tube. In Turkish folk music, one type of ney (dilli)(Tin whistle) has a fipple; the other type (dilsiz) is a rim-blown oblique flute, as is the Turkish classical ney. The Bulgarian kaval, a folk instrument, resembles the Turkish dilsiz folk ney. The Romanian nai—a panpipe, not a flute— may be related etymologically and

KAVAL:

Kaval is a Turkish folk instrument of the wind type. It is known as the instrument of the shepherds. It is also called Guval and Kuval in different regions. The belief that the shepherd leads his sheep flock with his kaval is a wide spread belief among the people. The word kaval is probably a derivative from the word "kav" which means hollow on the inside.

Its sound range is about 2.5-3 octaves. It is widely used instrument in the folk music groups of today and can be used as a solo instrument within an ensemble. Kaval preserves its sound characteristics when played together with other instruments.

As kavals are not produced to any defined standards what can be said about its dimensions has to be very general. Its length may vary between 30 cm and 80 cm and its diameter is approximately 1.5 cm. It has 7 melody keys on the front and one underneath. Besides these, there are also 4 other keys at the lower section of the instrument called Seytan Deli?i and Hazreti Ali.

Kavals are divided into two main types as Dilli Kaval and Dilsiz Kaval and are generally made from the wood of the plum tree.

 Ney clasess in Folk tours in dance&music camp

                    Omar Faruk Tekbilek

Zurna is a musical instrument of the wind family, with a reed for generating the voice, and a tubular body with fingerholes like in a flute. The body is of a progressively opening type.

It is the same instrument more or less as sunay in china, shenay in India, tzurnay in Iran, zorna in Greece, zurla in Yugoslavia, bombarde in France, zokra in Tunis, Ghaytah or raita in Morocco mizmar in egypt. zamr in Lebanon and Iraq. It is found all along the bamboo belt of the old world as a folk instrument for the open air. It has been used in the military music during middle ages. You can still hear it played by the "Mehter" bands in historic "Yeni Ceri" soldier clothes performing for tourists in Istanbul. The ceremonial brass bands often in military-like uniforms you see all over the world are internationalized versions of the yeni ceri - mehter bands (Janissar-orkester), probably spread thru France, central europe and Germany

It looks like a wooden trumpet or "carry as you play" version of an alp-horn except for the fingerholes and the reed.

Bagpipes are related to zurna, except that zurna has no bag. The zurna players use their cheeks instead of the bag.

Clarinet and saxaphone are related to zurna, except that these use flat reeds.

Obo/Hautbois is also related but has a slightly different reed. Obo has two reeds leaned agains each other.

The reed of zurna is a cylindrical bamboo pipe thinner than the little finger, where the stiff and shiny glaze is peeled off, the zurna side is attached to a conical metal body, and the mouth side is flattened to a very narrow ellipse. This design requires considerable air pressure on the reed to get any voice, and gives a high volume.

Tanburs

are made almost entirely of wood. The shell (Tekne) is assembled from strips of hardwood called ribs joined edge to edge to form a semi-spherical body for the instrument. The number of ribs traditionally amounts to 17, 21 or 23, yet tanburs with slightly wider and consequently fewer ribs (7, 9 or 11) can also be found among older specimens. Traditionally, thinner strips called fileto are inserted between the ribs for ornamental purposes, but are not obligatory. The most common tonewood veneers used for rib-making are mahogany, flame maple, Persian walnut, Mecca balsamCommiphora gileadensis), Spanish chestnut, Greek juniper, mulberry, Oriental plane, Indian rosewood and apricot. Ribs are assembled on the bottom wedge (tail) and the heel on which the fingerboard is mounted. wood.The soundboard (Gö?üs) is a rotund thin (2.5-3 mm) flat three-, two- or single-piece plate of resonant wood (usually Nordmann, silver or Greek fir). This circular plate measuring about 30 to 35 cm in diameter is mounted on the bottom wedge and the heel with simmering glue and encircled with a wooden ring. A soundhole is either wanting or consists of a very small unornamented opening (mostly in historical specimens), giving the instrument its peculiar satiated sonority.

The neck (Sap) is a mince (only 4-4.5 cm in diameter) 100-110 cm long D-section fingerboard made of light wood and carries catgut frets adjusted to give 36 intervals in an octave. Catgut frets are fixed on the neck by means of minute nails. The main bridge is trapezoidal and mobile, and since the shell lacks braces to support the soundboard, the latter slightly yields in under the bridge. The smaller upper bridge between the pegbox and the neck is traditionally made of bone. The plectrum is made of tortoise shell and is called "ba?a" (meaning turtle). Cut in an asymmetrical V-form and polished at 45° on the tip, it measures 2-2.5 mm x 5-6 mm x10-15 cm. Nowadays it has seven strings. In the past tanburs with eight strings were not uncommon.

 Yayl? tanbur:

The yayl? tanbur is a bowed lute from Turkey. Derived from the older plucked tanbur, it has a long, fretted neck and a round metal or wooden soundbox which is often covered on the playing end with a skin or acrylic head similar to that of a banjo. The instrument is held vertically, with the soundbox resting in the player's lap.

Kabak Kemane is a bowed Turkish folk instument. Shows variation according to regions and its form. It is known that instruments known as Kabak, Kemane, Ikl??, Rabab, Hegit at Hatay province, Rubaba in Southeastern Turkey, Kemança in Azerbeijan and G?cak, G?ccek or G?jek among the central Asian Turks allcome from the same origin.

The name kemençe is actually shared by two different stringed instruments, one used in Ottoman music and the other in folk music of the Black Sea region. Until the middle of the 20th century, the first of these was known as the 'armudi' (pear) or 'fasil' kemençe, although these have now given way to the 'classical kemençe.' The second is rather a folk instrument, and is known as the Black Sea kemençe.

Kemençe is the common name for two very different instruments, one used in north Anatolian folk music, and the other in Turkish classical music. Names such as "pear-shaped kemençe" and "fasil kemençe" used until the mid-19th century eventually gave way to "classical kemençe."

This instrument is a 'state of the art' instrument with a removable neck. In the Turkish language "Cumbus" has a huge spectrum of meanings: fun, entertainment, to be funny, but it also means the intensity of sounds/timbre.

The Cumbus is A LIMITED production Turkish instrument. Only 3,000 pieces a year leave the Cumbus family factory in Istanbul. The instruments are still hand made. Offered to supply open-minded musicians heading for unique sounds and new playgrounds.

Kanuns used in Turkey have 26 courses of strings, with three strings per course. It is played on the lap by plucking the strings with two tortoise-shell picks, one in each hand, or by the fingernails, and has a range of three and a half octaves, from A2 to E6. The dimensions of Turkish kanuns are typically 95 to 100 cm (37-39") long, 38 to 40 cm (15-16") wide and 4 to 6 cm (1.5-2.3") high.[1] The instrument also has special latches for each course, called mandals. These small levers, which can be raised or lowered quickly by the performer while the instrument is being played, serve to change the pitch of a particular course slightly by altering the string lengths.

This is a large-bodied, short-stemmed stringed instrument played not only in Turkey but also in the entire Arab world, including Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria, where it is known by the same name, as well as Iran and Azerbayjan. In Iran it is known as the ‘barbat.’ It is very similar to the European lute.

Tar is a Turkish folk instrument played with a plectrum, and is most popular in the Kars region of Turkey. It 's also known to be widely employed in Azerbayjan, Iran, Uzbekistan and Georgia.

The table is made of two bowls of different sized, and is generally made of mulberry wood. The chest section is covered with a membrane from the heart of a bull or an ox. The stem is made of hard wood, with frets made of fishing line.

There are two main groups of strings on the tar. The first groups are used in playing the melody, and are arranged in three groups of two. The other groups are called ‘kök’ (root) and ‘zeng,’ and are used for harmony, depending on the particular mode, and for tone enrichment.

                                                                               Tayyar Akdeniz  is teaching  Baglama

Ba?lama is the most commonly used string folk instrument in Turkey. It takes different names according to the regions and according to its size such as Ba?lama, Divan Saz?, Bozuk, Çö?ür, Kopuz Ir?zva, Cura, Tambura, etc.

 Cura is the smallest member of the ba?lama family with the highest pitched sound. The member one size bigger than cura which gives a sound that is one octave lower than cura is the tambura. And the one with the deepest sound is the Divan saz? whose sound is one octave lower compared to tambura.

Ba?lama has three main parts called Tekne, Gö?üs and Sap. Tekne part is generally made from mulberry trees as well as from woods of juniper, beech, spruce or walnut. The gö?üs part is made from spruce and the sap section from beech or juniper.

 There are pieces called burgu (screw) at the end of the sap which is opposite to tekne part to which the strings are tied. These screws are used for tuning. There are pitches on the sap tied fith fish line. Ba?lama is played with a M?zrap or Tezene made from cherry wood bark or plastic and fingers are used in some regions. The later technique is called ?elpe.

Thee three string groups on ba?lama in groups of two or three. These string groups can be tuned in a variety of ways. For example in the tuning style called ba?lama Düzeni, the strings in the lower group give "A" note, middle group strings "D" note and upper group strings give "E" notes. Besides this type of tuning there are Kara Düzen, Misket Düzeni Müstezat, Abdal Düzeni, Rast Düzeni etc. styles.

             Tayyar Akdeniz is teaching Baglama                                Soner Cicek is Teaching baglama

     Omar Faruk Tekbilek is teaching Baglama