Silk Road Instruments

kamancheh
[ke MAHN cheh] fiddle, orig. Iran

The kamancheh is a spike fiddle. It has a small round wooden body with a spike protruding from the base, a sound table made of animal skin, and a cone-shaped neck. The kamancheh rests on the player’s knee or on the ground and the instrument is twisted on the spike to meet a bow.

The kamancheh is played in the tradition of improvised music known as maqam [mah KOM]. The elegant, warm sound of the kamancheh calls to mind the sound of a human voice. Therefore the instrument lends itself to solo virtuoso playing. It is usually played alone or in small ensembles. The first known written reference to the kamancheh dates from the 12th century C.E. For centuries the kamancheh has been revered as an exceptional instrument for use in courtly, folk, religious and secular settings.