Cümbüš
Cümbüš
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The cümbüš is a Turkish stringed instrument of relatively modern origin. Developed in the early 20th century by Zeynelabidin Cümbüš as an oud-like instrument that could be heard as part of a larger ensemble. In construction it resembles both the American banjo and the Middle Eastern oud. A fretless instrument, it has six courses of doubled-strings, and is generally tuned like an oud. In shape, though, it closely resembles the banjo with a metal resonator bowl and skin body head. It has a loud, metallic, resonant tone and is widely heard in Middle Eastern popular music.
Models
The Cümbüš Company in Istanbul, Turkey manufactures several different models. They include:
* The standard cümbüš: short neck, fretless, tuned like an oud
* Saz-cümbüš: long neck, tie-on frets, tuned like the Turkish Baglama Saz
* Cura-cümbüš: like the Baglama Saz model but higher pitched like a Cura Saz
* Tambur-cümbüš: super long neck, tuned like Turkish Tambur
* Yayli tanbur – cümbüš: like the Tambur model, but played with a bow
* Guitar-cümbüš: fretted, tuned like a guitar
* Mando-cümbüš: fretted, small, tuned like a mandolin
* Cümbüš-Ukulele: fretted, small, tuned like a Ukulele
The word cümbüš is derived from the Turkish for “fun”, as the instrument was marketed as a popular alternative to the more costly classical oud. When Mustafa Kemal Atatürk decreed that families take surnames, Zeynel Abidin adopted the name of his famous instrument. Cümbüš Music is still an active company in Istanbul and manufactures a wide range of traditional Turkish instruments.
Related instruments
* Banjo
* Oud
In the Turkish language “Cümbü? ” has a huge spectrum/field of meanings: fun, entertainment, to be funny, but it also means the intensity of sounds/timbre (in german: Klangfarben). Wolf Dietrich remarks in the booklet of the record “Orient / Okzident – Music from Southeastern Europe” (Music Collection Berlin MC 3), that it stands for a musical circle, in which rich urban classes had their entertainment. Maximilian Hendler opens in his book “Banjo” even a relation to revelry and orgy, arising from the Persian “Djombesh”, which means ambigously “to swing, to rock, to move”.
