Mike's Oud Forums

Help for yayli tanbur

byiag - 8-18-2006 at 04:51 AM

Could anyone help me?
I bought a yayli tanbur from Turkey (Cumbus by Zeynel Abidin) and I changed the strings without mark the position of the bridge in the bottom (it’s movable). Does anybody know the right distance between the bridge and the upper side of the fingerboard?

Thanks in advance for your answer.

oudmaker - 8-18-2006 at 06:52 AM

Tune one string. Check its second octave at the last fret next to the pan if it is sharp or flat move your bridge until you get exact octave.
Dincer

Arto - 8-18-2006 at 08:47 AM

OK, if it is not rude to ask about yayli tanbur at oud message board...;)

Does the yayli tanbur have a bridge with a curved top, like a violin? I suppose this would be needed to play any of the middle courses alone (well, I don´t know if this is done?).

Is there a reason why yayli tanburs seem to be skin-covered and not with a wooden face, like mizrapli tanburs?

Sometimes when I listen to a yayli tanbur, the note jumps to its octave, and sometimes even higher. I have listened to Fahreddin Cimenli on "L´art du tanbur ottomane" album, and at some places the note oscillates between the higher harmonics (3rd and 4th?) and sometimes you hear the low fundamental note. A wierd, haunting and beautiful effect, and somehow reminds me of Mongolian/Tuvan throat singing (!). HOW is this done? If you are bowing exactly in the middle of the vibrating string lenght, would this produce the 1st harmonic? But how about the higher ones? The effect is "fleeting" and doesn´t sound like artificial left-hand harmonics on the violin. Enquiring minds would like to know...

Arto

Monty88 - 8-21-2006 at 04:11 PM

Arto,

People started using the skin-topped yayli tanburs because they produced a much louder and richer sound than just using a bow on the original wood topped tanburs.

Cumbus now make these, but other makers make them as well, like Cankaya muzik and various others. Particularly hoarse and raspey sound don't they?

I love mine, for a school presentation I am performing Hicaz Saz Semai by Refik Talat Alpman on Yayli Tanbur with a friend of mine on oud.

adamgood - 8-21-2006 at 08:44 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Arto
A wierd, haunting and beautiful effect, and somehow reminds me of Mongolian/Tuvan throat singing (!). HOW is this done? If you are bowing exactly in the middle of the vibrating string lenght, would this produce the 1st harmonic?
Arto


Far as i know, it's all done with the bow. Fahrettin Cimenli seems to have pretty awesome control when doing this and uses it a lot to good effect in his taksims. as far as how to do it, i dunno since i don't really play a bowed instrument but my friend showed me on violin, it has something to do with bow pressure vs. the pressure of your left hand fingers. lighten each of them up a little and you can start to get this sound.

there's a Saba taksim by Lambros Leontarides where he's doing this on klasik kemençe/politiki lyra. SOOO great! it almost sounds like çiftetelli violin.

adam

byiag - 8-21-2006 at 11:40 PM

Thanks for your information. In fact I don't know how to play yayli tanbur, i am learning to play oud but i like the sound of yayli tanbur and bowed instruments so I decided to buy one to learn myself.
The bridge does'nt have a curved top so you can't play with the middle string I think it is sympathetic.
I have tuned D A D and I am trying to find the notes in the frets with a tuner .
Any information on how to play the instrument or a drawing with the neck and the notes on it would be very useful.
Thank you all for your help.