ملحقات الكمانچة

Strings, cases, stands and other accessories for Kamancheh instrument

Kamancheh or Kamancha is a bowed string instrument with a spherical body. In Persian, the word kamancheh means “a small bow”. 

It has reached many countries but commonly used in the classical music of Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey. The structure of the instrument is slightly different in each country. It also has some different names such as Kamanche, Kamancheh, Kemanche or Kemancha. The instrument is played in both folk and classical music. 

Its soft and easy to listen timbre makes kamancheh a suitable instrument for solo and ensemble. The player rests the Kamancheh on the knee and instead of using the guidance of the bow he turns the instrument to meet the bow. During the performance, player uses fingers by inserting them between bow hair and the wood part to get the desired sound.

Kamancheh’s influence is not limited to Middle East. It has caught the attention of many artist from Europe over the years. There are many stories about artists travelling to countries such as Turkey, Iran, and Armenia, just to learn how to play Kamancheh. Kamancheh has managed to gain love and interest from many different parts of the world and this love has been recognized with the instrument’s inclusion to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.