Mongolian Musical
Instruments
Plucked
Shanz, Shudraga- a plucked three string instrument,
widespread across Asia. In Japan known as Shamisen, in
China as Sanxian, and in traditional Mongolian Shudraga.
Tobshuur a two stringed and skinned instrument made
from a 4-foot long spoon-alike nomad tool for airag
making, especially popular in Oirat territories.
Yatug-a zithers - a plucked zither which is used in two
sizes nowadays:
1. Master Yatug-a- usually equipped with 21 strings,
sometimes 23 strings. Typical concert instrument.
2. Small Yatug-a-closer to the historical shape,
commonly with 11-15 strings and a smaller body.
Sometimes equated with the Korean Kayagum.
Bowed
Morin Khuur- the national instrument of Mongolia.It is a typical
Mongolian two-stringed instrument. The body and the neck are
carved from wood. The end of the neck has the form of a horsehead and the sound is similar to that of a violin or a cello. The
strings are made of dried deer or mountain sheep sinews. It is
played with a bow made of willow, stringed with horsetail hair and
coated with larch or cedar wood resin.
Igil Huur- a variant used by the Tuvinian and the Altai Uriankhai
ethnicity, also known as Choor
Ikh khuur - A two or three stringed bass with horse head and
trapezoid sound box
Huuchir - two stringed instrument with a small sound box
Khuurchir - a four-stringed instrument with a slightly bigger sound
box
Struck
Yoochin - hammered dulcimer of varying
strings struck using two bamboo hammers
Gong / Tam tam class
big metal gong, also known as Tam Tam
9 little gong frame
monastery drum - formerly used for
liturgy purpuses
Orchestra drum
Wind
Buree class - clarinet style of blown instruments
Ever Buree - horn-shaped clarinet
Bayalag Buree - straight clarinet
Hiidiin buree - long and deep as an alp horn
Limbe - end blown flute with a mouthpiece
Tsuur - end blown flute without mouthpiece, mostly made from light
wood, like bamboo, other materials:
Reeds, several grasses
Shoulderbones
Seashells
Legend about Morin khuur, national instrument
It has ancient origins and is purely Mongolian musical instrument. Once
upon time there was a poor man. He had a wonderful steed. The horse was
a special one; it was faster than bird and could instantaneously cover great
distances. But one day he found his horse dead near his ger. So his
heartbroken, he began to make a fiddle from his horse's bones, tendons
and hair. Then he fixed the horse's head to the handle and overcome with
grief, lay his own head on it to unite himself spiritually to his dead friend.
So he started to playing the Morin huur describing his beloved steed's
steps, gallop, hurdle, trotting, and neighing. Thus goes the ancient legend
of the illians about the origin of the morin huur.
Long song: This song is suitable to nomadic life and unlimited
steppe. Long song is oldest form of melody. The singer who
must vocalize as long as possible while modulating the vowels.
This type of song, often melancholic, recalls the solitude of
the nomad and the immensity of the steppe.
Short song: A more recent form , is quick and lively , often
humorous in character. It is themes are love, the home
country, horses, and women. Technically less trying than the
long song, it is still very much part of everyday Mongol life.
Ode (Magtaal): Is another form of song that continued to
play an important role in Mongol life? It is a poetic praise, an
epic-like hymn with its origins in shamastic poetry .
Dedicated to the scared mountains to a powerful wrestler, or
to a victories horse, it is performed at all the important
events of nomadic life. No naadam worthy of it s name would
be without a magtaal.
Epic songs:
Their must remarkable epics are those of Geser and Jangar which are
transmitted by bards in a sung versified form sometimes accompanied by a morin
huur, tovshuur, and by khoomii throat song.
Diphonic song (over tone singing )Khoomii:
Is the most spectacular and probably the oldest form. Known as khoomii in
Mongolian, it's a vocal technique by which a single performer can produce two or
even three separate lines simultaneously. the notes are continued and low made by
forcing air through a constricted throat and a series of harmonies made by the tongue
which, rolled under the palate, guages the breath, producing sounds remarkable
similar to those of a flute.
