The komuz, also called qomuz, is an old string instrument without frets used in Central Asian music. It is similar to other string instruments used by Turkic people, the Mongolian tovshuur, and the lute.

This instrument is played by Turkic groups in many places, from China to Turkey. In China, the Naxi people use it and call it Huobusi, Hebisi, or Hunbusi.

The komuz is a well-known symbol of Kyrgyzstan. It is usually made from one piece of wood, such as apricot or juniper, and has three strings. Traditionally, the strings were made from gut, but today they are often made from fishing line.

In the most common way to tune it, the middle string is the highest in sound.

Skilled musicians often play the komuz in different ways, such as over the shoulder, between the knees, or upside down.

A picture of a komuz is shown on the back side of the one-som coin.

Playing style

The komuz can be used as a background instrument or as the main instrument in music. It is played in many different types of music, such as aytysh (a competition between singers called akyns) and the telling of long stories. The komuz is usually held horizontally while sitting and can be played by plucking or strumming its strings.

One type of music called "mash botoy" features a simple melody that is repeated many times. Each repetition includes a new musical phrase, showing the performer's skill and creativity. The komuz has many different tunings, and the names of these tunings match different styles of music.

History

The word "komuz" is similar to the names of other musical instruments in Central Asia, such as the Kazakh "kobyz" (or "qo'biz" in Uzbek), which are bowed instruments, and the Tuvan and Sakha (Yakut) "xomus," which is a jaw harp.

The oldest known instrument similar to the komuz dates back to the 4th century. However, the related Azerbaijani instrument called "gopuz" is believed to be much older, with evidence from clay plates found in the Shushdagh mountains near the ancient city of Jygamish in Iranian Azerbaijan. These clay plates, discovered by American archaeologists in the 1960s, date back to around 6000 B.C. and show musicians holding a komuz-like instrument.

The "golcha gopuz" is mentioned in the epic book The Book of Dede Korkut.

Parts of the komuz are often named after body parts, especially those of horses. For example, the neck is called "mojun," meaning "neck," and the tuning pegs are called "qulɑq," meaning "ears." In Kyrgyz, the word "qyl" means "string of an instrument" or "horse's hair."

The ancient komuz usually had two or three strings. The three-stringed "golcha gopuz" was more common in ancient Azerbaijan and Anatolia, while the two-stringed "gil gopuz" (or "iklyg") was used in the Altai plains, parts of Turkmenistan, and areas in China where the Uyghur people lived.

The "golcha gopuz" is made with a leather cover that covers about two-thirds of the instrument. The remaining third is covered with thin wood and a soundboard. The total length of the instrument is 810 mm, with the body measuring 410 mm, the width 240 mm, and the height only 20 mm. The Kyrgyz "ooz komuz" (meaning "mouth komuz") and "temir komuz" (meaning "metal komuz" or "iron komuz") are types of jaw harps and are not related to the komuz.

During the Soviet era, the komuz was no longer widely used. Some people considered it too simple and tried changing it to resemble the Russian balalaika, such as by adding frets. After the Soviet Union ended, the komuz was once again taught in music schools, though some Soviet-era changes remain.

In the 20th century, the Iranian musician Haj Ghorban Soleimani created a new version of the komuz that gained some popularity.

In legends, Dede Korkut is said to have invented the "kopuz." In The Book of Dede Korkut, his connection to the instrument is not only shown through his performances as a bard. A story about the brothers Egrek and Segrek mentions that when Segrek tries to attack Egrek, thinking he is an enemy, he says:

This suggests that a lute is directly connected to Dede Korkut, which may mean he invented it.

Related instruments

During the 4th-5th century A.D., the komuz spread to several Eastern European countries, including Ukraine, Poland, and Hungary, as part of the large movement of the Huns into the region. In these areas, the instrument became known by similar names. (See: kobza)

In Dagestan, a region located in the Caucasus between Chechnya, Georgia, and the Caspian Sea, a musical instrument called agach komus or temur by the Avar people is described in two sources: Vertkov's Atlas SSSR and Buchner's book. This instrument appears to be a type of small guitar with three strings. Its body is made from a single piece of wood and shaped like a spade. A spike resembling a trident is attached to the bottom end.

The Qanbūs, found in the Arabian and Malay peninsulas, is believed by Sachs to have a name that comes from the komuz. The five-string kopuz is also thought to have evolved into the six-string sestar or seshane by the 13th century, as mentioned by the mystic Rumi. The word "sestar" appears in the poems of the 14th-century poet Yunus Emre. The writer Evliya Çelebi described the kopuz as a smaller version of the seshane.

Although the term "huobosi" still refers to the traditional instrument in China, a newer version of the instrument has developed over time. This modern instrument resembles a guitar and is called the Huobosi.

Media

• A video showing a komuz expert
• A video showing a komuz musician
• A home performance of a traditional Kyrgyz song played on the komuz
• Salamat Sadyqova performing the song Alymqan on the komuz