The komuz, also called qomuz (Kyrgyz: комуз, Turkish: Kopuz, Azerbaijani: Qopuz), is an old string instrument without frets used in Central Asian music. It is related to other Turkic string instruments, the Mongolian tovshuur, and the lute.

This instrument is played by Turkic ethnic groups in areas from China to Turkey. In China, the Naxi people use similar instruments called Huobusi, Hebisi, and Hunbusi.

The komuz is the most well-known instrument of the Kyrgyz people and one of their important symbols. It is usually made from a single piece of wood, such as apricot or juniper, and has three strings. Traditionally, the strings are made of gut, but today they are often made from fishing line.

In the most common tuning, the middle string is the highest in pitch.

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

An image of a komuz is shown on the back side of the one-som banknote.

Playing style

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

A piece called "mash botoy" includes a simple melody that is repeated many times. Each repetition has a new musical phrase, which shows how skilled and creative the performer is. The komuz can be tuned in many ways, and each tuning is connected to a specific type of music.

History

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

The oldest known instrument similar to the komuz dates back to the 4th century. However, the related Azerbaijani 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, are about 6,000 years old and show musicians holding a komuz-like instrument.

The golcha gopuz is mentioned in the epic 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 ("neck"), and the tuning pegs are called qulɑq ("ears"). The Kyrgyz 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 in Chinese territory where the Uyghur people lived.

The golcha gopuz is made with a leather covering that covers about two-thirds of the instrument, and 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 20 mm. The Kyrgyz ooz komuz ("mouth komuz") or temir komuz ("metal komuz" or "iron komuz") is a jaw harp and is not related to the komuz.

During the Soviet era, the komuz was not popular. People thought it was too simple, and changes were made to make it more like the Russian balalaika, such as adding frets. After the Soviet Union ended, the komuz was taught again in music schools, though some Soviet changes remain.

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

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

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

Related instruments

During the 4th-5th century A.D., large groups of people moved into eastern Europe, and the komuz, a musical instrument, spread to countries like Ukraine, Poland, and Hungary. In these regions, the instrument was known by similar names. (See: kobza)

In Dagestan, a region in the Caucasus Mountains located between Chechnya and the Caspian Sea, a musical instrument is described in two sources: Vertkov's Atlas SSSR and Buchner's book. The Avar people call it "agach komus" or "temur." This instrument appears to be a long, narrow 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 of the instrument.

The Qanbūs, a musical instrument found in the Arabian and Malay peninsulas, is believed to have a name that comes from the komuz. A five-string instrument called the kopuz is thought to have evolved into a six-string instrument known as the sestar or seshane by the 13th century. The word "sestar" appears in the poems of the 14th-century poet Yunus Emre. The 17th-century writer Evliya Çelebi described the kopuz as a smaller version of the seshane.

In China, the traditional instrument called the huobosi is still used. However, a newer version of the instrument has developed over time. This modern version resembles a guitar and is also called the Huobosi.

Media

• A video showing a skilled komuz musician
• A video showing someone playing the komuz
• A performance at home of a traditional Kyrgyz song played on the komuz
• Salamat Sadyqova performing the song "Alymqan" on the komuz