The mijwiz (Arabic: مجوز, DIN: miǧwiz) is a traditional musical instrument from Southwest Asia. It comes from the Levant, which includes the countries of Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. The name "mijwiz" in Arabic means "dual" because the instrument has two short bamboo pipes with reeds at the ends. These two pipes are joined together, making the mijwiz a double-pipe, single-reed woodwind instrument.

Background

The mijwiz is made of two pipes that are the same length. Each pipe has about five or six small holes used for playing notes. To play the instrument, musicians use a special method called "circular breathing," which allows them to create a steady sound without stopping to breathe. The mijwiz is played in the Levant region and is often used to accompany belly dancing or dabke, a traditional line dance from the area. Many popular folk songs feature the mijwiz in recordings or mention the instrument in their lyrics. An example is the well-known Lebanese dabke song "Jeeb el Mijwiz ya Abboud" by singer Sabah.

The mijwiz is also connected to the arghul, which has one short pipe with five to six holes and a longer pipe attached to it. The arghul produces a sound very similar to the mijwiz. Both instruments are related to an ancestor of certain types of bagpipes. However, unlike bagpipes, which use a bag to hold air, the mijwiz uses the player's cheeks and the circular breathing technique to keep the air flowing continuously.