A duduk or tsiranapogh is an ancient double-reed musical instrument. It is part of the woodwind family, apricot wood being its material. Called dudukahar in Armenian, it resembles a unique flute that sounds like a wailing voice. One usually plays it in pairs because, in this fashion, you achieve a richer and more haunting sound. In this pair, one musician plays a certain melody while the other plays a steady drone known as dum. The musician needs a circular breathing technique to play this instrument.
Duduk: an Epic Sound
The sound of the duduk is quite mystical and peculiar. For this reason, we can find it in both most epic movies and their trailers. Nowadays, due to technological advancements, capturing the sound of the duduk has become an easier task. As a result, many producers are using this musical instrument more frequently. Recently, this sound has gained popularity and people use in a variety of genres.
Some Context
Although this musical instrument is originally from Armenia, you can find it in several middle eastern regions, such as Azerbaijan, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, and Iran. Its particular tuning depends on the region where musicians play it. Overall, the duduk provides music with energy and a tonic atmosphere. We can trace back the first professional attempt of using it in classical modern music around 1970. The first musician to play it was the Armenian composer Avet Terteryan.
Duduk Lessons?
Learning to play the duduk is possible, although it requires practice, patience, and an understanding of the Eastern world. Playing it tends to be harder to learn than most musical instruments, especially in Western countries.
However, today, thanks to musical technological advancements, you can find software that mimics the sound of the duduk quite easily. New software makes it possible for the user to tune specific notes, as well as to have control over the volume, velocity, pitch, and panning.
