Instruments for Ritual

Name: May or Duduk

Description: Thumbhole, and seven finger holes and a gigantic double reed.

They have an astonishingly low-pitched mellow tone that sounds like an ethereal clarinet. It was used in the sound track for "The last temptation of Christ" and just about every "D and D" and fantasy film going.

Cost: About $85 US

From: http://www.larkinam.com

Most (western) people try this instrument and within about ten min's give up, because it usually proves impossible to play. But there is a trick to all this… And here today I reveal the bits they don't tell you. If you wish to see one, go to http://www.larkinam.com/MenComNet/Business/Retail/Larknet/MiddleEasternWinds

First of all getting a note out of the instrument... When you first get one the reed it will be bone dry. Spend about 10 min's just breathing through it. The moisture in your breath will soften the reed and make it work. Most people never get told to do this and thus the massive dropout rate. Once this has been done the reed will still need starting up (as it were). Set the clip that is on the reed so that there is just enough room to put your lips over the top edge of the reed, so as to be able to blow into it. Now blow into the instrument with a medium pressure whilst sliding the clip gently and slowly down the reed towards the body of the instrument. Do this until it starts to buzz. If you don't know what medium pressure is, if you start to get dizzy your blowing too hard. That's a helpful hint and not a joke! Leaving the clip in place continue blowing for another ten min's until the note becomes more stable. You will have to do this 20 min warm up every time you start to play the instrument. This is a hassle to start with but you soon get used to it. And it *is* worth it for the incredible sounds the instrument can produce. Admittedly it can also produce some pretty horrible sounds but this is mainly down to tuning.

When you buy the instrument it is not set up and you have to tune the instrument to concert pitch. Slice thin slivers off the top of the reed do this, but do it gradually. Then sand the new edge smooth. Repeat the process until it is roughly in tune. Then put up with the tuning until you are more used to playing the instrument. You may find that some notes are sharp. If so cover part of the hole (about 10% to start with) with sticky tape. If its flat just blow harder for those notes until you get the confidence to slightly enlarge the hole.

This is not an easy instrument to learn to play but… For melodic ritual use it surpasses all. It is one of a few instruments that send a shiver down my spine whenever I hear one. It really is worth the struggle to play as the tone is out of this world. To hear a snatch of one being played go to http://www.larkinam.com/MenComNet/Business/Retail/Larknet/MiddleEasternWinds. They are capable of an astounding range of tones, so much so that they are the backbone of Armenian orchestras.

***Note 2. If you fail on the playing side, my son (Justin aged 8) discovered that if you stick cardboard wings onto a Duduk, it fly's very well… he said the reed made it looked like concord!"£%^&*, LOL.***

~Dave the flute~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~