The Pontic Kemenche

Description:

Kemenche is the beloved instrument of the Pontic people from north-eastern Asia Minor bordering the Black Sea. It is a stringed instrument, and its body is carved from cherry, plum, mulberry, walnut, and juniper wood with seasoned plum heart-wood regarded as the best. It has rounded ends and is covered with coniferous wood sound-table. Until 1920, all the strings were made of silk; however silk strings could only produce weak sounds. The silk strings later were replaced with metal strings. The kemane, a larger kemenche, is between 55 cm and 70 cm in length and only larger in volume and shape than the kemenche.

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Technique:

While sitting, with the bottom end resting on the knee of the player, the fiddler will raise the kemenche above the knee to obtain maximum resonance. The bow is held firmly, yet also lightly, between the fingers and the thumb of the right hand. The bow is drawn at right angles across the strings, and the performer sometimes needs to turn the body of the kemenche with his left hand to allow the bow to touch another string.