The kamancheh is a four-stringed bowed instrument used in Persia, Azerbaijan, Turkish, Armenian and Kurdish music. The word "kamancheh" means "little bow" in Persian. It has a resonance box made of hardwood, such as walnut, on one end, which is covered with a skinny young goat's skin or sheepskin. Nowadays, all kamanchehs have four strings; therefore, four pegs are on top of the instrument for tuning. Its wooden bridge is curved to allow for the bowing of separate strings, and it is placed in a slanted manner upon the membrane. Some resonance boxes are made of a whole piece, and some are made of several strips bound together. The resonance box may be closed or open at the back. At the bottom end is a spike, which is used to hold the instrument upright as it is played. The kamancheh is suitable for both solo performances and accompaniments. The kamancheh can "sing" melodies without words and instill discipline in the player that goes beyond music and into everyday life.

Learn how to play the kamancheh through one of our comprehensive methods that takes you through a progressive approach, addressing technique, musicality, and so much more.
 

Program Information

The kamancheh is a very in-demand instrument, and we will offer your child many new and exciting musical opportunities. The Melorin Music School provides one-on-one instruction and group sessions on multiple Iranian instruments. All students are taught basic instrumental technique, posture, technical exercises, radif* and playing Persian repertoires.

Each kamancheh lesson takes place between one teacher and one student for either 30, 45 or 60 minutes. For children's sessions, parents can attend their child's classes.

*Radif is a collection of 300-350 melodic pieces, each one up to 3 minutes in length, used as a basis for improvisation.
 

Goals:

Our goal is the development of our students to their highest musical level through private lessons. Therefore, creating the correct foundation for technique and appropriate repertoire is of utmost importance. Our amazing kamancheh faculty takes care of utilizing elements of different teaching methods that work best for each student. Beginner students start with the fundamentals, including the correct way to hold the bow and finger placement, reading music, rhythm, and learning simple songs. Intermediate and advanced students continue to progress with increased proficiency in techniques and significant repertoire. Our kamancheh curriculum covers the following subjects:

• Note reading and recognition
• Iranian traditional ornaments
• Counting, rhythm reading
• Technique (scales, arpeggios, pizzicati, dorrab, trill, tekkiyeh)
• Rudiments of Theory
• Memorization
• Ear training
   

Levels / Ages offered:

The Melorin Music School provides online private kamancheh study at all levels and ages. No experience is needed; anyone can join our programs, and we will ensure you have an enjoyable experience. We provide a wide range and variety of learning styles and difficulty levels for our students to make sure each individual can grow at their own pace.
 

Requirements:

• No skills are required; you can be a beginner student
• You will need kamancheh and a bow
• The most important part of music study takes place at home; the more you practice, the better you will be
• Get excited about learning kamancheh, as an inspired learner learns faster and easier

Repertoire

Selecting repertoire is one of the most challenging and important tasks we take on in developing our student's musical education. Students at all levels will be given a repertoire selection from multiple eras of music (Traditional, Folk, Azari and Pop) to study and perfect.

Important Facts & FAQs

• Highly recommended for students of 9 years or older
• Offered but less recommended for students 8 years or younger
• Extremely useful for children and adult learners
• The most effective format for learning technique, traditional repertoire and radif