PERFORMANCE TECHNIQUE OF THE KABAZURNA 

            Standing upright is very important for both playing state (as sitting and standing) to provide air circulation in the lungs and prevent the constriction of the rib cage while playing the kabazurna.

It is held in front of the body, on the waist level inclined to the floor. The elbows are closed with an angle of ca. 45⁰. The fingerholes must be shut as not getting air into the kabazurna.

The different regions have different performance techniques. The position of the reed, which is fixed into the staple’s tip, in the mouth determines the technique considering Thracian and Aegean regions, where it is most widely used.

In Thracian region, the reeds are attached to the body in a horizontal way and blown by pressing between the lips, so that the gliding effect can be obtained better. If necessary, e.g. outdoors, the reeds are held totally in the mouth so that the volume is higher. This technique used in the energetic Thracian tunes is also employed in the Mehter tunes.

 The kabazurna performance technique in Thracian regionand the Mehter.

            On the other hand, in Aegean region the reeds are vertical to the body. The reeds are not pressed by the lips, but they are fully inserted into the oral cavity of the performer until the middle of the staple. The sound is produced in the oral cavity by blowing into the reeds. There isn’t any direct contact of the tongue and the lips with the reeds.  The pirouette (or rosette), a small disc of wood called avurtluk is put on the staple which doesn’t affect the performance.

The kabazurna performance technique in Aegean region 

Circular Breathing          : Not to break up the continuity, the tone needs to be prolonged while performing a melody or an uzun hava introduction. Therefore, the air in the lungs requires to be used economically; otherwise, a pause is needed in the middle of a very important and expressive point of time which results in a lack of feeling. The need to inhale is because of the shortage of air in the lungs. The necessity of circular breathing shows itself. It can be described as follows:  When the air almost finishes in the lungs, air is accumulated in the oral cavity and upper larynx as many as possible. At the same time, the larynx is closed so that the air coming out of the lungs is stopped.  While the reed is blown by the air accumulated in the oral cavity, inhaling takes place through the noise quickly. This action happens in a very short time, so that the melody goes on continuously. Furthermore, to apply the circular breathing, the reed of the kabazurna has not to be very hard.

Circular breathing is used according to the feature of the tune. Since the tempo in Aegean region is slow, the kabazurna players have to apply circular breathing not to damage the meaning integrity of the melody.  Therefore, there is an additional zurna player droning other than the one playing the main theme and thus does not diverge from the tune. The droning zurna player must apply circular breathing by all means.

Circular breathing is also used in Thracian region; especially by the droning zurna player. However, the tempo is rapid and the melodies are energetic in this region. Therefore, it is both very difficult and not always necessary to apply this technique for the zurna player performing the main theme.

Due to the melodic structure of the mehter music, circular breathing is not always essential.

To exercise the circular breathing; put a pipette in a glass full of water; blow some air into the glass through the pipette; produce bubbles in the water; apply the technique mentioned above when the air in the lungs almost finishes; be careful not to stop the bubbles in the water; keep on trying until there are always bubbles in the water.

  Experiment for circular breathing

Vibration           : It is a very frequently seen and important technical feature for performance. Small shakes of the reeds during the performance cause the sound fluctuating which is called vibration. It has not to be confused with the trills produced by the fingers.

The vibration technique in Aegean region is carried out by striking the tongue to the reed in the oral cavity. The other way is to contract the throat while exhaling the breath; so that the air goes out gaspingly.

The vibration technique in Thracian region and the mehter music is done by shaking the reed pressed by the lips up and down with the aid of the lips and chin. This movement must be done in a very rapid way. 

To produce vibration in the kabazurna is very difficult; it requires hard work. While long lasting and one tone blowing, this exercise has to be done to get used.