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Revision as of 02:20, 12 March 2005
The Duduk is a traditional woodwind instrument from the regions of greater Armenia.
A double-reed instrument of ancient origin (it is often asserted that the design is several thousand years old), Armenian duduks are primarily made of aged apricot wood, although other regional varieties use other materials. It is usually diatonic in scale and single-octave in range, and chromatics are achieved using fingering techniques. Various tunings exist and are determined by body length. The reed, called a "ramish" is made from two pieces of cane in a duck-billed assembly. Unlike other double-reed instruments the reed is quite wide, giving the duduk both its unique, mournful sound and its remarkable breath requirements.
The duduk was introduced to western popular music through Peter Gabriel's soundtrack for the film The Last Temptation of Christ, which featured virtuoso duduk player Vatche Housepian. Duduk phrases and samples have since become commonplace in film and television scores.
In Turkey, the instrument is called a "mey", and in parts of central Asia it is referred to as a "balaban."