An analytical study of the Kemane: a traditional Turkish string instrument

Abstract

This study examines the usage of the kemane and the violin in Turkish Folk Music, comparing the structural and diagnostic similarities of the instruments and analyzing their place in world music from an organological perspective. The study also discusses the contributions of these instruments to the field of instrument-making and the diversity of world music by providing a different perspective. The aim of this study is to highlight the similarities between the kemane, which has proven itself in different regions of our country, and the violin, which has become a world instrument due to its structure, and to argue for the necessity and potential contributions of the kemane's inclusion among world instruments, particularly as a representative of Turkish music. The research examines the structural and functional similarities between the kemane and the violin and discusses how this knowledge can be more effectively used in instrument-making and performance. In this study, the usage of the kemane and the violin in Turkish folk music and world music, as well as how these instruments are used in different regions of our country, is emphasized through a qualitative research design, document analysis method, and a review of the literature, presented in a descriptive narrative. In this context, the organological perspectives on the kemane and violin conclude that integrating these cognate instruments into the equal position among world instruments is necessary, asserting the importance of including the kemane among world instruments.