Duduk

The word duduk is generally considered to be derived from the Turkish düdük, meaning "reed pipe". The word düdük can also mean "whistle" in Turkish expressions. The Russian book Musical Instruments Encyclopedia (Музыкальные инструменты. Энциклопедия) and American book Musical Instruments, A Comprehensive Dictionary derive duduk from Persian tutak. In Armenia, the instrument is also known as tsiranapogh (). ==Overview==

The duduk is a double reed instrument with ancient origins, having existed since at least the fifth century, while there are Armenian scholars who believe it existed more than 1,500 years before that. The earliest instruments similar to the duduk's present form are made of bone or entirely of cane. Today, the duduk is exclusively made of wood with a large double reed, with the body made from aged apricot wood. The particular tuning depends heavily on the region in which it is played. An eight-hole duduk (not counting the thumb hole on the lower side) can play ten successive notes of a diatonic scale with simple fingering, or sixteen consecutive notes of a chromatic scale by half-covering holes. For example, an A duduk can play all the notes from F♯ to the A more than an octave higher. (Another reference gives different information.) By using the lips to "bend" notes and partially covering holes any pitch in this range can be produced, as required for Oriental music. The instrument's body has different lengths depending upon the range of the instrument and region. The reed (Armenian: եղեգն, eġegn), is made from one or two pieces of cane in a duck-bill type assembly. Unlike other double-reed instruments, the reed is quite wide, helping to give the duduk both its unique, mournful sound, as well as its remarkable breathing requirements. The duduk player is called dudukahar (դուդուկահար) in Armenian. The performers use air stored in their cheeks to keep playing the instrument while they inhale air into their lungs. This "circular" breathing technique is commonly used with all the double-reed instruments in the Middle East. Duduk "is invariably played with the accompaniment of a second dum duduk, which gives the music an energy and tonic atmosphere, changing the scale harmoniously with the principal duduk." ==History==

Armenian musicologists cite evidence of the duduk's use as early as 1200 BC, though Western scholars suggest it is 1,500 years old. Variants of the duduk can be found in Armenia and the Caucasus. The history of the Armenian duduk music is dated to the reign of the Armenian king Tigran the Great, who reigned from 95 to 55 B.C. According to ethnomusicologist Dr. Jonathan McCollum, the instrument is depicted in numerous Armenian manuscripts of the Middle Ages, and is "actually the only truly Armenian instrument that's survived through history, and as such is a symbol of Armenian national identity ... The most important quality of the duduk is its ability to express the language dialectic and mood of the Armenian language, which is often the most challenging quality to a duduk player." ==Balkan duduk==

While "duduk" most commonly refers to the double reed instrument described on this page, there is a very similar instrument played in northwestern Bulgaria. This is a blocked-end flute known as a kaval, resembling the Serbian frula, or kavalče in a part of North Macedonia, and as duduk in northwest Bulgaria. Made of maple or other wood, it comes in two sizes: and (duduce). The blocked end is flat. ==In popular culture==

The sound of the duduk has become known to wider audiences through its use in popular film soundtracks. Starting with Peter Gabriel's score for Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ, the duduk's archaic and mournful sound has been employed in a variety of genres to depict such moods. Djivan Gasparyan played the duduk in Gladiator, Syriana, and Blood Diamond, among others. It was also used extensively in Battlestar Galactica. In the TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender, its sound was combined with the flicking of a trombone bell to create the fictitious Tsungi horn, most notably played by Iroh and often being featured in the show's soundtrack. With many of the members who worked on ATLA now working on The Dragon Prince, the duduk regularly appears in its soundtrack as well. The sound of the duduk was also used in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe for a lullaby which Mr. Tumnus plays on a fictitious double flute, and was featured in the theme song of the Dothraki clan during the TV adaptation Game of Thrones. Armenia's entry in the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest, "Apricot Stone," featured Armenian musician Djivan Gasparyan playing the duduk. Selected film soundtracks The Armenian duduk has been used in a number of films, especially "to denote otherworldliness, loneliness, and mourning or to supply a Middle Eastern/Central Asian atmosphere". • Ararat (2002) by Mychael Danna • Avatar (2009) by Nacer Khemir, in the track ''Shutting Down Grace's Lab'' • ''Bab'Aziz: le prince qui contemplait son âme'' (Bab'Aziz: The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul), 2005 by Nacer Khemir • Bedtime Stories (2008) by Rupert Gregson-Williams • Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001) by Joseph LoDuca • The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) by Harry Gregson-Williams, in the track A Narnia Lullaby • Constantine (2005) by Brian Tyler, Klaus Badelt, in the track Circle of Hell • The Crow (1994) by Graeme Revell featuring the duduk player Djivan Gasparyan • Dead Man Walking (1995) by David Robbins • Dune (2021) by Hans Zimmer, duduk by Pedro Eustache • Dune: Part Two (2024) by Hans Zimmer, duduk by Pedro Eustache • Elektra (2005) by Christophe Beck • Hotel Rwanda (2004) main theme music • Hulk (2003) duduk by Pedro Eustache by Danny Elfman • The Island (2005) by Steve Jablonsky • ''You Don't Mess with the Zohan'' (2008) by Rupert Gregson-Williams Roslin's theme was set to lyrics a second time for the third-season premiere "Occupation", this time in Armenian. • Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Christophe Beck, Tomas Wanker, Rob Dunkin, Douglas Stevens • Cold Case by Michael A. Levine • JAG by Steve Bramson • The Dragon Prince by Frederik Wiedmann • Spartacus by Randy Miller. Track Second Thought • Star Trek: Enterprise by Paul Baillargeon • Crimson Dragon by Saori Kobayashi and Jeremy Garren • Dark Void by Bear McCreary • Myst III: Exile by Jack Wall • Myst IV: Revelation by Jack Wall Popular music • "Come Talk to Me" by Peter Gabriel (from the 1992 album Us) • "Zachem Ya" by t.A.T.u. (from the 2001 album 200 Po Vstrechnoy) • "Prelude & Nostalgia" by Yanni (from the 1997 album Tribute) • "Prelude & Nostalgia" by Yanni (from the 2006 album Yanni Live! The Concert Event) • "Science" and "Arto" (Hidden Track) by System of a Down (from the 2001 album Toxicity) • "Jenny Wren" (2005) and "Back in Brazil" (2018) by Paul McCartney • "All That I Am" by Rob Thomas (from the 2006 album ...Something to Be) • "Touching the Void" by Soulfly (from the 2008 album Conquer) • "Qélé, Qélé" by Sirusho (from the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest Armenian entry) • "1944" by Jamala (2015) • "Soulfly X" by Soulfly (from the 2015 album Archangel) • "Model Village" by Gong (band) (from the 2016 album ''Rejoice! I'm Dead!'') • "Come Along" by Cosmo Sheldrake (from the 2017 album "The Much Much How How and I", and featured in advertisements for Apple's iPhone XR in the UK, USA, and Canada) • "Meeting" album by A.G.A. Trio with Arsen Petrosyan on Duduk (2020 by NAXOS WORLD) Anime soundtracks • Arrietty by Cécile Corbel, in the track "Sho's Song - Instrumental Version" • Tales from Earthsea by Tamiya Terashima, in the tracks "The Trip", "The Spider" and "Violent Robbery/The Seduction of the Undead". ==See also==