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Mongolian
Arts and Culture > Music >
Traditional Instrument
 TRADITIONAL
INSTRUMENT
Traditional Mongolian instruments include:
• morin-khuur" (horse head-decorated
2-string cello)
• modon tsuur" (string instrument)
• yatga" (psaltery-like horizontal string instrument)
• limbe" (flute)
• shudarga" (3-string sitar-technique instrument)
• yochin" (multi-string horizontal instrument
with echoing box)
• khuuchir" (cittern-like string instrument)
• tumurkhuur" or "khulsankhuur" (metal
or bambuu leaf resonance based instrument)
• buree" (trumpet-like instrument)
• bishguur" (cow horn flute)
• tsan khengereg" (drum)
The morin khuur Perhaps the most ancient musical
instrument of the Mongols is the "morin-khuur",
invented at least a thousand years ago. In Mongolian, morin
means horse, and khuur means sound, ryme, melody.
This instrument's history is based on a legend
of a man who had a beloved, magical horse that could fly.
When an evil man killed the horse, the man made an instrument
from the horse so that he could remember it. Originally,
the handle of the horse-head fiddle was made of horse ribs
and its base was horse skin.
Today, the long tail hair of a horse ridden since
childhood is used for the strings. It is said each tail hair
fiber should be processed until it "starts talking".
To honor the horse, its head is carved of wood and placed
where the scroll would be on a violin. The wooden neck and
the sound box of the instrument are sometimes decorated by
the five elements and the horoscope animals of the Buddhist
12-year calendar, and the symbol of eternity is depicted on
the sides of the box. The tone of the morin khuur is tender
and slightly languorous.
This instrument is often used to perform pieces
which imitate animals' and nature's appearance and behavior,
including rivers, stallions, camels, bulls, elks, and especially
the horse. In Eastern Mongolia melodies have such names
as "The Snake Realm", "The Hawk Strong Stallion",
"The Bogdo Khaan's Brown Trotter", "The Gobi's
Spotty Trotter", "The Young Male Camel" etc.
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