Kanun may also be spelled Qanun, Kanoon, and Quanoon. It is also sometimes referred to as the Arabic or Tukish Zither. The kanun is the predecessor of both the harp and the piano. It is a multi-stringed instrument which is played by plucking the strings with tortoiseshell or metal plectra which are attached to rings and worn on the index fingers of both hands. It may have as few as 63 strings or as many as 84 strings, this will depend largely on it's country of origin. It may be played on the musicians lap or it may be set on a stand or table. Most modern day bands will have it on a stand unless they are at a historical re-enactment type of event, in which case they may play it on their laps to try and represent an historically correct performance however, that is often not the case. The kanun is a very difficult instrument to learn and takes a lot of hard work and dedication to play well. The kanun is an instrument that creates beautiful little ripples or flutters in the music, at least that's how I describe it. The "ripples" are created by the hands playing an octave (1) apart. The left follows the right creating a syncopated (2) heterophonic (3) two voice piece. Here is an example of how a kanun sounds.
This example is from Mimi Spencer's CD 'Right Where I want to be'. The song is Ya Msaharni which is actually an old Oum Kalthoum song. To hear more of Mimi Spencer's renditions of middle eastern songs or to purchase her CD(s) visit Maqam.com.
As defined by the Encarta Online dictionary
(1) Octave: an interval between two notes consisting of eight notes inclusive or seven steps on the diatonic scale.
(2) Syncopated: a musical rhythm modified by shifting the accent to a weak beat of the bar.
(3) Heterophonic: the performance of several variations of a piece of music played by different instruments or sung simultaneously.
