Gregorovich

Anyone know of a good link to a music notes/sheet on the song Yeraz?

Since I can't edit, I'll just post an additional link to a bit more of the story of this song, Sen Gelmez Oldun, and it's plyaer, Alihan Samedov. As I have said, I have very little problem or prejudice to music. As a studen of the duduk, I am learning and most can out playe me, and certainly in this link as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2LasJN2-aE

I actually like this song very much. I think this player is exceptionally gifted in playing the Duduk - Balaban. I believe in music for music sake and not for boundries of countries. I understand now, it is from an Azerbaijan composer played by Alihan Samedov. The piece was well put together with the accordian, and the name of the song is Sen Gelmez Oldun. It would be very nice if someone that can play the Duduk would do it and post it on YouTube.

OK.. here is a link to a YouTube video, VERY pretty sound, and it says Jivan Gasparyan is the player Is this right? If not who played the duduk as it is done very well! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpWhL5kPYzE Also, same song, and I like the sound of the recording better here, and the girl is alos pretty nice to watch as well, a well known belly dancer, but sounds like same song: So that is the quest of this new message. Jivan Gasparyan or not? If not, then who? I thought the duduk playing was especially fine. Armenia has many many tallents! Vern

Just wondering about Master Simon from Armenia. I have seen him listed on eBay a few places, and have seen a video of his. Here is a link to a video he put up on youtube. Do all makers of duduks use a hot poker on the center bore and finger holes? Is the center hole drilled before much of the wood is removed (turned) on the lathe? What methods are used for making the hole down the center, ie drill press, lathe, horizontal borer? Is it usually done as a single pass? Is there any variation in the size of the main bored hole in the duduk from maker to maker. Example 2.4 cm 2.2 cm and so on. The use of slaked lime, aka quicklime, is that used a lot as well? After viewing the video, one wonders why other means and equipment are not used. Even in Nebraska, we burned firewood and many had buzz saws that would cut wood to precise lengths very quickly http://www.newhavenpower.com/Buzz_Saw_Tray_Blade.jpg wood for firewood is also split rather quickly with a hydraulic log splitter that could be used for both the firewood for the home and for making pieces for later turning into duduks. Just wondering why they don't use these and other innovations in their making of duduks.

Appreciate the offer, Moses, but here in Michigan, even though we may have some decent water supplies, the Giant Reed cannot grow this far north. Perhaps someone in South Carolina, Maryland, Texas or such might read this forum and find it intriguing to send you one for them to have a "native" reed from their neck of the woods. You might keep yourself quite busy there making reeds for the duduk community where these things grow. Imagine, playing your duduk with your own hand picked and selected reed, and fashioned by a master reed maker for you? It might not play well, but it also might surprise you. Discovery is the genius of life.

For all practicality, the research points that this reed is the same material you import for production of duduk reeds. From Wikipedia.org "Arundo donax was introduced from the Mediterranean to California in the 1820s for roofing material and erosion control in drainage canals in the Los Angeles area (Bell 1997; Mackenzie 2004). Through spread and subsequent plantings as an ornamental plant, and for use as reeds in woodwind instruments, it has become naturalised throughout warm coastal freshwaters of North America, and its range continues to spread." which indicates the use for woodwind instrument reeds. And, also "The stem material is both strong and flexible. It is the principal source material for reeds for woodwind instruments such as the oboe, bassoon, clarinet, and saxophone. It is also often used for the chanter and drone reeds of many different forms of bagpipes. Giant reed has been used to make flutes for over 5,000 years. The pan pipes consist of ten or more reed pipes". You are correct in that the Arundo donax, Giant Cane, does have the ability to uptake certain heavy metals and other undersirable pollutants into it's stem, so getting a source in clear water and streams would certainly be prudent. It does, however and more importantly where ever it is grown, also uptakes silica, and would depend on the amount of silica availabe in the soil, but it is what gives it some attributs to NOT be used as fodder for forage animals like cattle, and sheep since it (silica) can become a toxic accumulation in the stems. These plants seem to have a unique ability to survive and thrive even when introduced outside their native habitat. This is what makes them so problematic in areas such as America, in that they really grow well, and have developed ways to keep 'their kind' well established in the world. Since they do not repoduce from seeds, the DNA transfers to each plant in an amost exacting match from plant to plant. Quite similar to the way that certain clone of Vitis vinifera, (wine grapes) have been carefully and systematically repoduced in 'like kind' from their origins in Germany, Fance, Spain and Italy to parts of the United States as well as other countries around the world. Through DNA testing and more specifically, in testing certain DNA markers within the range, we have isolated what we once only knew as Zinfandel in this country to have actually come from a vine in Croatia so many years ago. It's secret lost in the shuffle of plant material brought here so many years ago, now brought to light. Zinfandel is Crljenak from Croatia. BTW, I work as a winemaker in the wine industry here in Michigan, so cloning and plant specifis in DNA are a facinating study to me.

I have joined over there at the duduk.com forum under the name of Ollivander (another wand maker, long story) Nice Delmhorst moisture meter you have http://www.coastaltool.com/a/ab/delmhorst/j-2000.htm but it won't give you any info other than moisture content. It doesn't analyze heavy metals, only moisture content. According to a study, the ones in the United States grown that were imported from Europe/Asia are one and the same as those found in the areas you mention.

Doing a little research on the reed plant that is used for making the reeds used in the Armenian Duduk, I stumbled across some information on this plant. It is known as Giant Reed, Spanish Reed and scientific name is Arundo Donax L. Grown in Eurasia and Mediterranean areas, it was brought to America as early as the 1800's. One of it's many uses is in the making of woodwind instruments, including reeds. In the United States it is considered an Invasive Species to the lower 48, and grows mostly in the warmer zones of the U.S., and in close proximity to water sources. Link to where it is grown, *just click on the state to get the counties of the states that it's most problematic in: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ARDO4 More found about this reed plant here: http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/aquatics/giantreed.shtml and of course in Wikipedia here -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arundo_donax Grows in Texas and all the way up to Maryland as well, but doesn't grow well in the northern states due to climate extremes lows temperature in winters. Apparently we have an abundance of reed making plants right here in the United States.