Resonant, vivid, and otherworldly in sound, this extraordinary musical instrument was invented by the Turkish musician Görkem Şen who describes it as a “real-time acoustic string synthesizer”. The name is composite of two words yay, meaning"string" or a "coiled string" and bahar means the season spring and is also derived from the idea of a new life or a new beginning.
The Yaybahar is played like an orchestral string instrument, particular cello or double bass, by hitting or sliding a wooden bow along the two long strings suspended and stretching to the centre of of two drum heads. The drums can be hit, or the bow at the top, producing a wide range of eerie sounds particularly suitable for oddball cinematic effects. Film composer Ian Honeyman describes the Yaybahar as "a cello like instrument that uses springs and drums for resonance rather than a wood body”. Here he demonstrates and explains more how he made his own model:
And here’s Görkem Şen himself doing demonstrations in different locations and with various models to extraordinary results:
Other musicians have also been tempted by the Yaybahar’s potential. In 2018 Max Richter composed music featuring the Yaybahar for the film Hostiles by Scott Cooper. Görkem Şen himself can be heard on Gary Numan’s 2021 album, Intruder.
For more information about the Yaybahar, see also Görkem’s website.
Feel free to share anything in relation to the Yaybahar, whether in music or wider culture, such as from film, art, or other contexts, in comments below.
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