Qanun playing techniques:

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*To be able to play qanun, first you should have its training. But at first we advice some important steps.

*First, To have  the right posture and holding instrument.

*The chair should be designed comfortable to sit well.

*The chair should not have arms otherwise the arms can prevent to play well and not comfortable for our elbows.

*When we put the qanun on our knees, it should be 90 degree angle between the body and knees . To krep the qanun in balance we can use A stand under our shoes.

*İn A classical qanun playing technique, our elbows should be close our body but not squeeze because elbows will move forward or backward.

*Our knees should be closer to seem respectful.

*The main important thing to know about pics strikes is to open and close the thumb and pointer fingers in line.

*During playing the qanun straching , rubbing or holding on strings are wrong ways. For having natural sound to use fingers right.......

 

Qanun Work Technique

The Qanun has been stolen in different ways by Qanuns (the Qanunmaker) in the past centuries and formed their characteristics. If we give two examples of Calis technique;

1- Elbows are kept close to the body and hands close to the surface of the Qanun. The wrists of both hands are loose. The strings are hit by moving index fingers. It is a soft voice over technique.
2- Elbows are open from the body. Index fingers are kept upright. The wrist is not broken during work. The forearm from the fingers to the elbow moves as a whole. This figure is suitable for "work fast" and for the purpose of making maximum sound from the Qanun. A brighter sound is produced by hitting the parts of the wires close to the bridge and pegs.
While playing the Qanun, the left hand moves about four fingers to the right from the pegs board, and the right hand moves on the line between the cages and the skin on the right side of the chest of the Qanun. The normal voice of the Qanun sounds on this area. If the strings are played from the middle of the string, a drummed and sweet voice is obtained.
Today, there are those who use the first or second form among the Qanuns, as well as those who use both forms in a mixed way.
New learners should definitely refrain from hitting a few plectrums of great value at the beginning. It is necessary to perform each note with a single hit, or tremola should make notes of great value.

The Ring Wearing the Finger in Qanun

The Qanun rings are made of yellow or white metal, roundly rounded to fit the thickness of the index finger. Curved ends may be tipped or overlapped.
Rings are worn first on the index finger of both hands, and then plectrums are passed between the finger and the ring, not too tight.
The best plectrum is called the tortoiseshell and is made of sea turtle shell or animal horn. The width of the plectrums is 1-2 mm thick in the middle part and thinner towards both ends. The fineness of these tips varies according to the wishes of the users. The surface of the plectrums should be smooth and shiny. Otherwise, rubbing sound is heard when the spear touches the wires.
The plectrum must contact the wire with its entire surface and at an angle of approximately 30 to 45 degrees. When the wire is hit, it should vibrate on three wires that give the same sound.

Handle Type of the Tuning Key

The round part of the key is held in the palm and the long axis of this part is held in the direction of the thumb and little finger. During tuning, the key is not pressed too much on the auger. First, the wire is rotated so that it loosens more or less, that is, the sound is gone. It is then pulled to the desired pes.

Using Coma Latches

Depending on the malfunctions in the melody to be played, the more pegs need to be changed, the more pegs are held between the thumb and middle fingers of the hand and are lowered or raised. At this time, it should be paid attention that the latches do not make much noise.
Sometimes latches may need to be used for a very short time. For example; During a chromatic (with half aperture) exit, when the latch needs to be held for a very short time, the latch is not held in the slot but is held between the middle and thumbs to lift the wire and is released immediately after the sound is played.
If a single latch is to be lowered, only the tab of the middle finger of the left hand is attached by latching. If a single latch is to be lifted, this time it is lifted with a thumb.

 

Chord of Qanun

The accord of the Qanun, which normally includes 25 sounds, begins with Neva wires. The neva wires are drawn into the sound heard from a tuning whistle, tuning fork or electronic tuner. Then Yegah with an octave pest, then treble neva in a octave treble, Kaba Yegah wires with two octave peaks are adjusted according to the sound of the neva wires.
In order to tune the Qanun, it is necessary to know the quad and quad ranges very well. New learners do not have a chance to tune until they are familiar with these ranges.
Tuning can be performed using a piano or organ.
Kanun is the most difficult instrument to tune in Turkish music.

 

Latch System in Qanun

The latch system in its Qanunis divided into two;

1-Coma System: In the Qanuns where this type of latch is attached, the pillow latch is fixed and 5 latches other than the unused pillow latch are between flat and natural. Each latch gives a coma sound.

2-Conscious System: 6, 7, 8 pegs are attached until the natural sound that comes after the pillow pegs. This system, which usually has 6 pegs after the pillow pegs, gives 6 pegs balance sound.

 

The Use of Latches According to Authorities in the Qanun

In Qanuns where 6 pegs are attached except for pillow pegs;
In the natural order (in the bench series) 6 pegs are lifted

Nihavent tonality (from natural pegs): 6 pegs
Hicaz tonality (from natural pegs): 5 pegs
Uşşak mode (from natural pegs): 3 pegs
Rast Authority (from natural pegs): 2 pegs
Hüzzam tonality (from natural pegs): 1 latch down
Segah tonality (from natural pegs): 1 latch down

Nihavent Makam: 6 pegs are lowered except for the bottom latch on the Si (haze) pitch. 6 pegs are lowered except for the bottom pegs on the Mİ (Hüseyni) curtain.
Hicaz tonality: 5 pegs except the bottom latch are lowered on the Si (haze) curtain, and 5 of the 6 sharps on the DO (bench) curtain are removed. 4 of the 5 pegs on the FA curtain are removed.
Uşşak Mode: 3 pegs are lowered from the curtain (SIK).
Rast Authority: 2 pegs are lowered from the Si (haze) pitch. 4 of the 5 sharps, which are descended from the FA curtain, are removed.
Hüzzam Makam: 1 pegs are lowered from the Si (haze) curtain, 4 pegs are lowered from the Mİ (Hüseyni) curtain. 4 out of 5 sharps are removed from the FA (Novice) pitch.
Suzinak Authority: 1 latch is removed from the Si (haze) curtain, 4 of the 6 pegs are removed from the M (Hüseyni) curtain, 4 of the sharp pegs are removed from the FA (Novice) curtain, 4 of the natural pegs are removed from the LA (curtain) curtain.
Kürdili Hicazkar Mode: 6 pegs are lowered except for the bottom pegs on the Si (haze), Mİ (Hüseyni), LA (dome) curtains.