The Yaybahar Istrument

13 December, 2014

This is going to be the coolest thing you see and hear all day!

The Yaybahar is an electric-free, totally acoustic instrument designed by Istanbul-based, Turkish musician, Görkem Şen. The vibrations from the strings are transmitted via the coiled springs to the frame drums. These vibrations are turned into sound by the membranes which echo back and forth on the coiled springs. The result is a unique listening experience with a hypnotic surround sound.

What you hear in the performance below is captured in real-time without any additional effects and with no post audio processing.

Harmonics in particular sound absolutely amazing, and when Șen begins plucking the strings at around 3:45 minutes into the video the echoes sound incredible, beginning to emulate a police siren as they course up and down the springs.

He has recorded it using two digital Zoom H4N recorders and the effect is even more evocative in a set of headphones. This is a really mystical sounding instrument.

He spent 5 years developing and building this wonderful creation. Please view the video clip to see what he came up with.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aY6TxC1ojA[/youtube]

About Salahi Misal 551 Articles

Was born and raised in London and first came to North Cyprus as a child where he lived for two and a half years. The Island left a long lasting impression on him, for after travelling the world and experiencing many different cultures and ways of life, Cyprus was always there. Sal, as his friends call him, has always had a passion for Art & Design and studied the subject for over ten years and resulted in him specializing in the design and production of contemporary furniture. He has worked in this field for twenty years now. After not having visited the Island for fifteen years he followed his heart back to North Cyprus, where he’s lived for the last four years. Now Sal works on a creative basis for NC Magazine.