I chose to explore the Ethiopian Lyre also known as the Krar. I was attracted to this instrument due to it’s odd shape and also because of its mysterious label, called the “devil’s instrument”. was interested in hearing what it sounded like and whether it had a similar sound to any western instruments that we know now. When I first started listening I took note of the quality of the sound, there is a lot of vibrato from the strings and it reminded me of a Guzheng, a traditional Chinese instrument. After immersing myself and coming upon a video on youtube of professional Krar player, the music from the instrument was very calming and beautiful. I think that the instrument is well suited for the folk genre. I like the different harmonies its able of creating with just a few strings. There are some really interesting dissonant harmonies that are formed on the instrument when it’s strum rather than plucked. Personally, i liked the instrument more when it was plucked due to its harp like quality and the pleasing melodic lines the strings created. I learned that the instrument is mainly used for folk music and is often either played on it own or accompanies a vocal melodic line and has 6 strings. I found an artist while looking for videos named Asnakech Worku who plays the Krar while singing and is well known for her traditional folk songs on the instrument. In doing some research I found that she would play in bars when she was younger and it seems to correlate and verify the societal view on the instrument at that time in history. It verifies that the Krar claimed to portray emotions of love or obscenity. This makes sense due to the tuning of the instrument. Due to the tuning of the Krar in the pentatonic scale, there can be some very odd dissonant harmonies formed when the it is played. This would also maybe another reason for the instruments association with the devil. Overall, it was interesting getting to know the Krar and listening to Ethiopian music as well which was completely new for me as well. It’s interesting seeing that different cultures has very similar instruments and folk sounds yet each with their own distinctive quality.
Shelemay, K. K. (2017). Sound: The materials of music. In K.K. Shelemay (Au.). Soundscapes: Exploring Music in a Changing World. Ch.1. Pp. 26-76. New York: W. W. Norton & Company Inc.