An Eastern Expedition. The Morin Khuur, Part 1

Some time ago I was contacted by a music student who casually asked if I could build an Igil or a Morin Khuur.  It took a second to pull the information out of the dark recesses of my brain's instrument archive.  I knew they were Chinese or Mongolian.  "I don't see why not.", was my reply.

The idea took root. These instruments are associated with the Tuvan culture. Tuvan music is characterized by peculiar modal octave harmonies. You may be familiar with the Mongolian throat-singing tradition  I decided on the Morin Khuur, which loosely translates to "Horse-head fiddle".  It has two strings and is bowed something like a viol, being held between the knees . What's really interesting is that the strings aren't stopped on the surface of the board, but "pinched" against the side of the fingernail or fingertip.  The sound produced is a shimmering raspy tone. It's evocative of wind and wide open spaces.

I've finished the rough work and will undertake assembly this week. As it happens, I managed to find all the materials necessary in my cast-off pile. There's a good stiff Sitka top, bigleaf maple for the sides and back, (rejected as guitar sides due to a knot), some rock maple for the neck and pegbox, and a slice of rosewood for the fingerboard. So far the only thing I've had to purchase was a piece of steel to reinforce the neck. It feels good "salvaging" these woods.

I'll document the assembly in coming days.