Thread: Dumb instrument question...

Are the mizmar and zurna the same instrument, different locale names, or completely different? I know they look the same but I honestly have no idea lol!

Originally Posted by aameenah

Are the mizmar and zurna the same instrument, different locale names, or completely different? I know they look the same but I honestly have no idea lol!

Wow that's a great question?
and one I've been pondering myself,,

They could well be the same but will need other people to help us better answer and confirm it for us.

You see in Greek music, we have the Zourna or Zurna has you call it and I've seen it listed on display on some Synthesizers has the zourna such as from a Roland & Korg Synthesizer.

In Arabic however, they have the Mismar or Mizmar which is that wierd looking bugle horn brass instrument both of which sound very much alike. And they hardly have any difference at all between the two of them. From what I gather, some like that sound alot. Has for me I prefer more of the wind and high pitch flute sounds like the Ney & Pan flute. To me that sounds more Oriental and is quite more appealing and exotic then say the Zurna or Mizmar. The Mismar to my taste is more nasally sound and at times can be quite annoying. But that's my preference don't mean to offend anyone.

On my GEM Keyboard however, I have downloaded some arabic sounds on it and I have the Mismar sound tone. I believe the Kettron Keyboard has a Mismar on its sound tones board too but not entirely certain has I don't have one. But I do know it's the main Keyboard used now heavily in Arabic Music.

Hope this helps
maybe others can help contribute too!!

,r:;

I've always thought they were different words for the same instrument. Turkish zurna, Arabic mizmar. On a side note, Turkish ney rhymes with hay, Arabic ney rhymes with sky. And the Turkish baglama saz is the Egyptian bouzouk (not related to the Greek bouzouki). Confused yet, LOL?

p.s. I found a zurna/mizmar tribe on tribe. net: Mizmar and Zurna Players - tribe.net

Originally Posted by dunyah

I've always thought they were different words for the same instrument. Turkish zurna, Arabic mizmar. On a side note, Turkish ney rhymes with hay, Arabic ney rhymes with sky. And the Turkish baglama saz is the Egyptian bouzouk (not related to the Greek bouzouki). Confused yet, LOL?

Hi Dunyah

Thanks for clearing that up.
Somehow I always sensed they were one in the same but just had no way in telling unless someone really knew and could attest to it. So thanks for the light.

And Aameenah, that was not a dumb question but a very important one and thanks for asking.

BTW, my Korg Synth reads it has Zourna. I guess cause its geared more for Greek music but changes nothing from Arabic with not sounding the same in Oriental belly dancing sounds.
Confused?
now I can't think of the semantics of what I'm trying to say.
In retrospect the sounds can be played for both kinds of Oriental belly dancing music.

Thanks for your responses! I only ask because I've been toying with the idea of learning mizmar for a few years now, and I'm hoping to broaden my searches online for instructions. I love mizmar, I like the way it makes me dance :)

My neighbours, well, we weren't great friends to begin with. :)