Horse head fiddle-main representative of nomadic culture-is one of the national musical instrument: it is highly valued by in musical branch. We have inherited numerous records, notes, studies and research regarding horse head fiddle. Above everything scholars have studied the origin of this instrument and analyzed the legend of this fiddle. For example: Legend of the Khukhuu Namjil.
The story goes: In a remote area in Altai, young man was serving in an army named Khukhuu Namjil; there he met a beautiful young lady. Shortly after he had dismissed from the army, he commenced to a happy life with his lover. After living happily with his lover he had to leave his lover and go on to live with his parents, because he did not see his parents for a long time. His wife said that she would give him a horse, which would connect them in an instant. Unfortunately, someone who hated has killed horse. Khukhuu Namjil grieved a lot and carved his horse’s head; he strings out of the horse mane to make an instrument Moring Khuur.
Here you can listen the singing story of Khukhuu Namjil with
There are numerous versions of this legend. From ancient times, horse head fiddle is made in various designs and shapes. It is recorded that people called the fiddle according with animal’s head was carved, such as: swan, alligator, dragon and tiger and tiger head fiddle.
Horse head fiddle is tuned by fifth and harmony. Fifth harmony is called Tsakhar harmony or off pitch harmony. There are many beautiful harmonies dedicated to the horse head fiddle. Khalkh Mongols usually play the melodies, which express the rhythm of horse walk, such as, Walk of Jonon Khar’, Walk of Joroo Mori’, ambler (horse) ‘Nutsen Tsavdir’, Mogoi Kheer’, Dogolon Tsagaan’, and Khatsaga Zeerd’, along with there are melodies, which imitated the sound of sheep lamb, cow calf, and wave of blue lake. It is impossible to think about the horse head fiddle separately the traditional song. The main instrument which adorns and works together with is the horse head fiddle. Therefore, the horse head fiddle is regarded as superior in every family and is considered very important. It is put on the positions of honor.
The instrument consists of a trapeziform wooden-framed sound box to which two strings are attached. It is held nearly upright with the sound box in the musician’s lap or between the musician’s lap or between the musician’s legs. The strings are made from hairs from nylon or horses tails, strung parallel, and run over a wooden bridge on the body up a long neck, past a second smaller bridge, to the two tuning pegs in the scroll, which is usually carved into the form of a horse’s head.
The bow is loosely strung with horse hair coated with larch or cedar wood resign, and is held from underneath with the right hand. The understand grip enables the hand to tighten the loose hair of the bow, allowing very fine control of the instruments timbre.
The larger of the two strung (the male strung) has 130 hairs from a stallion’s tail, while the female string has 105 hairs from a mare’s tail. Nowadays the strings are made of nylon. Traditionally, the strings were tuned a fifth apart, though in modern music they are more often tuned a fourth apart, usually to B-flat and F. The strings are stopped either by pinching them in the joints of the index and middle fingers, or by pinching them between the nail of the little finger and the pad of the ring finger.
Traditionally, the frame is covered with camel, goat, or sheep skin, in which case a small opening would be left in the back.
However, since the 1970s, new completely wooden sound box instruments have appeared, with carved f-holes similar to European stringed instruments.
The modern standard height is 1.15 m (3 ft. 9 in); the distance between the upper bridge is about 60cm (24 in), but the upper bridge especially can be adapted to match smaller players’ fingers. The sound box usually has a depth of 8-9 cm (3.1-3.5 in); the width of the sound box is about 20cm (7.9 in) at the top and 25 cm (9.8 in) at the bottom. Good quality instruments can achieve a strength of 85 DBA, which allows it to be played (if desired) even in mezzo forte or crescendo. When horsehair is used, the luthiers prefer to use the hair of white stallions. In general, the quality of a horse hair string depends on its preparation, the climate conditions and the nutrition of the animals. That gives a wide area of quality differences.
The Morin Khuur is one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity identified by UNESCO.
Eco Tour Mongolia suggests every travel group to go the Tumen Ekh Ensemble concert in the beginning of the tour or at the end of the tour where they can have access to watch all other Mongolian traditional art including Morin Khuur music in.
