Gyaling

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Monks playing gyaling, Spituk Monastery near Leh , ( Ladakh , India)

Gyaling (also gya ling , gya-ling , jahlin , jah-lin , jahling , jah-ling , rGya-gling ) is a double reed instrument of Tibetan music . It is played in the Tibetan monasteries mainly during puja , the mostly daily religious homage, and to greet lamas and rinpoches .

Origin and design

The gyaling is one of the cone oboes of the Persian surnai type that is widespread in Asia , which also includes the Turkish zurna , the Indian shehnai or the Chinese suona . These are related to the European shawm . Other wind instruments used in popular Tibetan music are the bamboo flute ngug-ling and the wooden transverse flute tre-ling .

The length of the gyaling is 65 to 70 centimeters. It has about eight finger holes, seven of which are played; one of them is at the bottom. It consists of a wooden melody tube onto which the mouthpiece and bell made of bronze or partially chrome-plated brass are attached.

Style of play

The Gyaling is with circular breathing played and produced a high, shrill sound. It can be used as the leading melody instrument in religious ritual music. During invocation rituals in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, wind instruments always play in pairs. In addition to the gyaling , a musical group includes the long natural trumpets ( dung ) made of metal ( dung chen ) and snail horns ( dung kar ). In addition, there are usually the percussion instruments rol-mo (hunched pair cymbals), silnyen (flat pair cymbals) and the stem drum rnga . In contrast to the wind instruments mentioned, gyaling is also played in secular music on festive occasions.

literature

  • Daniel A. Scheidegger: Tibetan Ritual Music. A General Survey with Special Reference to the Mindroling Tradition. ( Opuscula Tibetana . Works from the Tibet Institute) Rikon-Zurich 1988, pp. 11–13

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