Description: The rebab is a plucked lute that is a member of the chordophone family. It is found in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kashmir, and North Western India. During ancient times the rebab was played in Afghani court music. In Afghanistan the rebab is regarded as the “lion of musical instruments”. Today the rebab is designated as one of the national instruments along with the zerbagali (goblet drum). This wide range of distribution of the rebab may be explained by the Afghan rule of India during the 18th century. In Uzbekistan the rebab or “rabob” seems to have a longer neck and is often added with fixed frets. In neighboring Tajikistan a rebab of somewhat similar construction is played although this form of rebab is slightly different in appearance. The tuning of the rebab is in D, C#-F# and B.

Anatomy of the Rebab: This type of lute has a distinct characteristic "wedge shaped" body and a short neck. Traditionally the bodies of the rebabs are made from mulberry wood. The Afghani rebab has 4 adjustable frets of nylon wrapped around the neck. There are 6 nylon playing strings and 11, 12 or 13 chikari strings that are occasionally throughout the performance. The chikari strings are of a thin diameter of steel, often I use Indian sitar strings to supplement for the chikari strings.

The bridge of the Afghani rebab is quite intricate in its design. From the top view of the bridge one can see that the playing strings go over the bridge and the chikari strings go through holes that are of a very small diameter. At the back of the rebab there are two bone hooks that support both the playing and chikari strings. All of the strings travel from the back of the rebab to the head stock where the tuning pegs are located. The acoustic chamber is constructed from a hide of goat or sheep skin stretched over the body. In Kashmir the playing strings are often made of gut which comes from the intestines of sheep or goat. Some of the contemporary materials used in the making of the rebab do include the sheet metal from oil drums and other sources.