 Albanian man playing a çifteli. | |
| String instrument | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Plucked string instrument;frettedlute |
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 321.321-5 (Fretted pear-shaped bowl lute with a neck, played by plucking.) |
Theçifteli (alsoçiftelia,qifteli,Albanian for "doubled" or "double stringed") is a pluckedstring instrument, with only two strings, played mainly by theAlbanians of northern and central Albania, southernMontenegro and parts ofNorth Macedonia andKosovo.[1]
The çifteli is frequently used by Albanians in weddings and at concerts, as well as by musicians such asNikollë Nikprelaj. It is also used to accompany Albanianepics andballads.[2]
Çifteli vary in size, but are most often tuned to B3 and E4 (comparable to the top two strings of aguitar, which is classically tuned as "E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4"). Usually the lower string is played as adrone, with themelody played on the higher string.[3] The çifteli is a fretted instrument, but unlike most, it is not fretted in achromatic scale (one fret per semitone), but rather in adiatonic scale, with seven notes to the octave.
The çifteli is amicrotonal instrument, withmakam Hüseyni being used on some çiftelis.[4]
The termçifteli is derived fromalbanian "çift" ("double, pair") and "tel" ("wire, string"), so it takes the name from the number of strings used.[1][5]
The çifteli originates from Albanian territories. It delivers a unique sound, melody and accompanies singing.[6] The çifteli has an origin distinct from that of the instrument called "bağlama" (or "saz").
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