Alison Krauss - Down To the River To Pray

HIDJAK - a stringed bow instrument, common among Tajiks, Uzbeks, Turkmens, Karakalpaks (gyrzhak), Uyghurs. According to legend, created by Ibn Sina and the poet Khosrov. The design is similar to Kemanche, common in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Iran. G.'s building is spherical, wooden, glued from det. segments or chopped; sometimes made from pumpkin or coconut. The front open side of the case is tightened with a leather membrane that acts as a deck. The neck is round, thicker at the top, fastened with a metallic body. a rod protruding below in the form of a “leg”. In ancient G. used 3 vein or silk strings, in modern G. - 3, usually 4 metal. Stroy quart, in modern G. often quint. The sound is creaky, dull, a characteristic bubbling timbre. Unlike kemanchi,the dimensions of the tool (especially the case) range from 700-900 mm. During the game, G. is kept in an upright position, resting the “foot” on the floor or knee. The sound is extracted with a short bow with a freely suspended strand of horse hair, the tension of which is regulated by the fingers (now the violin bow is more often used).