The Kazakh Qobyz: exploring playing techniques and its acoustic features

Abstract

Music of Central Asia remains an understudied field within modern musicology and broader academic discourse. In particular, many questions arise regarding traditional Kazakh instruments. The Qobyz—a Kazakh string instrument recognized for its distinctive timbre—has undergone centuries of transformation influenced by various religious and political contexts. Yet, due to its repertoire and shamanic background, it continues to be primarily framed within a folk music tradition. By studying the acoustic characteristics of the Qobyz through the lens of contemporary concert music, this research aims to expand the instrument’s performance possibilities and repertoire by analyzing and evaluating all existing playing techniques within the context of European string instruments. The main objective is to assess traditional and contemporary string playing techniques to determine their applicability to the Qobyz and explore its potential role in contemporary art. The methodology is practice-based and includes the following seven steps: (1) literature review, (2) playing technique selection, (3) categorization of techniques, (4) analysis of the application process, (5) evaluation and comparison, (6) notation, and (7) interpretation and conclusion. Additionally, this work is intended to function as a manual for composers and performers, offering them a comprehensive understanding of the instrument's theoretical and practical aspects.