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I was in Lark in the Morning a while back and saw a wooden double-reed instrument that looked interesting. While I was holding it it the sales guy told me to put both reeds in my mouth (unlike playing an oboe) and blow hard. He then stepped back and put his hands over his ears. That sucker was LOUD! In hindsight, I think I was playing a mizmar. Are there any mizmar players out there (especially in the Seattle area)? Are they always so loud?
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Seattle
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Re: Mizmar?
Mon, June 6, 2005 - 9:52 PMWhen you get better at playing, they only get louder.
Hector Bezanis is one of the better American-based mizmar players, but he's down here in the bay area. There's a Turkish guy named Haluk who lives in Philadelphia who even plays Bach and Mozart riffs on the thing (in Turkey they call it zurna) - they're very versatile instruments. But always deafeningly loud. -
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Re: Mizmar?
Mon, June 6, 2005 - 10:34 PM<When you get better at playing, they only get louder.>
Oh boy! Won't the neighbors love THAT if I decide to get one!
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Re: Mizmar?
Mon, June 13, 2005 - 5:39 AMI think you might be referring to Hamit. He was at Folktours music and dance camp this year. Great guy, stuck my zurna reed right into the cherry of his cigarette. It helped tremendously, but tasted like _____! Desperately trying to learn Seskin/Shashkin.
Of course there might be more zurna players living around Philadelphia.
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Re: Mizmar?
Tue, June 7, 2005 - 7:42 AMI think it's odd that you said that you put both reeds in your mouth, unlike an oboe. I'm not sure that it's a mizmar, our Serna for that matter if it's not like an oboe. Because both are double reeded instruments, and should require the same setup. Infact, on occasion I'll play my Serna with a Basson reed that I tie up and cut down to be more stalwart in the outdoors and at festivals.
We need more Serna players in this world, it's a beautiful insturment all around. -
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Re: Mizmar?
Tue, June 7, 2005 - 11:52 AMYeah, I thougt that was odd, too. My daughter played the oboe and I noodled around with it, so I knew the mouth postion. But, when I started to do that, the sales guy said that isn't how it's played. So, maybe it wasn't a mizmar. Next time I'm in Seattle I'll have to go back there and check it out.
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Re: Mizmar?
Tue, June 7, 2005 - 1:53 PM -
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Re: Mizmar?
Thu, June 9, 2005 - 11:48 PMNope. It didn't look anything like that. Thanks!
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Re: Mizmar?
Thu, June 9, 2005 - 11:47 PMOk, I'm going to be in Seattle tomorrow. I'll go to Lark in the Morning and find out what I was blowing on. I'll report! :-)
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Re: Mizmar?
Tue, June 21, 2005 - 10:27 AM -
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Re: Mizmar?
Tue, June 21, 2005 - 12:47 PMNope. Thanks, though. I did go to the store and confirmed that I was blowing on a mizmar. -
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Re: Mizmar?
Tue, July 5, 2005 - 5:26 PMSo Deux I'm confused about oboe. How do you place the oboe reed when playing? -
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Re: Mizmar?
Tue, July 5, 2005 - 6:56 PMLet's see... how to explain... You kind of curl your lips over your teeth then put the reed between your lips. Then, there's a bit of trial and error (and a lot of squawks, tweets, and whoosh sounds) until you get the right feel and sound. -
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Re: Mizmar?
Fri, July 8, 2005 - 5:00 PMAh so oboe reed is like a tiny Turkish mey or Armenian duduk in that your lips press on the reed.
Zurna and Mizmars, on the other hand, are played with the reed in the mouth but not usually touching lips or teeth.
Do I have that right?
(Yes, I do know about the tongue-ing technique used on Zurna's reeds to get a sort of vibrato sound.)
Karadenis/Denys -
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Re: Mizmar?
Sat, July 9, 2005 - 7:06 AM<Do I have that right?>
I'm not familiar with the mey or duduk, but I believe you're right. -
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Re: Mizmar?
Tue, July 19, 2005 - 11:27 PMJust what I've heard....the mizmar is one of the most difficult instruments to play. It is my absolute favorite solo (other then drum, of course) Learn to play....I'll dance!!!!
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Re: Mizmar?
Tue, August 9, 2005 - 9:35 PMThe mey and duduk are about the size of a recorder, but the reed is huge. About the size of a sax reed only its a double reed. A lot softer than the mismar but takes a lot of air and makes your head vibrate. Though maybe I was doing it wrong, LOL.
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