Kemane in Kastamonu region's traditional music practices

The study entitled ''Kemane in Traditional Music Practices in the Vicinity of Kastamonu'' consists of ''Introduction'', ''Four Parts'', and ''Conclusion.'' In the introduction, we have primarily examined the instrument and the studies carried out on the music practices involving the kemane; following that, we have given information on the approach we have adopted in this study. In the first part, we have classified the kemane and other stringed instruments played with nail touch in Asia and Europe, and presented their structural and functional characteristics under relevant titles. In addition, the constructional features of the instrument, its origins and how it is tuned and performed are minutely detailed. The second part of our study covers the historical and cultural characteristics of the regions where the instrument is in wide use as well as the performers' training process within their social millieu and their insturment making skills. Besides, the processes whereby the tradition is created and passed on by the kemane players who migrated to big cities are examined in the context of cultural identity and authenticity. The third part consists of a detailed statement of the music practices in Kastamonu, the function of the kemane within the group called 'meytar' and the explanations of other elements belonging to meytar. The last part of our study classifies the performances collected within the fieldwork as samples of non-metrical (açış) and metrical, and presents the performance- oriented structural analyses formulated and visualized through an unconventional method of transcription used in this study. In the conclusion, the evaluations made in the previous parts -regarding the kemane, its naming, its origin, its instrumental classification, its constructional faetures, performing and tuning, performance techniques, its function regarding locality, authenticity and migration, the listeners, the other performers involved in the traditional music alongside the kemane performers, occasions where kemane is played, performance centred structural analyses are presented collectively.