A forgotten heritage: Some suggestions about the ceng instrument and its construction

The çeng instrument belongs to the class of angular open harps in organology. It is similar to the kanun and is played in an upright position. When looking at the historical development of the çeng, its earliest resemblances, which physically evolved into the modern form of the harp instrument, can be traced back to Egypt and Mesopotamia. It is known that Şehriyâriben Hâkân el-Acemî is the person credited with inventing the çeng. The çeng was a popular instrument widely used among the Ottoman Empire, Iran, and Eastern Turkic peoples before the 16th century. However, over time, it lost its small and sharp bow-shaped appearance seen in Ottoman and Iranian miniatures and acquired a longer form. The çeng enjoyed significant popularity in Turkish music until the end of the 17th century. In the kanun, which is played in a horizontal plane, the perception of large and small intervals is achieved through a mandal mechanism. However, the çeng does not have a similar mandal system, and it is not possible to quickly obtain these intervals during performance. However, the çeng can achieve passing tones if chromatically tuned. In modern times, to bring the frets to the desired pitch before playing, the tension of the strings is adjusted through tuning pegs. The tuning pegs are turned clockwise or counterclockwise with the help of a tuning key. The pegs are made of steel or similar alloys, or wooden parts. The pegs have male threads, while the component that turns the pegs has female threads. This exclusive item is known as the tuning key. In the çeng instrument, the traditional tuning process is done using horsehair to which the strings are attached. However, obtaining microtonal intervals is also possible through a simple pulley mechanism in this instrument. This instrument does not have a standardized form measurement. The traditional dimensions of the çeng can be standardized based on miniatures. This study concluded that the çeng can be an instrument for microtonal arrangements with a simple single handled pulley system, instead of multiple mandals. In order to reduce costs, this mechanism has been applied with a serum clamp, and obtaining microtones has become possible. Keywords: Çeng instrument, Çeng construction, Organology