Zummara
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The Zummara is a double clarinet : a woodwind instrument with two pipes joined together and a reed inserted into the end of each pipe. The zummara has many different names, and is widely used in all sorts of music throughout the Islamic world, from North Africa to Indonesia. It can also be blown through a bag as a bagpipe, or through a gourd, like the Indian pungi.
| Family |
| Woodwinds |
| Pitch range |
| About one octave. |
| Material |
| Bamboo, reed, or bone. |
| Size |
| Variable : usually 12-15 in (30-38 cm) long. |
| Origins |
| Instruments very similar to the zummara have been found in excavations in Egypt, where they date back to 4,000 B.C. or earlier. |
| Classification |
| Aerophone: an instrument that produces its sound by the vibration of a column of air. |
| And also... |
| Double clarinets, such as the zummara, are traditionally played throughout the Islamic world, which stretches from North Africa to the Middle East and Indonesia. The zummara from Iraq is usually played by amateurs. |
