Duduk

About the Sound and Character

The sound of the duduk is deep, warm, velvety, and piercingly sad. It is remarkably close to the human voice. Duduk music is associated with eternity, mountains, sorrow, and deep spiritual silence.

Structure and Features

The instrument consists of a wooden tube (strictly made of apricot wood) with 8 fingerholes on the front and 2 on the back. The key component is a massive double reed (ramad) made of cane, which vibrates when air is blown. Duduks are typically played in pairs: one leads the melody while the other maintains a continuous background drone (dam).

Genres

• Traditional Armenian folk music
• Hollywood soundtracks (Gladiator, The Passion of the Christ, Dune)
• Ambient and world music