Yatga

The Yatga (Mongolian Ятга ) is a traditional Mongolian stringed instrument that belongs to the Wölbbrettzithern. Related instruments are the Chinese guzheng zither, the Korean gayageum, the Vietnamese Tranh Djan and the Japanese koto.

The Yatga is produced in many different sizes and types. The number of strings, the bridges and the mood is different. The hollow sound body is slightly arched. The pitch of a string is set on an approximately triangular piece of wood with the name bridge.

The strings are plucked with the fingernails of the right hand. With the left hand, the pitch of a string can be varied. The left hand is also used to pluck the bass strings with the Thalfingen. It is also a question of style, whether you are playing the fingernails, with or without finger caps.

The Yatga is strung with 21 strings, the material of the strings is traditionally made ​​from horse hair, Sehnenn or twisted silk. Today it is mostly used strings made of nylon or steel strings that are wrapped with nylon. The A-string is usually dyed in green, the other white. The sound body is made of wood, often Yatgas are made of rosewood or Pavlonia.

The Vietnamese construction with the name Dan Tranh has two bridges for each string, and some Dan Tranh have holes on the top. There is also a strong similarity to the Tuvaesischen yat -kha.

Nowadays, the shape of the Yatga most used has 21 strings, is 1.62 meters long and weighs 5-6 kg. This design is also referred to as "master Yatga ". It is virtually identical to the Chinese Gu Zheng. Shorter versions often sound different, and some have fewer strings. In Korea, this instrument is also manufactured with 24 strings and a diatonic tuning. This means that all the tones of a scale are present.

Historically played on the Yatga with 12 strings. The 12 strings had a symbolic meaning, since that reflects the sky and also the order of the palaces in ancient Asia. Who was not a nobleman or a monk, was only allowed a maximum of 11 -string Yatga play.

The traditional Mongolian epic Janggar, tells of a young princess who has played on a 800 -string Yatga, with 82 bridges.

The mood is pentatonic, so that a Yatga can cover four octaves with 21 strings. The mood in the key of C major is CDEGA and suits many traditional Asian music pieces, albeit transposed.

In the Mongolian folk music, the keys F major, b major ( Hb) and E flat major are widespread.

F Major Tuning: C D F G A

B-Dur/Ais Major Tuning: C D F G b / Ais

It / Dis Major Tuning: C Dis F G b

Other moods arise from the fact that the Yatga strings are tuned in pentatonic semitone 2 2 3 2 3.

The as major or G # major scale consists of the notes G # (2 ) b ( 2 ) C ( 1) C # ( 2) display (2 ) F ( 2 ) G ( 1) Gis Intervals 2 2 3 2 3 then yield following tones for Yatga: Gis (2 ) b ( 2 ) C ( 3) Dis ( 2 ) F ( 3) Gis to better understand the shift in tones, the fundamental tones from the tone of C major for As:

C Dis Gis F b

Changes over the bridges: D is for Dis, E is for F, G becomes G #, A is to B

In order to get along with a shift by only a semitone, one respects it, that the startup of a scale is playable. For example, to obtain in the key of E flat major Ais / b b flat major, one then does not the C string two semitones lower, but the A string a semitone higher. Because the A in the key does not occur in pentatonic tuning, that is correct. Thus, the startup of the scale, but also the two semitones higher Folgeton is available.

In the basic setting of the strings with the screw mechanism, care is taken that the bridges of the corresponding strings have higher space for a variation by a semitone, so that a bridge will not hit the next. Optionally, the tension of the string needs to be increased or decreased for.

Another form of humor is the diatonic tuning, where the seven main notes of the octave are tuned and three semitones it. However, the Yatga must then be equipped with other strings, because otherwise the tension is too high, too low and the low notes at the high tones.

The tension of the strings should be about so much that you can get a half tone higher when pushing down the string between the string and the ground. The sound of a string can be changed by moving the bridges. The pentatonic tuning should be allowed to a little more space between the E and G strings and between the A and the C-string. The highest string is tuned to D, and the green strings correspond to the A.

The mood is set with a screw mechanism in the Yatga. This setting is rarely corrected with the screws, but only by the bridges.

The strings are numbered from 1 to 21, wherein the highest note, the number is replaced by 1, and when you play closest to the musician. You put an end to the Yatga usually on the legs of the musician, the other end is on the ground. The high notes are normally plays with his right hand, the low notes with your left hand or right hand. Some musicians prefer a stand to play and in Korea and Japan, the musicians sit on the floor.