Gidzhak

a stringed instrument played with a bow, found among the Tadzhiks, Uzbeks, Turkmens, Kara-Kalpaks, and Uigurs.

The gidzhak is analogous in structure to the kemancha. The instrument has a spherical body with a leather diaphragm stretched across the front. The round neck is fastened to the body with a metal pivot, which extends to form a leg that can be leaned against either the floor or the player’s leg while the instrument is being used. The ancient gidzhak has three strings, while the modern instrument has four; it was traditionally tuned in fourths, although today the intervals are more often fifths. The sound produced is rather muffled, with a growling timbre. The instrument is used in solos and in ensembles with other folk instruments. Orchestral varieties, such as alto, bass, and contrabass, have been created in the Soviet period.