kemanche
Kemanche is a variant spelling of kamancheh, a traditional bowed string instrument used in Persianate and Caucasian music. The instrument features a small, rounded bowl-shaped body, usually carved from mulberry wood, skin stretched over the resonator, a long neck, and typically four or five strings. It is played with a hair bow drawn across the strings, held upright on the knee or in a supported position, and fingered with the left hand to produce microtonal pitches and expressive vibrato. The timbre is bright and penetrating, capable of rapid melodic ornaments.
Origins and distribution: The kamancheh originated on the Iranian plateau and spread across the Caucasus and
Tuning and repertoire: Traditionally four strings are tuned to pentatonic or modal scales, though tunings vary
Name and spellings: The term is variably transliterated as kemanche, kamancheh, kamāncheh, or kamānsheh; regional languages
See also: Kamancheh, Kemençe, Mugham, Bowed string instrument.