rabābArticle Free Pass rabāb, Arabic rabābah, Arab fiddle, the
earliest known bowed instrument and the parent of the medieval
European rebec. It was first mentioned in the 10th century and
was prominent in medieval and later Arab art music. In medieval
times the word rabāb was also a generic term for any bowed
instrument. The rabāb has a membrane belly and, commonly, two or
three strings. There is normally no fingerboard, the strings
being stopped by the player’s fingers. Body shapes vary. Pear-
and boat-shaped rabābs were particularly common and influenced
the rebec. Flat round, trapezoidal, and rectangular bodies are
also found. Throughout the Middle East and Africa, as well as
Central Asia, northern India, and Southeast Asia, the word
rabāb, rebab, or other derivative name refers to a spike fiddle;
i.e., one that has a small, round or cylindrical body and
appears skewered by a narrow neck. The rabāb reached Europe by
two routes. A pear-shaped variety was adopted in the Byzantine
Empire in the 9th century a