BĀLĀBĀN, a cylindrical-bore, double-reed wind instrument about
35 cm long with seven finger holes and one thumb hole, played in
eastern Azerbaijan in Iran and in the Republic of Azerbaijan
[the former Soviet Azerbaijan] (where it is also called düdük).
This instrument can be made of mulberry or other harder woods,
such as walnut. The bore through the instrument is about one and
a half cm in diameter. The double reed is made out of a single
tube of cane about six cm long and pressed flat at one end. The
performer uses air stored in his cheeks to keep playing the
bālābān while he inhales air into his lungs. This “circular”
breathing technique is commonly used with all the double-reed
instruments in the Middle East. Originally Published: December
15, 1988 Last Updated: December 15, 1988