Caucasian Dhol

Caucasian Dhol (Armenian: Դհոլ, Azerbaijani: Nağara, Georgian: დოლი, Russian: Доул) is a kind of dhol drums in the Caucasus. This drum was used by the Caucasian warriors in the battle, today for national music playing.

Construction

Caucasian Dhol drum

Сaucasian dhol is a double-sided barrel drum, the shell used from wood or acrylic plastic, and the heads from thinnest leather or synthetic plastic film. The traditional preferences is shell from walnut wood and the heads from goat skin. The skin or plastic film should be spanned on strong iron round rod, strong during the tuning up of the drum heads the rod should not be bent, the round rod is optimal for touch hands. Adjustment made by hemp or synthetic rope.

Playing

Caucasian drum - heads playing

Сaucasian dhol played mostly as an accompanying instrument with Garmon, Zurna and Clarinet. There are two playing variants, one with hands and the second with two wooden sticks, usually the sticks made out of dogwood because this is heavy wood.

Caucasian drum - wooden sticks playing

Regional forms and traditions

Armenia and Azerbaijan

In Armenia it is called Dhol and in Azerbaijan called Naqara, their dhols used from natural thinnest leather skin or plastic film heads and the shell is wooden or acrylic plastic. The playing is only with hands.

Georgia and Abkhazia

In Georgia and Abkhazia it is called dholi or doli, their dhols almost used from natural thick leather skin heads and wooden shell. The playing is almost with hands.

Southern Russia and Northern Caucasus

In Southern Russia and North Caucasus it is called doul baraban, their dhols is the same as the Armenian and Azerbaijani, but also playing with two same wooden sticks.