Yaybahar

2025 - ongoing

Yaybahar is a new class of acoustic string instrument invented in the early 2010’s by visionary Turkish sound artist Görkem Şen. In its essential make up, a Yaybahar relies on drums, springs, and a stringed up bow-able stick to produce truly unique sounds. The vibrations bowed into the strings pass through the springs, the springs delay and harmonize played tones, and when the resulting amalgamation of vibrations reaches the drums, acoustic volume is achieved.

Görkem, a master of precision lutheiry, has developed Yaybahars that enable the player acute control of the instrument’s searching complexities. With specific spring lengths, careful drum tunings, pedal controlled spring dampers, and a system of two drums and two playable strings, Görkem’s instruments are marvels of consistency and playability considering the expansive noise Yaybahars can so easily produce. Watch a video of Görkem playing one of his instruments here.

When I first began experimenting with Görkem’s invention I found myself most interested in this quality of expansive noise, wondered how big it could get, and began developing a new branch of the Yaybahar’s evolving tree. While Görkem’s intruments prioritize consistency and precision, the Yaybahar system I’ve been developing prioritizes the chaos and imprecision. I employ springs of random lengths, drums of random tensions, and (at the moment) six playable strings and up to 20 resonating drums. I rig the drums to the the architecture of chosen performance sites, resulting in a unique sound profile each time the system is installed. Since each spring I employ is a random length, the time it takes vibrations to travel varies, and the result is a wash; A-rhythmic, chaotic, and in constant pursuit of harmonic overtones and fleeting syncopations. Meanwhile, since each uniquely sized drum is arbitrarily tensioned, the result is a searching tonal consistency that travels around the hosting space. I have nicknamed my Yaybahar build, in its current form, the helper. Less of a precision tool, more of a sound sculpture, the helper Yaybahar is not intended to be fixed or finished. It’s form, material composition, sound profile, playable quality, affect in space, and sub-name will all likely change as its system evolves.

The helper Yaybahar is designed for both traditional musical performance (player-to-audience) and for installation as an interactive sound sculpture. For example, during Onze Douze IV (a small experimental music and arts festival in Woburn, QC) the audience played the springs while I bowed the six strings during performance and then helper Yaybahar was left installed for all to experiment with over the course of the weekend.

Görkem, a true artist’s artist, has encouraged my experiments. At the moment there are only three artists around the globe developing Yaybahars: Görkem, Metis, and myself. I am called, honored, and graced to share this muse.

A deeper dive into the Yaybahar should probably start with its wikipedia page here.

helper Yaybahar materials, currently:

rope, bicycle rims, self tapping screws, cow skin, clevis pins, washers, stainless steel springs, mild steel wire, carved smoked oak, whitner tuning pegs, double bass strings, tripod, hardware

— instalations, performances, and recordings —

2025 - the helper Yaybahar with Tea and Dragons - recording in post production - Dominicuskerk - Amsterdam, NL

2025 - klang’s hangover helper - unrecorded - Domaine des Lignes - Woburn, QC

2025 - experimentations - > link to full length video < - Electro Spiral Sound Studio - Dew Douglas, IL

2025 - introducing the helper Yaybahar - unrecorded - sour silk cabaret - Amsterdam, NL

2025 - early daze of the helper- > link to audio < - Amsterdam, NL

Miscellaneous detail and process shots: