Caucasian dhol

Caucasian Dhol (Armenian: Դհոլ, Azerbaijani: Nağara, Chechen: Фуотт, Georgian: დოლი, Russian: Доули) 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

The Сaucasian dhol is mostly played 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 are made of dogwood as a heavy type of wood is preferred.

Caucasian drum - wooden sticks playing

Regional forms and traditions

Armenia and Azerbaijan

In Armenia it is called Dhol, while in Azerbaijan the instrument is called Naqara. These types of dhols are made from natural thin leather skins or plastic film heads. The shell is wooden or acrylic plastic. In these countries the dhol is traditionally played only with hands, and no sticks are used.

Chechnya and Ingushetia

In Chechnya and Ingushetia it's called Fuott or Wuott, and as many traditional drums, it is made from cylindrical wooden shell and acoustic membrane from natural leather skin, traditionally played with the bare hands.

Georgia

In Georgia 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

In Southern Russia it is called Douli. Their dhols are the same as the Armenian and Azerbaijani ones.