Ancient Mesopotamian Music

Idiophones

• KRATAL = rattle

• URUDU NIG-KAL-GA = large copper or bronze bell

KRATEL (?)

URUDU NIG-KAL-GA

Membranophones

• UB [Akk. “uppu”] = drum– SU UB = drum made from skin, leather– UB-ZABAR = drum made of bronze

• BALAG [Akk., Ass. “balaggu”, “balangu”, “palagga”, “pelaggu”] = drum made from two skulls, hourglass drum– BALAG-DI [Akk. “tumbuttu”, “timbputu”] =

smaller version of BALAG

• DUB = drumhead made of copper

• A-LA / SU A-LA = giant suspended drum

• LILIS = [Akk. “lilissu”] large (stationary) and small (processional) goblet drums

• AD-A-PA [Akk. “adapu”]= timbrel with rectangular frame and two skin-heads

• su ME-ZE [Akk. “mezu”, “manzu”] = tambourine with one head

BALAG-DI

A-LA / SU A-LA

LILIS

AD-A-PA

su ME-ZE

Aerophones

• TI-GI [Akad. “tigu”, “tegu”] = vertically held reed– KA-GI = mouth reed– IMIN-E TI-GI = “seven note” reed– GI-GID / GI-BU/ GIS-SIR = long reed– GI-DIM = large reed

• NA [Akad. “nabu”] = single beating reed (cf. clarinet)– GI-ER-RA / GI-IR-RA = “lament”

• S[H]EM [Akk. “halhallatu”] = double pipe– GIS HAR-HAR = double pipe made of wood

• KITMU [Akk. “katamu”] = reed covered by cap of rush, gourd, wood or horn

• PITU = curved single beating reed– DUN-GI GU = “bent pipe”

• PULLU / MEKKU / KIZALLU = military trumpets

• SIM / SI-IM / SI-IM-DA / SI-IM-DU = blowing horn

• KARAN = war trumpets

TI-GI

S[H]EM

SIM / SI-IM / SI-IM-DA / SI-IM-DU

Chordophones

• AL = harp– GIS ZAG-SAL = cross-string harp– GIS MIRITU = little harp– GIS SABITU = seven-stringed harp– GIS PAN-TAG-GA = bow-shaped harp– LU GIS PAN-TAG-GA = to “hit” or “strike the

GIS PAN-TAG-GA

• HUL [SI-SA] = upright harp

• GIS AL-GAR = lyre

• SINNITU = lute

• SA-LI-NE-LU = psaltery

GIS PAN-TAG-GA

HUL [SI-SA]

GIS AL-GAR

SINNITU