Çifteli

The çifteli (also çiftelia, qifteli, Albanian for "doubled" or "double stringed") is a plucked string instrument, with only two strings, played mainly by the Albanians of northern and central Albania, southern Montenegro and parts of North Macedonia and Kosovo.^[1]

Çifteli

Albanian man playing a çifteli.
String instrument
Classification	Plucked string instrument; fretted lute
Hornbostel–Sachs classification	321.321-5 (Fretted pear-shaped bowl lute with a neck, played by plucking.)

Çiftelia

The çifteli is frequently used by Albanians in weddings and at concerts, as well as by musicians such as Nikollë Nikprelaj. It is also used to accompany Albanian epics and ballads.^[2]

Construction

Çifteli vary in size, but are most often tuned to B₃ and E₄ (comparable to the top two strings of a guitar, which is classically tuned as "E₂ A₂ D₃ G₃ B₃ E₄"). Usually the lower string is played as a drone, with the melody played on the higher string.^[3] The çifteli is a fretted instrument, but unlike most, it is not fretted in a chromatic scale (one fret per semitone), but rather in a diatonic scale, with seven notes to the octave.

The çifteli is a microtonal instrument, with makam Hüseyni being used on some çiftelis.^[4]

Etymology

The term çifteli is derived from Albanian "çift" ("double, pair") and "tel" ("wire, string"), so it takes the name from the number of strings used.^[1][5]

History

The çifteli originates from Albanian territories. It delivers a unique sound, melody and accompanies singing.^[6] The çifteli has an origin distinct from that of the instrument called "bağlama" (or "saz").

See also

• Tzouras
• Dutar, a Central Asian instrument, whose name means "two strings" in Persian
• Baglama
• Šargija, a baglama-like Balkan instrument
• Tanbur
• Setar