Begena

Common Playing Position

The begena is an Ethiopian string instrument that resembles a large lyre. According to Ethiopian tradition, Menelik I brought the instrument to Ethiopia from Israel, where David had used the begena to soothe King Saul's nerves and heal him of insomnia. Its actual origin remains in doubt, though Ethiopian manuscripts depict the instrument at the beginning of the fifteenth century A.D. (Kimberlin 1978: 13)

Known as the instrument of noblemen, monks, and the upper class and performed by both Amhara and Tigray men and women, the begena was used primarily as an accompaniment during meditation and prayer. Though commonly played in the home, it is sometimes played during festive occasions. During Lent, the instrument is most often heard on the radio. One may compose one's own texts or they may be taken from the Bible, from the Book of Proverbs, or from the Book of Qinay, an anthology of proverbs and love poems. Subject matter includes the futility of life, the inevitability of death, saints, mores, morality, prayer, and praises to God. A song can last a few minutes to several hours depending on the text and the persistence of the player. Though many texts are of a religious nature, the instrument is not used in the Ethiopian Orthodox church services, even if it is seen occasionally in religious processions outside the church.

Because of the instrument's relatively sacred in society, it is relatively difficult to find people who play the begena. Meditation and prayer are very private, personal endeavors, and hearsay suggests that the instrument is played by very few and is a dying art. However, in 1972 the Yared Music School in Addis Ababa began formal instruction in the begena, and since the new regime has given priority to the arts, the begena still survives.

Begena Finger Positioning

Even though the begena has ten strings, only 6 are actually sounded by plucking. That is, the left hand plucks strings one, three, four, six, eight, and ten. The pointing finger plucks strings three and four while the other fingers are in charge of controlling one string each. The remaining strings are used for the finger rests or stops after the strings have been plucked allowing the plucked string to vibrate.

Thong buzzers are used as a method of sound amplification. Each buzzer is a U-shaped leather thong that is placed between each string and the bridge. The thong for each string is adjusted up or down so that the string, when plucked, repeatedly vibrates against the edge of the bridge, producing the characteristic buzzing sound which is more penetrating than music played without the buzzers.

Contributor: Temesgen's Music: a fusion of Reggae, Ethiopian, and Indian music

Listening

• Begena scale (.ogg file)