On this page you can find more information about the instruments I play and the traditions they come from
Tambur
Uyghur
The tambur is one of the principal instruments of Uyghur music. Played with a metal pick tied to the index finger, with a range of 3 octaves arranged into a diatonic 12 tone scale (more or less equal temperament). The tambur is the main instrument of Ghulja (in the Ili valley of the north of Uyghuristan), but also plays a prominent part in the 12 muqam art music tradition. I studied with Mahmut Memet, a master of one of the most expressive lineages of Uyghur music.
Sattar
Uyghur
One of the other main instruments of Uyghur music, and a key part of the 12 muqam tradition, where it is used to accompany the singer in the opening muqaddime section. The sattar has 13 strings, one which is bowed using a horsehair bow (normally a violin bow these days, held from below), and 12 sympathetic strings tuned in the mode of the muqam. The sattar has its own language of expression and embellishment and is very challenging to play. I studied with Mahmut Memet in Urumqi.
Setar
Iranian
One of the oldest of the Iranian instruments, with a delicate sound based on its fine strings and short scale. The neck is divided into 17 intervals to the octave, marked on the setar by gut frets. It's played with the nail of the right index finger. Setar is a common instrument for playing dastgah music - the art music tradition of Iran which heavily influenced Uyghur music. I took lessons from master Nima Janmohammadi.
12-string guitar
Western
The 12-string guitar is one of the most resonant members of the guitar family. The challenges of playing the instrument mean that master players are few and far between. I chose the 12-string initially because its string courses allow me to use tambur articulations such as slides and microtonality, but a long-standing love of the music of Ralph Towner and Robbie Basho has led me deep into the woods of the harmonies that are possible on the instrument. I usually tune it to DADGAD to increase the resonance and to create an aleatoric element to improvisation, and play (as with the 6 string) using a hybrid technique of picking with a plectrum and three finger picks.
Acoustic guitar
ubiquitous
I studied guitar at the Berklee College of Music after 15 or so years learning by myself. I moved away from the electric guitar as I found it hard to be physically separated from the instrument's sound output - the amplifier, which usually sits a distance from the musician. Acoustic guitar feeds the vibrations directly into my body and makes the playing experience far more intimate and personal for me; that said, there's a lot to be said for electric guitar too... My playing is strongly influenced by the setar and tambur.
Electric Guitar
Global
I have recently started to play electric guitar again after an absence from the instrument of nearly 20 years. Applying everything I have learned on acoustic instruments to this incredible invention is a revelation. Sometimes electric guitar can seem overwhelming in its opportunities - but I feel strongly the connection to the acoustic instrument buried in there.