Dayereh

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A dayereh (or Doyra, Dojra, Dajre, Doira) is a medium-sized frame drum with jingles used to accompany both popular and classical music in Iran (Persia), The Balkans, and many Central Asian countries such as Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It is a percussion instrument, and is something intemediate between a drum and a tambourine.

Dajre is membrane-phonic instrument with wooden frame, on witch a thin metal plates are attached. One side of the dajre is closed with goat skin. Dajre is composed from a wooden frame in a shape of circle, perforated with rectangular holes in which a metal plates are attached. The creation of Dajre is in two ways: by master's professionals, and primitively by gypsies. The frame of the Dajre is made from a soft wood in a form of circle. The diameter of the frame is between 45 - 50 cm and the thickness between 5 -7 cm. The frame is perforated by rectangular holes in which a pairs of metal plates are attached. The number of holes is between 3 and 4. The bending of the wooden frame is made in two ways: by heating and mechanically. In the first way the soft wood ("buka", "orev") is first kept under water for a period of time, than its bended around hot metal cylinder. The closing of the frame is made by gluing the two ends. The membrane of the Dajre is made from a goat skin. The skin is attached on a frame by two ways: by fixing the skin with another wooden frame or by nails. The sound is produced by hitting the membrane with the left and right hand. The left hand, which in the same time is holding the Dajre is hitting on the edges and the right hand is hitting in the center. The Dajre is a solo instrument. Most often Dajre is supported by "Gajda", "chalgija" or "tarabuka". Marko Cepenkov mentions the Dajre as a companion of the "Gajda" in the XVII and XIX century. The Dajre is most often used for keeping the rhythm in the Macedonian folk songs and dances, and often even in some traditional Macedonian rituals, like weeding ceremony or Macedonian folk dances.

Dayereh is one of the most famous frame drums in Persia and Central Asia.

The Pahlavi (Persian ancient language) name of dayereh is dareh.

Dayereh (In Azerbaijan, it is called ghaval and sometimes daf) is played in festive occasions.

When playing a doyra, an artist holds it in his left hand and flicks (hits) it with his right hand fingers. The most interesting thing about it is that the artist doesn't make these hits with his hand itself, but rather fastens each finger about its neighbour and then suddenly releases it (like we do when we snap our fingers). As a result it can produce loud, rapid and very sharp sounds. You can often hear about doyra that it isn't an attendant instrument, but a solo one.

[edit] The structure of a Dayereh

Dayereh has four parts: 1. Frame 2. Skin 3. Hook 4. Ring

The frame is wooden. The diameter of the frame about 30 centimeters. The width of the frame is 3-5 centimeters.
The skin is glued to the frame. The most popular is goatskin.
Hooks are applied in order to hang the rings in the inner part of the frame.
Rings are the jingles of the dayereh.