Dudukhouse Answers: Playing Half Tones on Chromatto

Customer Question

Hello, I'd like to ask your advice as a beginner. I'm interested in the Chromatto because it looks like an amazing solution to the problem of half tones. But I'm not sure which reed to go with. I've been teaching myself for a while, but I have one of those souvenir instruments from the tourist market in Yerevan and I know that's got serious limitations. Given that I have some experience (and I'm a professional musician), do you think I could get away with the medium reed?

Dudukhouse Answers

Thank you for reaching out to us for advice. As a beginner, it is understandable that you may have some questions about playing the duduk, particularly with regards to playing half-tone notes on the instrument.

Unfortunately, there are NO SHORTCUTS to playing half-tone notes on the duduk. While Chromatto may make it a bit easier, it still requires a lot of dedication and practice to play clean even with Chromatto. Our advice is to take the time to learn and practice the traditional fingering technique, which will allow you to play with greater precision and control.

Regarding the souvenir instruments from the tourist market, we understand your concerns. These instruments are generally not properly tuned and may cause problems when you are trying to play properly. Our advice is, if you are committed to playing seriously, to invest in a proper instrument. This will make your life so much easier and will allow you to fully explore the rich and beautiful sounds of the duduk.

Regarding the reeds: for A Chromatto duduk, the reeds are the same as for traditional A duduk. Medium reeds are a great place to start, as they will give you the capacity to play easily and get a nice warm timbre. We have put together an article about the reeds, which you can explore to learn more.

In summary, our advice is to get a properly tuned instrument, whether it is a Chromatto or a traditional duduk. This will make your life so much easier and will allow you to fully explore the beautiful sounds of this unique instrument. And for reeds, Medium Reeds are a great place to start.

We hope that this information is helpful to you. If you have any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are here to help.

Sincerely,

Your Dudukhouse Team