Malay Rebab

Malay Rebab

Rezza Moieni

The malay rebab is an upright bowed fiddle that spread through Islam along the Silk Road trade routes from North Africa through Western and Central Asia to Malaysia and Indonesia where it is played in Gamelan ensembles. The malay rebab has two strings and is similar to the erhu of China and sor duang of Thailand. In Gamelan ensembles its is used to play variations on the melody.