People have inhabited the land that makes up Mongolia for more than 500,000 years. Chinggis Khan, often called Genghis Khan, united the Mongolian people in the 12th century, eventually ruling the largest empire in history. Though sandwiched between Russia and China and influenced by both nations for centuries, Mongolians created their own distinctive culture and music. Musical instruments unique to Mongolia include ones that can be played by themselves or as accompaniment to the country's signature throat singing.
Morin Khuur
The morin khuur, which always has a horse head at the end of its neck, first appeared a thousand years ago and is Mongolia's most widely-played instrument. According to myth, the first morin khuur was made from the body of a magical flying horse. Today, the strings are made from animal sinew and the bow is made of horse hair. The instrument's wooden neck and rectangular sound box are sometimes decorated with Buddhist imagery. The morin khuur has a tone somewhere between a violin and a cello and is often used to imitate natural sounds.
Yatga
The yatga, a zither with a movable bridge, is a long, rectangular box with a convex surface. The number of strings and the types of hollow resonator pockets inside a yatga vary. A yatga is played by plucking the strings, which produce a smooth sound. Historically, the instruments were played only in royal courts and monasteries. Peasants weren't even allowed to play the 12-string version of the yatga, as each string represented palace hierarchy. However, peasants were allowed to play the 10-string yatga.
Khuuchir
The khuuchir has a small cylinder or rectangular box, which is made of wood or copper and is covered in snake skin. The cylinder or box acts as its resonator. The neck of the khuuchir is inserted directing into the top of the resonator. The instrument's four strings are made of silk. In standard tuning, the first and third strings are tuned in unison. To play the instrument, musicians use a bow interwoven between the strings.
Limbe
The limbe is a wind instrument, much like a flute, that is popular with nomads. Its 64 cm-long body has nine holes. Two of the holes are for tuning purposes. Limbe players often employ circular breathing -- a technique in which, as a note is blown, the musician inhales through his nose. He then exhales the air with his cheek muscles. The instrument mimics natural sounds and is traditionally made of wood. More recently, some have been made of plastic.
