What is a Rebab?

A rebab (also spelled rabab or rebab) is a traditional bowed string instrument that originated in the Middle East and later spread across North Africa, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. The instrument usually has a small rounded or oval resonating body covered with animal skin and a long neck with one or two strings. It is played upright while a bow is drawn across the strings.

The rebab produces a soft, nasal, and expressive tone that is well suited for melodic performance. Because the instrument typically has few strings and often no frets, musicians change pitch by moving their fingers along the string, allowing for subtle slides and microtonal variations. This expressive capability makes it ideal for the ornamented melodic styles found in many traditional music systems.

The instrument has appeared in many musical traditions throughout history. Variations of the rebab are used in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Indonesian, and North African music. In Southeast Asia, for example, the rebab is often used in gamelan ensembles, where it plays a leading melodic role. Its long history and wide geographic spread make it one of the earliest and most influential bowed instruments in the world.