We met a band from Syria who were touring Jordan. With the help of a translator, the guys in the band explained a bit about the instruments they play.

One of the most famous instruments from the region is the oud. It resembles a guitar, but it’s shorter and fatter. Oud means ‘thin wood’ in Arabic. Holding the oud in my hands, I could see why. The instrument is incredibly light and delicate. When played, it produces a bright sound, almost like a soft acoustic guitar.

The band’s percussionist plays the tabla, a hand drum that is found throughout the Middle East and parts of south Asia. The tabla has a similar shape to the djembe, a hand drum Jenny & Ilana played during their visit to South Africa.

There was also a violin, which sounded really cool when tuned to play with the other instruments. I’m used to hearing classical violin music and this was definitely in a different key. Finally, there was the qanun. It looks a bit like a harp, but not quite as big. To play it, the musician places the qanun flat on his lap and plucks the strings.

FACT: What makes Jordanian folk music unique from other Middle Eastern music is the use of a traditional Bedouin instrument called the rababa.

What’s Next? Meet Ben Ball, an American in Amman.

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