Video demonstration by Jihad Racy
Mijwiz, Arabic for "dual", is a double-pipe, single-reed instrument (sometimes referred to as a "double-clarinet") popular in Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. It is predominantely used to accompany thedabkah, or line dance, at weddings and other festive celebrations. The mijwiz is one of the oldest wind instruments, with counterparts in antiquity. Comparable instruments in Egypt are thezummârah and the arghûl, which uses one of the two pipes as a drone.
The mijwiz consists of two identical cylindrical cane pipes bound together with a tar or beeswax coated string. Each pipe is fitted with a single idioglot vibrating reed. The instrument is played continuously (without stopping) through a technique known as "circular breathing", with the entire mouthpiece inside the mouth. It has five to six holes, a range just under an octave and considerable radiating power. The pipes are traditionally played in unison.
In folk communities of the Near East, the nasal sound of the mijwizhas distinct rustic connotations and an almost magical effect upon the listeners.
For the demonstration, Racy performs on a mijwiz with F#4 as the lowest note, introducing some polyphonic effects.