What Is the Qanun Mandal System? A Guide to the Instrument’s Microtonal Levers
TL;DR: The mandal is a small adjustable lever on the qanun that raises the pitch of a string course slightly, letting players reach the microtones required by Middle Eastern, Turkish, and Persian maqams. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, “mandal” is the Turkish term for these levers, while the Arabic equivalent is orab. A 19th-century qanun documented by the Met has 72 strings in 24 courses, each controlled by its own mandal, and — according to xen.wiki — these levers can be adjusted in real time while the instrument is being played.
What Is a Mandal on a Qanun?
The mandal is a small, adjustable lever mounted on the oblique left side of a qanun. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s description of a 19th-century qanun in its collection, these levers raise the pitch of each triple course of strings, and the Turkish term “mandal” itself translates to “that which supports.”
Every string course on the instrument has its own mandal, giving the player individual control over the pitch of each course rather than one fixed tuning for the whole instrument.
How Does a Mandal Change the Pitch of a String?
A mandal changes pitch by adjusting the effective vibrating length of the string it controls. When the player flips a mandal up, it shortens the string slightly, raising its pitch by a small, precise interval. Because each course has its own lever, the player can make this adjustment to one course without affecting the others.
What Is the Arabic Term for Mandal?
The Arabic equivalent of the Turkish “mandal” is orab (also written orabe), which the Metropolitan Museum of Art translates as “carriage.” Both terms describe the same type of lever mechanism — the naming simply follows the regional tradition (Turkish vs. Arabic) the instrument and its terminology come from.
Why Does the Qanun Need Mandals?
The qanun is, by design, a fixed-pitch instrument — its strings are tuned to set notes and don’t bend the way a fretless string instrument does. But Arabic, Turkish, and Persian classical music are built around maqams: melodic modes that often require microtones falling between the standard notes of a Western-style scale.
Mandals solve this problem. According to xen.wiki’s technical overview of the instrument, the qanun’s microtonal capability comes directly from its mandals (or orabs), which let a player choose from a range of available pitches to match the specific maqam being performed. As xen.wiki puts it, “the art of tuning lies in the positioning of the mandals.”
If you want a deeper look at how qanun tuning works overall — including the differences between regional tuning conventions — see our qanun tuning guide.
How Many Strings and Mandals Does a Qanun Have?
| Detail | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Strings | 72 | Metropolitan Museum of Art (19th-century qanun, accession #9369) |
| String courses | 24 (triple courses) | Metropolitan Museum of Art |
| Mandals | One per course | Metropolitan Museum of Art |
The Met notes that modern qanuns are generally larger than this 19th-century example, but the underlying structure — strings grouped into courses, each with its own mandal — still applies to the instrument today.
Can Mandals Be Adjusted While Playing?
Yes. According to xen.wiki, mandals “can be raised or lowered quickly by the performer while the instrument is being played.” This real-time adjustment is what allows a qanun player to shift between different maqams within a single performance, rather than stopping to retune.
Turkish vs Arabic Mandal Systems — What’s the Difference?
| Turkish tradition | Arabic tradition | |
|---|---|---|
| Term used | Mandal | Orab (orabe) |
| Literal meaning | “That which supports” | “Carriage” |
| Associated tuning reference | A subset of 72-tone equal temperament (72-EDO), according to xen.wiki | Broader maqam tuning conventions, realized through orab positioning |
Note: the tuning-system details above (particularly the 72-EDO reference) come from a specialized microtonal-music source (xen.wiki) rather than a music-history institution, and are worth confirming with a professional qanun player or teacher before being treated as a strict rule.
Is the Mandal the Same as a Fret?
No. A fret is a fixed marker on a fretted instrument’s neck; pressing a string against it always produces the same set pitch. A mandal is a movable lever that changes a string’s effective length while the instrument is being played, giving the qanun continuous, real-time pitch flexibility that a fretted instrument doesn’t have. If you’re comparing the qanun to other instruments in this way, our guide on the difference between qanun and harp covers another common comparison point.
What This Means Before You Buy a Qanun
Understanding the mandal system matters before you buy because it affects how the instrument will actually be used:
- Playability across maqams — a qanun’s mandal mechanism is what lets it move between different maqams, so it’s worth checking the mandals move smoothly and hold their position reliably.
- Learning curve — new players should expect the mandal system to be part of what they learn, alongside string plucking technique.
- Regional tuning expectations — if you already play in a specific tradition (Turkish or Arabic), it’s worth confirming which mandal/orab convention the instrument follows.
For a full walkthrough of what else to check before buying, see our qanun buying guide.
Explore Qanun Instruments at Delaram
Once you understand how the mandal system works, you’re better equipped to evaluate any qanun you’re considering. You can browse our Qanun collection to see the instruments currently available.
Frequently Asked Questions
The mandal is a small adjustable lever mounted on the oblique left side of a qanun. Each lever raises the pitch of one string course slightly, allowing the player to access microtones needed for different maqams. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, “mandal” is a Turkish term meaning “that which supports.”
Each mandal sits under a string course and can be flipped up or down by the player’s fingers. Raising a mandal shortens the vibrating length of the string slightly, raising its pitch by a small, precise interval — allowing quick microtonal adjustment without retuning the whole instrument.
In Arabic musical terminology, the mandal is called orab (or orabe), meaning “carriage,” according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s instrument description. The Turkish term “mandal” and the Arabic term “orab” refer to the same mechanical lever system, just named differently by region.
he qanun is a fixed-pitch instrument, but Arabic, Turkish, and Persian music rely on maqams — melodic modes that require microtonal pitches between standard notes. Mandals let a player shift string pitches in real time to match the specific tuning a maqam requires, according to xen.wiki’s technical description of the instrument.
According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a 19th-century qanun in its collection has 72 strings grouped into 24 triple courses, with one mandal controlling each course. Modern qanuns are generally larger than this historical example, though the same course-and-lever structure applies.
Yes. According to xen.wiki, mandals can be raised or lowered quickly by the performer during a live performance, not just before playing. This is part of what allows a qanun player to move between different maqams within a single piece of music.
Not exactly. A fret is a fixed marker on a fretted instrument’s neck that sets a specific pitch when a string is pressed. A mandal is a movable lever that changes a string’s effective length continuously while the instrument is being played, giving the qanun far more real-time pitch flexibility than a fretted instrument.
Not entirely — this is a point where sources vary and expert confirmation is recommended. According to xen.wiki, Turkish kanuns are traditionally associated with a subset of 72-tone equal temperament (72-EDO), while broader Arabic maqam tuning conventions differ; players use mandal or orab positioning to realize the specific system their tradition requires.
