is the national instrument of Afghanistan. It is regarded with great respect for its sound and for its spiritual connotations.
The rubab has a special connection with the Pashto speaking population of Afghanistan and embodies certain features of Pashtun music. Its special acoustical properties are suitable for a fast percussive style of playing, with emphasis on permutations of right hand stroke patterns and dramatic rhythmic cadences. The layout of notes on the fingerboard of the rubab makes it easy to play the three main melodic modes of Pashtun music: Bairami, Kesturi and Pari. The rubab is thus the ‘ideal’ Pashtun instrument.
It is also widely used for playing the art music of Kabul, where the rubab is the principal instrument for the accompaniment of ghazal singing. The texts of these ghazals are very often of a Sufi spiritual nature, by poets such as Hafez, Bedil and others.
