INTEGRATING THE KASHQAR RUBAB INTO UNIVERSITY LEVEL UZBEK INSTRUMENTAL PEDAGOGY

Abstract

The Kashqar rubab, a fretted plucked long-necked lute with origins dating to the fourteenth century, occupies an ambiguous position within contemporary Uzbek instrumental education. Despite its historical significance and widespread use in folk ensembles across Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and the Xinjiang region of Western China, the instrument remains systematically underrepresented in university-level curricula when compared to its cousin, the dutar, or the tanbur. This article examines the structural, pedagogical, and institutional barriers limiting the Kashqar rubab’s integration into academic performance programs and proposes a curriculum framework for its systematic inclusion. Drawing on recent scholarship regarding the instrument’s construction and performance practice, alongside analysis of current pedagogical models at Uzbek conservatories and pedagogical universities, this study argues that the Kashqar rubab’s distinct technical demands - particularly its unique fingering system and plectrum technique - require specialized pedagogical approaches that existing degree structures do not accommodate. The article presents a three-phase integration model addressing instrument acquisition, methodological curriculum development, and ensemble applications. Particular attention is given to resolving the tension between oral transmission traditions and written notation requirements within standardized degree programs. Implementation strategies address faculty training, repertoire development, and assessment methods appropriate to the instrument’s technical and stylistic characteristics. The proposed framework aligns with recent cultural sector reforms in Uzbekistan while respecting the master-apprentice traditions fundamental to authentic rubab instruction.