The rabel (or arrabel,
robel, rovel
) is a bowed stringed instrument from Spain, a rustic folk-fiddle descended from the medieval
rebec
The rebec (sometimes rebecha, rebeckha, and other spellings, pronounced or ) is a bowed string instrument, stringed instrument of the Medieval era and the early Renaissance. In its most common form, it has a narrow boat-shaped body and one to fiv ...
, with both perhaps descended from the Arab
rabab.
The instrument generally has two or three strings of gut or steel, or sometimes twisted horse-hair.
The instrument is first mentioned in the 12th century, and it is still used in parts of Latin America, as well as the Spanish provinces of
Cantabria
Cantabria (, also , , Cantabrian: ) is an autonomous community in northern Spain with Santander as its capital city. It is called a ''comunidad histórica'', a historic community, in its current Statute of Autonomy. It is bordered on the ea ...
and
Asturias
Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous community in northwest Spain.
It is coextensi ...
.
The rebel is often associates with secular instrumental music, and the most common ''rabel'' used in the Middles ages was the soprano.
See also
*
Rebec
The rebec (sometimes rebecha, rebeckha, and other spellings, pronounced or ) is a bowed string instrument, stringed instrument of the Medieval era and the early Renaissance. In its most common form, it has a narrow boat-shaped body and one to fiv ...
References
{{Music of Spain
Spanish musical instruments
Bowed string instruments