How to Beshkan
دستور بشكن
In this instructional video, the mysteries of Beshkan will be revealed! First, are you right handed or left handed? The video shows a left-handed beshkan (actually, right handed, taken in the mirror.). The frames below that show the right hand Beshkan. Now, let’s go to video:
The Video
Please note, there are many different styles of Beshkan, and you have to find your own groove, but in general, it looks something like this (and as you can see, Mrs. T’s Beshkan is louder than mine. Maybe it’s those interlaced fingers.):
Once More - BESHKAN Step by Step:
- Put your hands together in “prayer”
- Slide thumb from dominant hand (in the video, the left hand) under back of other hand.
- Fingers have one to one correspondence.
- Index finger snaps from other index finger to middle finger,
- Sound comes from pocket of air where the two middle fingers rest together.
- You can clamp thumb down for amplitude (a.k.a. louder sound).
- Note: The closer the fingers of the dominant/snapping hand are to the base of the fingers on the base hand, the louder it gets.
- Just play around with it, make up your own style.
- The many ways in which sound can be generated from flying fingers has not been fully documented.
Still not clear? Here are two freeze frames of the critical before and after positions of your hands:
Before Frame
The important thing to remember about Beshkan is that really, only four (4) of your fingers matter. The two index fingers and the two middle fingers. The rest you just have to find a place for. Some people line them up smoothly, others interlace them. In any case, here in the “Start” position, we see the index finger of the dominant hand (in this picture, the right hand) rests on top of the index finger of the base hand and likewise, the dominant (right) middle finger is pressing down on top of the base (left) middle finger.
After Frame
Now, the movement. It’s a little clearer in this picture. The right hand index finger has moved (snapped!) from its position on the left index and come to rest beside/on top of the middle fingers.
In my experience, the sound is generated from the index finger of the top hand hitting the spot where the two middle fingers intersect. There eems to be a pocket of air right there. If you just hit one finger, it’s not loud at all. But if your travelling finger lands - BAM - right where the two overlapping middle fingers are - you’ve got game.
Don’t just play with your FINGERS, play with your LANGUAGE! Play with Persian WORD MAGNETS!