The mijwiz, which means 'dual' in Arabic, is a double pipe, single reed instrument, each pipe 6-8 cm long, with five or six holes for fingering. The pipes are bound together with tar coated string.
Each pipe has a single vibrating reed. The instrument is played by a technique known as circular breathing, which allows the musician to produce a continuous non-interrupted sound, with the entire mouthpiece inside the mouth. The pipes are traditionally played in unison. Its range of the mijwiz is just under an octave.
It is popular in Syria, Lebanon and Palestine. A comparable North African single-reed instrument is the maqrunah. It has two horn bells, and is commonly played in Libya and Tunisia. Other variations are the mitbiq in Iraq, the zummarah or mizmar in Egypt.
Comparable in blowing technique and construction is the Palestinian yarghul, which has one melody pipe instead of two, and a longer pipe without holes, used for producing a sustained accompanying sound or drone.
Similar to the mijwiz is the minjayrah, an open-ended small reed flute played in the same manner.
In the Levant and Iraq, the mijwiz is played as an accompaniment to either belly dancing or dabke, at weddings or other festive occasions. Normally three are played together, accompanied by a tabl, a large double-sided drum.
The mijwiz is one of the oldest wind instruments, with counterparts in antiquity.
