Strumming + Slap Technique

Bowed and Stringed Ghost Catchers duo (from "Innovative Jew's Harp" CD)

Stick Technique (with shaker)

Stick Technique (with shaker)

   Buy Ghost Catcher:

Unique Item!

Ghost Catcher (stringed) is a traditional instrument of Kuzhebar people (South Siberia). It is a kind of mouth bow, but unlike other mouth bows it has little fingerboard and 2 strings, so it is possible to play melodies on it strumming the strings by right hand, and pressing the strings to the fingerboard by left hand. It is also possible to play on it with a stick, this technique reminds the berimbao playing. The instrument should beplaced in front of the mouth and modulated like a jaw harp. We sell improved version of the ghost catcher which we modified and developed ourselves. Shipped with a small stick. Ghost Catcher is named so because it was used by shamans in Siberia for ritual reasons. They believed that the sound of this instrument have a special influence to the insects and ghosts. They was trying to cooperate with the "collective consciousness" of ghosts or insects because people can do many things with their help which they can't do alone. They tell that this is "quiet instrument, because originally it was supposed to be played not for people but for ghosts and insects". They also used it to "hunt" on ghosts. Kuzhebar people used to believe that they need to eat special kind of ghosts, because human body needs it. They use to classify those ghosts to 3 categories by edibility: edible, inedible (poor) and poisonous. Only strongest shamans was able to hunt to "poisonous ghosts".