The dimensions of a Turkish kanun are typically 95 to 100<spantypeof="mw:Entity"data-parsoid='{"src":"&nbsp;","srcContent":" ","dsr":[57,63,null,null]}'></span>cm (37–39") in length, 38 to 40<spantypeof="mw:Entity"data-parsoid='{"src":"&nbsp;","srcContent":" ","dsr":[96,102,null,null]}'></span>cm (15–16") in width, and 4 to 6<spantypeof="mw:Entity"data-parsoid='{"src":"&nbsp;","srcContent":" ","dsr":[136,142,null,null]}'></span>cm (1.5–2.3") in height.<supabout="#mwt4"class="mw-ref"id="cite_ref-1"rel="dc:references"typeof="mw:Extension/ref"data-parsoid='{"dsr":[168,418,5,6]}'data-mw='{"name":"ref","attrs":{},"body":{"id":"mw-reference-text-cite_note-1"}}'><ahref="./Kanonaki#cite_note-1"style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 1;"data-parsoid="{}"><spanclass="mw-reflink-text"data-parsoid="{}">[1]</span></a></sup> In contrast, an Arabic qanun measures a bit larger as mentioned.<supabout="#mwt6"class="mw-ref"id="cite_ref-2"rel="dc:references"typeof="mw:Extension/ref"data-parsoid='{"dsr":[483,656,5,6]}'data-mw='{"name":"ref","attrs":{},"body":{"id":"mw-reference-text-cite_note-2"}}'><ahref="./Kanonaki#cite_note-2"style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 2;"data-parsoid="{}"><spanclass="mw-reflink-text"data-parsoid="{}">[2]</span></a></sup>
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Qanun is played on the lap while sitting or squatting, or sometimes on trestle support, by plucking the strings with two <arel="mw:WikiLink"href="./Tortoise"title="Tortoise"data-parsoid='{"stx":"simple","a":{"href":"./Tortoise"},"sa":{"href":"tortoise"},"dsr":[779,791,2,2]}'class="new">tortoise</a>-shell picks (one for each hand) or with fingernails, and has a standard range of three and a half <arel="mw:WikiLink"href="./Octave"title="Octave"data-parsoid='{"stx":"simple","a":{"href":"./Octave"},"sa":{"href":"octave"},"dsr":[890,901,2,3],"tail":"s"}'class="new">octaves</a> from A2 to E6 that can be extended down to F2 and up to G6 in the case of Arabic designs.
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The instrument also features special metallic levers or latches under each course called <idata-parsoid='{"dsr":[1082,1093,2,2]}'>mandals</i>. These small levers, which can be raised or lowered quickly by the performer while the instrument is being played, serve to slightly change the pitch of a particular course by altering effective string lengths.<supabout="#mwt9"class="mw-ref"id="cite_ref-Kassabian2013_3-0"rel="dc:references"typeof="mw:Extension/ref"data-parsoid='{"dsr":[1304,1606,26,6]}'data-mw='{"name":"ref","attrs":{"name":"Kassabian2013"},"body":{"id":"mw-reference-text-cite_note-Kassabian2013-3"}}'><ahref="./Kanonaki#cite_note-Kassabian2013-3"style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 3;"data-parsoid="{}"><spanclass="mw-reflink-text"data-parsoid="{}">[3]</span></a></sup>