# Zema Begena — +Begena ETH Orthodox Tewahedo+ > Digital gateway to the ancient Ethiopian Begena box-lyre for learning and playing. (iPhone/iPad app by Besufekad Mekuria.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zema-begena/id6777525783 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Besufekad Mekuria](https://appshunter.io/developer/1877832344) - Category: Music, Games - Price: Free - Rating: 5.00/5 from 12 App Store ratings · 10 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 13.0 · 194 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-06-12 - Data updated: 2026-08-14 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zema-begena/id6777525783/reviews.md ## What is Zema Begena? Discover the Divine Sound of the Begena Ancient Box-Lyre. Step into thousands of years of musical tradition with Zema Begena, the ultimate digital gateway to the Begena—the sacred, ten-stringed box-lyre of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Known historically as the instrument of King David, the Begena’s deep, buzzing tones have guided prayer, meditation, and spiritual reflection for centuries. Now, you can carry this beautiful tradition right in your pocket. Whether you are a devout practitioner, a student of Ethiopian culture, or a music lover exploring ancient instruments, Zema Begena makes learning and playing accessible, interactive, and deeply rewarding. Key Features: Authentic Sound & Playability: Experience the unique, resonant buzz of the traditional ten-stringed Begena, meticulously sampled for true-to-life audio quality. Gamified Hymn Practice: Master traditional Ethiopian Orthodox hymns through an interactive, game-like learning system. Perfect your timing, memorize strings, and level up your skills. + Record & Layer Your Voice: Sing along as you play! Use the built-in recording feature to capture your vocal praise layered beautifully over your Begena tracks. + Video Export: Easily export your recorded performances into high-quality videos to share your spiritual musical journey with friends, family, or on social media. + Immerse yourself in the sacred art of Zema. Download Zema Begena today and let the ancient strings elevate your meditation, practice, and prayer. + Configure everything about the begena from its scales [traditional pentatonic scales built directly into the Begena, including Tizita, Bati, Ambassel, and Anchihoye.] to the stringg colors and positioning etc. ## Key features - Authentic Begena sound and playability - Gamified hymn practice - Record and layer vocals - Video export of performances - Configure scales and string settings ## Recent user reviews (10 of 10) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zema-begena/id6777525783/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Lots of features *2026-08-12* I was surprised to see so many features available on this app. It is very user-friendly and well-designed. I haven’t began using it but this is my impression as of now. ### 5/5 — I like it *2026-08-09* It’s a better app for learning orthodox mezmurs ### 5/5 — Amazing app! *2026-07-27* I love the Learn feature because it makes discovering and mastering the begena more accessible and enjoyable. It’s a beautiful way to engage with this traditional Ethiopian instrument and practice songs and mezmur. I also appreciate the Kirar Mode option in the settings. Congratulations on creating an inspiring app that helps preserve and celebrate Ethiopian traditions! ### 5/5 — Tiru app new *2026-07-26* Betam tekami app ### 5/5 — Proud of the app *2026-07-26* The app sounds like the authentic Begena and is best for practicing Kignits ### 5/5 — Best gift for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church *2026-07-14* I am very grateful for this app ### 5/5 — My favorite instrument now on my iPhone *2026-07-14* I always wished I could practice the Begena on the my commute to work. I now can. ### 5/5 — Culturally intricate *2026-07-14* Bringing an ancient musical practice into the modern day and age. ### 5/5 — Amazing Begena app! *2026-06-13* The authentic sound, customizable tuning options, and interactive learning mode make it easy to learn and practice. I especially love the song study feature with both popular scales and church songs. A beautiful way to preserve and share Ethiopia’s Begena tradition. ### 5/5 — I have seen Begena for the first time *2026-06-12* I love Ethiopian instruments and glad this one is so real, easy to play with and plus point to the app for vibrations of strings. ## Frequently asked questions about Zema Begena ### What is Zema Begena? Zema Begena is a digital application that provides access to the Begena, a sacred ten-stringed box-lyre from the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. It allows users to learn and play traditional hymns interactively. ### How does Zema Begena help with learning hymns? It features a gamified hymn practice system that helps users master traditional Ethiopian Orthodox hymns. This system focuses on timing, memorizing strings, and progressing through skill levels. ### Can I record my own voice with Zema Begena? Yes, Zema Begena includes a built-in recording feature that allows you to sing along as you play the Begena. You can then capture your vocal praise layered over your instrument tracks. ### What are the supported scales in Zema Begena? The app supports traditional pentatonic scales built directly into the Begena, including Tizita, Bati, Ambassel, and Anchihoye. Users can also configure string colors and positioning. ### Can I share my performances from Zema Begena? Absolutely. Zema Begena allows you to easily export your recorded performances into high-quality videos, which you can then share with friends, family, or on social media. ### What devices is Zema Begena available on? Zema Begena is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It is designed to offer a portable spiritual musical experience. ### How often is Zema Begena updated? The app was last updated on July 24, 2026, with version 2.0. This indicates active development and potential for future improvements and content additions. ### Does Zema Begena have ads? No, Zema Begena is ad-free. This provides an uninterrupted experience for users focused on learning and spiritual practice. ## Version history (last 3 releases) ### 2.1 — 2026-08-01 +++ New Hymns +++ 1. Preloaded 3 new Mezmur's (Spiritual Hymns) including > Balewuletaye > Begetesemane > Abetu Deg sew 2. Corrected the scale other some metadata of existing Hymns. Added the most frequent controls to the home page. 1. Dual Mode, Kirar Mode and Hide strings Toggles added: Introduced a new toggle button (Kirar icon) on the homescreen. It safely manages the transition between standard "Begena Mode" (restoring the 2,3,1,5,4,2 physical string order) and "Kirar Mode", You now also have the ability to manage the visibility of the unused strings via the "Eyeball" Button. You can also activate Adam (Dual Begena mode) straight from the homescreen Image Sheet Export Overhaul: 1. Horizontal Timeline Layout: Completely rewrote the Canvas drawing logic to render sheet music horizontally (left-to-right), automatically widening the canvas for longer songs. 2. Active String Filtering: The export now intelligently maps the 10 physical strings to just the 5 actively played strings, drawing a clean 5-track sheet. 3. Aesthetic Enhancements: The sheet layout now overhauled with details about performer, scale used etc. Core Audio & Video Export: 1. High-Fidelity Audio Synthesis: Replaced math-based audio synthesis with direct waveform resampling of the begena assets, providing a much more authentic instrument sound in exported videos. 2. Video Volume Controls: Added precise volume sliders (0% to 300%) in Settings to independently control Microphone Audio and Digital Begena audio levels. Tuner Improvements: 1. Revamped the whole Tuner to include scale presets. 2. Added missing sharp notes to the Root Note selection list. ### 2.0 — 2026-07-24 > Standardized the Ethiopic Scales. > Ability to switch Layout from Left to Right (the default) to Right to left. > Ability to export and import songs in midi and MIDI like custom file extension. > Ability to export a video of your performance with your voice. ### 1.0 — 2026-06-12 No release notes. ## More apps by Besufekad Mekuria - [GeoQuizMaster](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/geoquizmaster/id6759280712) - [FlowSpeedReader](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flowspeedreader/id6760963297) - [Zema Piano](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zema-piano/id6764456820) All apps by Besufekad Mekuria: https://appshunter.io/developer/1877832344 ## Related topics [begena](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/begena) · [besufekad mekuria](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/besufekad-mekuria) · [zema begena](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/zema-begena) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-14.*