Music of Azerbaijan builds on folk traditions that reach back nearly a thousand years. For centuries Azerbaijani music has evolved under the badge of monody, producing rhythmically diverse melodies. Azerbaijani music has a branchy mode system, where chromatization of major and minor scales is of great importance. Among national musical instruments there are 14 string instruments, eight percussion instruments and six wind instruments. According to ''The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', "in terms of ethnicity, culture and religion the Azerbaijani are musically much closer to Iran than Turkey."