Gurney Halleck plays a baliset, the distinctive string instrument of Frank Herbert’s Dune universe. It is closely associated with his identity as both a formidable Atreides warrior and a musician, poet, and troubadour.
In the novel, the baliset is described as a nine-stringed instrument descended from the zither. It is played by strumming and is tuned to the Chusuk scale. Gurney carries it alongside his weapons and uses music to entertain the Atreides household, preserve songs and proverbs, and express the more reflective side of his personality.
The baliset is not simply a futuristic guitar, although adaptations often give it a guitar-like appearance. The original description makes it more zither-like, while the 1984 film used a cosmetically modified Chapman Stick as the prop. Later adaptations have presented different visual interpretations, which can cause confusion about its shape.
Gurney’s musical ability also reinforces one of Dune’s recurring themes: culture and art survive alongside warfare and political power. His songs connect the Atreides soldiers with memory, loyalty, and life beyond the battlefield.