Iranica Institute: Outreach Program.
Traditional Iranian Musical Instruments
Daf
Daf is one of the most ancient frame drums in Asia and North Africa.
As an Persian instrument, in 20th century, it is considered as a Sufi
instrument to be played in Khanghah-s for Zikr music but now this
percussion instrument has recently become very popular and it has
been integrated into Persian art music successfully.
Dotar
The dotar (literally in Persian meaning "two strings"),
and it comes from a family of long-necked lutes and can be found throughout
Central Asia, the Middle East and as far as the North East of China
in Xinjiang too.
In Iran, the dotar is played mainly in the north and
the east of Khorasan as well as among the Turkmen of Gorgan and Gonbad.
The instrument remains the same but its dimensions and the number
of its ligatures vary slightly from region to region. Two types of
wood are used in the fabrication of the dotar. The pear-shaped body
is carved out of a single block of mulberry wood. Its neck is made
of either the wood of the apricot or the walnut tree. It has two steel
strings, which in the past were made of silk or animal entrails. The
dotar is tuned in fourth or fifth intervals.
Kamanche
The kamanche is a bowed spike fiddle. The instrument has four metal
strings, and the body consists of a wooden hemisphere covered with
thin sheepskin membrane. Oddly, the instrument's bridge runs diagonally
across this membrane. The instrument is highly ornate and is about
the size of a viola. The tuning varies depending upon the region of
the country where it is being played. In Tehran, the kamanche is tuned
in the same manner as a violin: G, D, A, E.
Nay
The nay is one of my favorite instruments. It is a vertical
reed flute with a long history in Persian classical music. The instrument
has six finger holes in the front and one in the back. I understand
the instrument can be made with some success from PVC pipe.
Santur
The santur is a struck zither in the form of a shallow, regular trapezoidal
box. There are several sound posts inside the box, and two small rosettes
on the top panel which help to amplify the sound. The santur has 72
strings, arranged in groups of four, i.e. each of four closely spaced
strings are tuned to the same pitch. Each group of four strings is
supported by a small,movable, wooden bridge; the bridges are positioned
to give the instrument a range of three octaves.
Setar
The setar is a four stringed lute. Two of the strings are made of
steel, two are of brass, and they are tuned to c, c semi-sharp, g,
and c semi-sharp, respectively. In the above painting, it is depicted
with a zarb. The average setar is 85 cm long, 20 cm wide, and has
a 15 cm deep gourd, and is made entirely of wood. (Unlike the tar
which has a membrane stretched across the body.) Also, unlike the
tar, the player plucks the strings with the nail of the index finger,
instead of using a plectrum.
Tar
The tar is the most widely used plucked instrument in Iran today.
It is a fretted lute with six strings, five of steel and one of brass.
It has a long neck and a double bellied sound box, over which is stretched
a thin sheep skin membrane. The tunings of the strings are changed
according to the dastgah that is being played, and the twenty six
frets are movable. Finally, the strings are plucked with a plectrum.
Tombak
The dombak is the chief percussion instrument of Persian classical
music. It is a one-headeddrum that is carved of a single piece of
wood, and is open on the bottom. Across the larger, upper part of
the body is stretched a sheepskin membrane, that is glued into place.
Thus, the instrument cannot be tuned; the performer prepares it for
a piece by warming the membrane over a heater.
For more information, see http://www.mazdapub.com/Traditional-Music.htm
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