Introducing Tar and Setar

TAR

Tar is an Iranian musical instrument developed from another  ancient Iranian musical instrument Raba´b. It appeared in its original form at the beginning of the nineteenth century but was modified to its modern form toward the end of the century. The Tar is an exclusively Iranian and very original instrument.

Tar is characterized by its original form, incorporating a sound-box in two unequal parts, called by analogy, naqqare (double kettle drum). Carved out of a mulberry tree, the belly is equipped with a long neck, fitted with camel bone and carrying six strings grouped in pairs.

Old Tar had five strings. It is said that Darvish khan, a master of Persian music in the early 20th century, added one more string. The long fingerboard has twenty-six to twenty-eight adjustable gut frets. Its range is about two and one-half octaves and is played with a brass plectrum, mezeab .

SETAR

Setar is a small lute with a long neck, originally with three metallic strings (the present setar
has four strings) that are plucked with the right index finger.

The first representations of the Setar in manuscripts appeared in the sixteenth century. Before this period, long-necked lutes were depicted as resembling the Dotar, whose sound-box and neck are longer.

The origins of the Setar go back the Tanbur of Khorasan described by Farabi in the tenth century. The Setar is just an adaptation of this instrument to which one string was added.

The sound-box of the Setar is curved; like the lute and mandolin, it is generally made of strips of wood. The long and slender neck is attached to the sound-box and the table, which are made of mulberry wood. Three pegs, Gushi, placed at the tip of the neck, two on the right side and two on the left.