Santur

Santur

 

Based on Sanskrit terminology, Santur is a combination of San means hundred, and Tur means string (some scientists believe that origin of the Sanskrit language was in the language of the eastern part of Persia). Based on manuscripts, it seems the origin of Santur and its variants back to the Sassanid civilization. Dulcimer and Yangqin are two variations of it in the west and China, respectively.

 Santur has a trapezoid-shaped sound-box with eighteen bridges and four metal strings fixed on each bridge. Quadruple strings, struck by a light wooden hammer (called Mezrab). High sonority, sophisticated sound, long decay of sound, and extreme sensitivity to touch are specific properties of Persian Santur that make it completely different from other similar versions.

Santur’s note range covers 3 octaves, and it is not a chromatic instrument. Therefore, it needs retuning for different modal parts of Persian classical music.