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221 santūr

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Iran
body: walnut; L.82.3cm
strings: 18 quadruple courses, steel and brass
bridges: 18
mallets: 2; tuning hammer: 1
range: ca. e-f'''

A hammered string instrument consisting of a trapezoidal wooden box with metal strings stretched laterally over it. There are both bronze and steel courses ( tuned low and high,respectively ), with movable bridges placed on the left and right sides underneath alternate courses. The steel courses are divided by the bridges in the ratio of 1:2, so that there is an octave difference between the sounds produced by the instrument on top of a small desk, and strikes the strings with beaters held in each hand. A tremolo technique is employed much of the time. Used in performances of classical Persian music. This item was made in the 1960s by H. Malek.


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Music Department, Tokyo National University of the Arts, 12-8 Ueno Kouen, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-8714, Japan