Santur 1

SanturSee Santoor for the Indian variant of the instrument.

String

Classification Struck

Related instruments

Hammered Dulcimer

Santur Hand Position

Santur Technique Video.theora

The santur (also santūr, santour, santoor ) (Persian: سنتور) is a Persianhammered dulcimer[1] It is a trapezoid-shaped box often made ofwalnut or different exotic woods. The Persian classical santur has 72strings. The name santur was first referenced in ancient Persian poetry.To date there has never been verifiable evidence what this nameactually means, it is just a name and the only meaning it has in thePersian language is this instrument. The oval-shaped Mezrabs (mallets)are feather-weight and are held between the thumb, index and middlefingers. A typical Persian santur has two sets of bridges, providing arange of approximately three octaves. The right-hand strings are madeof brass or copper,[2] while the left-hand strings are made of steel.[3]

Two rows of 9 articles called "kharak" (total of 18 kharaks) divide thesantur into three positions. Over each bridge crosses four stringsspanning horizontally across the right and left side of the instrument.There are three sections of nine pitches: each for the bass, middle andhigher octave called Poshte Kharak (behind the left bridges)comprising 27 notes all together. The top "F" note is repeated 2 times,creating a total of 25 separate tones in the Santur. The Persian santur isprimarily tuned to a variety of different diatonic scales utilizing 1/4tones (semi-tones) which are designated into 12 Dastgah's (modes) ofPersian classical music. These 12 Dastgah's are the repertory of Persianclassical music known as the Radif.

Santur 2

Woman playing the santur in a painting from the Hasht-BeheshtPalace in Isfahan Iran, 1669

Ancient Babylonian Santur Drawing of Relief

Derivations

Similar forms of the santur have been present inneighboring cultures like India, Afghanistan, Pakistan,Armenia, Turkey, Iraq and Greece. The Indian santooris wider, more rectangular and has more strings. Itscorresponding mallets are also held differently playedwith a different technique. The Chinese yangqin andthe Greek santouri also derived from the santur. Theeastern Europe version of the santur called thecimballum which is much larger and chromatic is usedas an accompanying instrument in gypsy music.

Notable Persian santur players

Iran• Abol Hassan Saba• Manoochehr Sadeghi• Faramarz Payvar• Parviz Meshkatian• Majid Kiani[4]

• Mohammad Sadeq Khan[5]

• Ali Akbar Shahi[6]

• Hassan Khan[7]

• Hussein Malek[8]

• Habib Soma’i[9]

• Reza Varzandeh[10]

• Reza Shafieian[11]

• Mansur Sarami[12]

• Masoud Shaari[13]

• Mohammad Santour Khan[14]

• Daryoush Safvat[15]

• Jalal Akhbari[16]

• Ardavan Kamkar• Pashang Kamkar• Kourosh Zolani• Arfa Atrai[17]

• Azar Hashemi[18]

• Susan Aslani[19]

• Manijeh Ali Pour[20]

Santur 3

Santur players from other culturesGreece(Greek Santoori)• Aristidis Moschos• Areti KetimeIndia (see Indian santoor)• Rahul Sharma• Shivkumar SharmaIraq• Amir ElSaffarJapan• Dr. Masato Tani[21]

Santur makersNazemi produced the world's best santurs. He wasn't a craftsman, but he orchestrated the production of the bestsanturs made in Iran during the 50's and 60's. He used a master craftsman named Misour Levon who recently passedaway at the age of 91 in Glendale, California.Ali Bahmani made santurs that sound as good as Nazemi's. He took his craft to higher level, creating a machine pressand created many advanced technology wood treatments, creative ideas that improved the longevity and quality ofhis santurs. Mr. Bahmani passed away in September 2011, in a freak accident in Tehran, Iran. He was only 35 yearsold and left behind a wife and a son.

Santurs from around the worldVersions of the santur or hammered dulcimer are used throughout the world. In Eastern Europe, a larger descendantof the hammered dulcimer called the cimbalom is played and has been used by a number of classical composers,including Zoltán Kodály, Igor Stravinsky and Pierre Boulez, and more recently, in a different musical context, byBlue Man Group. The khim is the name of both the Thai and the Khmer hammered dulcimer. The Chinese yangqinis a type of hammered dulcimer that originated in Persia. The santur and santoor are found in the Middle East andIndia, respectively.

• Austria – Hackbrett • Iran – santur • Russia – цимбалы tsimbaly, Дульцимер (dultsimer)• Belarus – Цымбалы (tsymbaly) • Iraq – santur • Serbia – цимбал (tsimbal)• Belgium – Hakkebord • Ireland – tiompan • Slovakia – cimbal• Brazil – saltério • Italy – salterio • Slovenia – cimbale, oprekelj• Cambodia – khim • Korea – yanggeum 양금 • Spain (and Spanish-speaking countries) – salterio, dulcémele• China – 扬琴 (yangqin) • Laos – khim • Sweden – hackbräde, hammarharpa• Croatian – cimbal, cimbale • Latgalia (Latvia) – cymbala • Switzerland – Hackbrett• Czech Republic – cimbál • Latvia – cimbole • Thailand – khim• Denmark – hakkebræt • Lithuania – cimbalai, cimbolai • Turkey – santur• France – tympanon • Mongolia joochin • Ukraine – Цимбали tsymbaly• Germany – Hackbrett • Netherlands – hakkebord • United Kingdom – hammered dulcimer• Greece – santouri • Norway - hakkebrett • United States – hammered dulcimer• Hungary – cimbalom • Poland – cymbały • Uzbekistan – chang• India – santoor • Portugal – saltério • Vietnam – đàn tam thập lục (lit. "36 strings")

• Romania – ţambal • Yiddish – tsimbl

Santur 4

[22]

References[1] "Santur is a Persian hammered dulcimer" (http:/ / artmax. org/ index. php?option=com_content& view=article& id=67& Itemid=119). Art

Max Academy. .[2] "Bass strings made of Brass or Copper" (http:/ / artmax. org/ index. php?option=com_content& view=article& id=67& Itemid=119). Art Max

Academy. .[3] "Different kinds of Steel exist" (http:/ / artmax. org/ index. php?option=com_content& view=article& id=67& Itemid=119). Art Max

Academy. .[4] Kiani, Majid. "Master of the Santur" (http:/ / www. farabisoft. com/ Pages/ FarabiSchool/ InstrumentsDetails. aspx?lang=en& PID=4&

SID=30). Santur Master, Teacher & Performer. .[5] Khan, Mohammad Sadeq. "One of the oldest Santur Masters" (http:/ / www. farabisoft. com/ Pages/ FarabiSchool/ InstrumentsDetails.

aspx?lang=en& PID=4& SID=30). Master of the Santur. .[6] Shahi, Ali Akbar. "Santur master" (http:/ / www. farabisoft. com/ Pages/ FarabiSchool/ InstrumentsDetails. aspx?lang=en& PID=4&

SID=30). Old school santur player. .[7] Khan, Hassan. "Santur Master" (http:/ / www. farabisoft. com/ Pages/ FarabiSchool/ InstrumentsDetails. aspx?lang=en& PID=4& SID=30).

Old school Santur Master. .[8] Malek, Hussein. "Santur master" (http:/ / www. farabisoft. com/ Pages/ FarabiSchool/ InstrumentsDetails. aspx?lang=en& PID=4& SID=30).

Old School Santur Master. .[9] Somai, Habib. "santur master" (http:/ / www. farabisoft. com/ Pages/ FarabiSchool/ InstrumentsDetails. aspx?lang=en& PID=4& SID=30).

Old school Santur master. .[10] Varzandeh, Reza. "Santur Master" (http:/ / www. farabisoft. com/ Pages/ FarabiSchool/ InstrumentsDetails. aspx?lang=en& PID=4&

SID=30). Very Unique Style of Playing. .[11] Shafieian, Reza. "Saba's Student" (http:/ / www. farabisoft. com/ Pages/ FarabiSchool/ InstrumentsDetails. aspx?lang=en& PID=4&

SID=30). Santur Master. .[12] Sarami, Mansur. "Santur Master" (http:/ / www. persianartmusic. com/ English/ biography_s. html). Old School Santur player. .[13] Shaari, Masoud. "Santur Master" (http:/ / www. persianartmusic. com/ English/ biography_s. html). Old School Santur Master. .[14] Khan, Mohammad Santour. "Oldest Santur Master that we have proof of". Master of the Santur.[15] Safvat, Daryoush. "Santur Master" (http:/ / www. persianartmusic. com/ English/ biography_s. html). Old school Santur master. .[16] Akhbari, Jalal. "Old School Santur Master" (http:/ / www. persianartmusic. com/ English/ biography_s. html). Master of the Santur. .[17] Arfa, Atrai. "Santur Player" (http:/ / www. farabisoft. com/ Pages/ FarabiSchool/ InstrumentsDetails. aspx?lang=en& PID=4& SID=30).

Santur Soloist. .[18] Hashemi, Azar. "Female Santur Player" (http:/ / www. persianartmusic. com/ English/ biography_s. html). Santur Soloist. .[19] Aslani, Susan. "Female Santur Player" (http:/ / www. persianartmusic. com/ English/ biography_s. html). Santur Soloist. .[20] Ali Pour, Manijeh. "Female Santur Player" (http:/ / www. persianartmusic. com/ English/ biography_s. html). Old School Santur Player. .[21] Tani, Dr. Masato. "Japanese Santur Player" (http:/ / www. iranican. com/ blog/

meet-dr-masato-tani-persian-speaking-japanese-santur-player/ ). Ethnomusicology. .[22] "Santurs from different cultures" (http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ w/ index. php?title=Hammered_dulcimer& action=edit& section=5).

Wikipedia. .

Further readingHeydarian, P.; J.D. Reiss (2005). "The Persian music and the santur instrument" (http:/ / ismir2005. ismir. net/proceedings/ 2120. pdf). Proceedings of Sixth International Conference on Music Information Retrieval, London,UK. 11. pp. 524-527.

External links• Santur - The Art of Persian Music (http:/ / www. santur. com)• Santur introduction in American Lutherie magazine (http:/ / www. luth. org/ downloads/ AL92/ naini. htm)• Nay-Nava Encyclopedia entry on the santur (http:/ / nay-nava. blogfa. com/ post-2. aspx)• Dr. Ümit Mutlu's information on the santur (in Turkish) (http:/ / www. turkmusikisi. com/ calgilar/ santur)• Santur history (in Turkish) (http:/ / turksanturu. com/ tarihce. htm)• The Iraqi Santur (http:/ / www. taqasim. net/ en/ a/ 16. html)

Article Sources and Contributors 5

Article Sources and ContributorsSantur  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=466123984  Contributors: Adamrce, Alborz Fallah, Amir mousavi, Babakexorramdin, Badagnani, Balthazarduju, BehnamFarid,Bonitac, Boudava, Cassandane, Chasingsol, Chochopk, Chrishmt0423, CommonsDelinker, D.Kurdistani, Danny, Dara97, David Levy, Dbachmann, Digitalera, Dogru144, EagleFan,Erfan.aghdasi, Ferdinand Pienaar, ForestAngel, Fyavari, GoingBatty, ILike2BeAnonymous, Iraqisantur, J04n, Jackie, Japanese Searobin, Johnkarp, Jonsafari, Jorunn, Jovianeye, Levent,Libra280, Loren.wilton, MK8, MatthewVanitas, Mohayeji, Musiclover81, Mzajac, N2e, NDCompuGeek, Nakhoda84, Nameneko, Ngebendi, Nuno Tavares, OlEnglish, Opus88888, Pcgxq,Persian1979, Puffin, Redheylin, Samanvaziri, Santourfan, Santur, Santurman, Santurman75, Shergo, Sheshagiri pk, Snappylover1, Snep, Snowgrouse, Steve2011, Sulmues, Teles, Theelf29,Theo10011, TimBentley, Tsujigiri, VasuVR, VulpesE, Vyom25, Wangi, White gecko, WikHead, Winter Gaze, Xashaiar, Ylem, Zandweb, 264 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsImage:Persian Classical Santur.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Persian_Classical_Santur.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0  Contributors: SanturmanFile:Santur Hand Position.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Santur_Hand_Position.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0  Contributors:User:SanturmanFile:Santur Technique Video.theora.ogv  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Santur_Technique_Video.theora.ogv  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors: SanturmanFile:Hasht-Behesht Palace santur.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Hasht-Behesht_Palace_santur.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Drakosh, Johnbod,Jonsafari, Mani1, Villanueva, ZxxZxxZFile:Santur babylon2.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Santur_babylon2.jpg  License: Free Art License  Contributors: Musiclover81, 2 anonymous edits

LicenseCreative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported//creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/