#santour

Collectiontober Day 1 – Masquerade/Rain

What is a dulcimer? How to play the dulcimer? What is a centrifuge? The dulcimer is a stringed instrument that basically exists in two different types: the hammered dulcimer, which has strings drawn on a trapezoidal sound screen that are usually placed on a pedestal. In front of a musician who strings at two angles are small hammers called hammers and the Appalachian dulcimer, often referred to as the mountain dulcimer, which is a narrower version of the Ziter family instrument. This instrument has three to five strings and is played by a musician who plays the instrument with his right hand while controlling the chords or melody with his left hand. History of Santour From the Assyrian and Babylonian periods (669 BC) there are images and engravings that show that people hung a trapezoid-like instrument like a dulcimer around their necks with a rope or thread and played with it. It is not clear in which country the dulcimer was first used, but what the evidence shows is that the pre-Islamic Iranians were familiar with this instrument and called it “Konar”. After Islam, Abdul Qadir Maraghei introduced the “instrument” or “storm” that was similar to today’s dulcimer, which differed from the dulcimer by tying a string for each sound and tuning it by moving the vault. The antiquity of the discovered works shows that this instrument has spread from Iran to other countries in the region and is called by different names in other countries. In China, for example, it is called “Yan-Qin”, in Eastern Europe “Dalsie Mar”, in England “Butterfly”, in Germany and Austria “McPar”, in India “Santour”, in Cambodia “Phi” and in America “ It is called “Ziter”. Of course, this instrument is used in these countries with some differences. In some parts of Armenia and Georgia, the dulcimer is very popular. Today, Yan-Qin, or the Chinese santorini, is known as the national instrument of China, but according to ancient manuscripts in the Maine Dynasty (1989–1644), due to the frequent travels between China and the Middle East, this instrument It was transported by sea from Persia to China and was first played in the coastal province of Canton and then spread throughout China. A Turkish music scholar, Rauf Yekta Bey, wrote in Laviniak’s encyclopedia that the santur is an ancient Jewish musical instrument. The Larus music encyclopedia also states that it was a santorini that the Jews were very interested in. Before the beginning of the medieval period, the santor made its way to Europe and fascinated many people. European Christians, who were very interested in music and art, completed this instrument, and instruments such as the piano, which is the king of instruments, were created from it.

Types of dulcimers Santour can have different types, some of which are mentioned below: Hammer with a hammer The modern hammer dulcimer is made of a trapezoidal box with strings on four bridges and adjusted nails at both ends. This instrument is usually placed on the table or with wires parallel to the front of the musician’s body. Santour strings are hammered. Santour music is monotonous in the old style, but recent musicians and musicians experience playing more than one note at a time. Most American hammer drums have the F, C, G, and D keys that are easily accessible, which works well for a variety of music styles such as bluegrass, hymns, Celtic songs, and even some pop music. In a very basic way, you can think of a small dulcimer like a piano with only white keys. The larger the dulcimer, the more keys are available, and some tools may have other color notes in addition to the traditional large-scale layout. Hammer Santour hammers may be hard or soft and have hard or soft sticks. In the United States and the United Kingdom, musicians usually design their own sticks, but in other countries, hammers are standard. Mountain Santour The mountain dulcimer is also called the Appalachian dulcimer, the lap dulcimer or the boar fiddle. The dulcimer is mainly used for folk music in the southeastern United States. It has a slim body and is played by pulling strings on the blades. Traditionally there are three strings: melody, middle and bass, which are sometimes strings to increase the volume of the two strings. Santour in other cultures Instruments similar to the dulcimer in other cultures include the dulcimer from the Middle East developed in Iran, Yang Quinn from China, kilbalum from Eastern Europe, tympanum from Western Europe, and Hekrt from Germany. Santour body builder The body shape is one of the two most common types of hourglasses and teardrops. Tears are more comfortable when playing standing up. When sitting, both are good. Choosing wood for the sides and back of the instrument There are many options that can affect the shading or color of the instrument. • The depth of the sides of the instrument Instruments that have a deeper body can have a deeper tone or sound. • Placing a bridge for the instrument In older instruments, the bridge is placed at or near the tail of the instrument. Some contemporary builders are moving the bridge from the bottom and directly to the arch to create a more expressive guitar sound.

• Ebony board cover Having a hard stick, such as ebony, on the board reduces the friction of the player’s left hand. Some people prefer this option. Play the dulcimer The dulcimer is played by two thin sticks called “percussion” or “wound” and actually acts as an interface between the dulcimer ‘s hands and strings. The percussion consists of 4 main parts: the percussion head, stem, ring and tail. When playing the dulcimer, the fingers are placed inside the percussion ring in a certain order and rule, and thus the dulcimer strikes the string by rotating the wrist using the percussion head. In the past, dulcimer beats were without felt, but now they usually attach felt to the beats, which makes the sound of the dulcimer softer.

Abstract

In this article, we wanted to introduce you to the Santour instrument and introduce the history of this instrument to you. This instrument has different shapes in Iran. We have mentioned some of its models here and we have taught you how to play the dulcimer.

If you wish, you can share your comments and suggestions with us.