Santoor (also called Santour or Santur) is the Persian dulcimer played with two light hammers (mezrâb) by striking the strings. Santoor’s origin goes a long way back until the ancient Babylonian and neo-Assyrian eras. Santoor’s contemporary versions are used in Iran, its neighboring countries, and Greece. It occupies an important place in the traditional Iranian orchestra, it is also used in motrebi (music for entertainment). Santoor has a case made of walnut wood shaped like a trapeze. The strings are fixed to the pins on both sides, so you can tune Santoor with the metal wrestling pins on the right.
Santoor has great melodic potential. It can be played on 27 different notes. Its attractive, sharp sound full of harmonics carries you away. In our catalog, you can find a range of quality santoors made by santoor makers who have mastered their craft, namely Ekberi, Sadeghi, and Azar. They are classified as standard, professional, and special santoors. We believe you will find here the most convenient santoor at the best value.
The santur, which has a history of approximately 3500 years, is an instrument originating from Iraq, Iran, and India. With minor variations, it was used by the Hebrews, Egypt, Europe, and Persia.
Santur, which was used in Turkey in the 19th and early 20th centuries, was performed by Santurî Ethem Bey (Ethem Efendi, 1855–1926) and Ziya Santur (1862–1952).
Today, it is not widely used in Turkey. There are also types of santur with piano-like legs called "Cimbalom".
A classic santur, trapezoidal in the form of a box, usually made of walnut and similar exotic woods, consists of 72 to 160 strings. It is played by striking the strings with small plectrums (zahme), also made of wood.
This instrument, which is similar to the "Kanun" because of its shape, was used in Ottoman music for many years. It has been used in many European and Asian countries since ancient times. However, it was forgotten for a while in Turkey, perhaps because it was not suitable for our music system. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, there has been an interest in this instrument, but this has always been limited.
Unlike the "Kanun," both sides of the body of the Santur musical instrument are trapezoidal. It expands evenly from the short front to the wide back side . Santur consists of three strings stretched on a trapezoidal boat made of wood, just like the "Kanun." The number of these wire groups has gradually increased over time. Thus, the sound width of this instrument has gradually increased.
Types of Santur
Santur is one of the most loved and remarkable musical instruments. Santur types also vary. There are many different types of santur in direct proportion to various geographies. The sizes of santurs and the materials they are made from may vary depending on the type.
These santur types are categorized into two:
- Persian Santur
- Indian Santur
- Persian Santur
The Persian santur has a significant role in the traditional Persian orchestra. However, this santur is used in entertainment music, not in folk music. The contemporary Persian santur has a trapezoidal walnut wood case. Opposite this vault is stretched metal wires that are beaten with small wooden hammers or mallets called mezrab. You can also tune the Persian santur with the metal clamps on the right. Persian santur has great melodic potential.
It is possible to play 27 different notes with this instrument. Bass strings are brass, and trebles are steel. The strings produce a fine, bright sound full of harmonics. The sound of this santur is so beautiful that it can be called mystical.
- Indian Santur
The presence of many varieties of santur can be shown as proof that it has spread to very different geographies. The Indian santur is similar to the Persian santur, although smaller and held on the player's lap, on the other hand, the tuning is different.