The santoor (also known as santour or santur) is a Persian dulcimer played by striking its strings with two light wooden mallets called mezrâb. The origins of the santoor date back to ancient Babylonian and Neo-Assyrian eras. Contemporary versions are played in Iran, neighboring countries, and Greece. It holds an important place in the traditional Iranian orchestra and is also used in motrebi (entertainment music).
The santoor has a walnut-wood trapezoidal body. The strings are fixed to pins on both sides, allowing tuning with metal wrest pins on the right side. It offers great melodic potential, capable of producing 27 different notes. Its bright, harmonic-rich sound is captivating and expressive.
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The santur, with a history spanning around 3,500 years, originates from Iraq, Iran, and India. With slight regional adaptations, it was also used by the Hebrews, Egyptians, Europeans, and Persians.
In Turkey, the santur was played during the 19th and early 20th centuries by musicians like Santurî Ethem Bey (Ethem Efendi, 1855–1926) and Ziya Santur (1862–1952). Today, it is not widely used in Turkey. There are also santur types with piano-like legs, known as the cimbalom.
The classic santur, trapezoidal in shape, is usually made of walnut or similar exotic woods, and features between 72 and 160 strings. It is played with small wooden plectrums called zahme.
Because of its box-like, trapezoidal shape, the santur resembles the kanun and was used for many years in Ottoman music. The instrument has been present in various European and Asian cultures since ancient times. However, it was mostly forgotten in Turkey, possibly because it did not fully match the local music system. Although there has been a renewed interest since the early twentieth century, it has remained limited.
Unlike the kanun, both sides of the santur’s body are trapezoidal, expanding evenly from its narrower front to its wider back. The santur consists of groups of three strings stretched across its trapezoidal wooden frame, similar to the kanun. Over time, the number of these string groups increased, expanding the instrument’s tonal range.
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.