SAEDNEWS: Have you ever wondered what the earliest music-making device was and how it gradually evolved into the musical instruments we know today?
According to Saednews, As you know, musical instruments are tools and devices used to produce and perform music. It is possible that the human voice was the oldest means of producing music. Before the development of writing and language, early humans used their vocal cords to imitate sounds from nature. By blowing into hollow tree trunks, hollow bones, animal horns, and seashells, they produced various loud and distinctive sounds. These sounds were used for communication, warning others of danger, and frightening animals and enemies. Over time, these primitive tools gradually developed into the complete musical instruments we know today.
Later, different types of percussion instruments were introduced as musical instruments. It can also be said that wind instruments have a very ancient history. A perforated bone dating back to the Neanderthal period has been discovered and is considered one of the oldest known wind instruments.
Interestingly, Iranian musical instruments can generally be divided into two major categories: instruments used in Iran’s classical music system (Dastgah) and instruments belonging to the traditional music of different regions of Iran. In the following sections, we introduce these instruments and explore the rich world of Iranian music.
As mentioned earlier, musical instruments used in Iran can be divided into two main groups:
Instruments used in the regional music of Iran
Instruments used in the classical music system of Iran
Instruments Used in Classical Iranian Music
The Tar consists of the following parts:
Soundboard/skin
Resonating bowl
Tailpiece
Pegbox
Bridge
Tuning pegs
Frets
Nut
Neck
The Tar is a fretted, plucked string instrument made from materials such as skin, wood, bone, metal, and strings. It is approximately 95 centimeters long. When playing, the musician sits down and places the Tar horizontally across the thigh, then strikes the strings with a plectrum.
The Tar has six metal strings. Normally, the first and second strings are tuned together, as are the third and fourth strings. The fifth string is tuned to the same pitch as the first and second strings, while the sixth string is tuned one octave lower than the first and second strings.
The Setar has several parts similar to those of the Tar, including:
Neck
Soundboard
Tuning pegs
Tailpiece
Resonating bowl
Bridge
Pegbox
Frets
Nut
The Setar is also a fretted, plucked string instrument. It is made using metal, wood, nylon strings, or traditional strings. In the past, the Setar was considered part of the Tanbur family, but today it is regarded as being more closely related to the Tar.
To play the Setar, the musician sits down and places it on the thigh while moving the fingers of the left hand along the frets. Because the Setar is lightweight, it can also be played while standing.
The instrument has four metal strings of different thicknesses. According to tradition, a dervish Setar player named Moshtaq Ali Shah added the fourth string to the instrument. For this reason, Iranian musicians commonly refer to the fourth string as the Moshtaq string.
Setar music is normally notated using the treble clef (second line), and its usual range is close to three octaves.
The Santur consists of parts such as:
Soundboard
Nut
Tailpiece
Tuning pegs
Soundbox
Internal braces
Bridges and bridge wires
Tuning keys
The Santur is a trapezoid-shaped, unfretted, plucked string instrument made from wood and metal. It is normally played while sitting, with the longer side facing the musician horizontally. The strings are struck with two wooden mallets.
Strong woods such as walnut and boxwood are traditionally used in its construction. Different types of Santur exist, but the standard Santur is commonly tuned to G and has nine bridges.
A Santur has 72 strings. Thirty-six yellow strings are arranged in groups of four over nine bridges on the right side, while the other 36 white strings are arranged in groups of four over nine bridges on the left side.
The instrument normally has a range of slightly more than three octaves. Its range can be extended when the fourth position is used. The Santur has 27 pitches across three positions, and its music is normally written using the treble clef.
Different types of Santur include the A-tuned Santur, chromatic Santur, standard G-tuned Santur, bass Santur, and low-register chromatic Santur.
The main parts of the Barbat, also known as the Oud, include:
Soundboard
Bridge and tailpiece
Neck
Nut
Pegbox
Internal braces
Tuning pegs
The Barbat is another traditional Iranian musical instrument. In Arabic, it is known as the Oud. It is a fretted/plucked string instrument made from materials such as nylon or traditional strings, wood, and bone.
The Oud is considered one of the ancient and important instruments of Iran. It traditionally has ten strings arranged in pairs and tuned to the same pitch.
The Barbat has a range of nearly two octaves. Its music is generally notated using the treble clef, although the bass clef may also sometimes be used.
The Ney is an ancient wind instrument made from the reed plant. It traditionally consists of six nodes and seven sections, which is why it is also called the seven-jointed Ney.
When the instrument is played, air is blown through its mouthpiece. By covering and uncovering the holes with the fingers and changing the air pressure, the musician produces different pitches.
The Ney usually has a range of approximately two and a half octaves.
Its range is divided into four main registers:
High register
Low and lower register
Very high register
Uppermost register
Its music is generally notated using the treble clef.
The main parts of the Ghaychak include:
Neck
Skin
Tuning pegs
Body
Pegbox
Tailpiece
Nut
Bridge
The Ghaychak is another Iranian string instrument and belongs to the family of bowed, fretted instruments. It is made from metal, wood, and skin.
The instrument is played in a manner similar to the Kamancheh and is used in the traditional music of various regions of Iran. It is approximately 56 centimeters long.
The tuning of its third and fourth strings can vary depending on the musical mode. The strings of the standard Ghaychak are generally tuned in descending fifths.
It has a range of approximately two octaves. Because it does not have fixed frets, it can perform all the intervals found in traditional Iranian music.
The Alto and standard Ghaychak are normally notated using the treble clef, while the open Ghaychak may be notated using the bass clef.
The Qanun consists of parts such as:
Skin
Tuning pegs
Tailpiece
Braces
Levers
Movable frets
Tuning keys
Bridge
Soundboard
Nut
The Qanun is a fretted, plucked string instrument with a right-angled trapezoidal shape. It is made from skin, wood, bone, metal, and strings.
The musician usually places the longer side of the instrument on a table or on the thighs, facing toward them. It is played using plectrums attached to the index fingers of both hands.
The instrument normally has around 82 strings made of covered silk or nylon. In the lower register, covered metal strings are also used. Most of the strings are tuned in unison, either individually or in groups of two or three.
The Iranian Qanun has a range of approximately three and a half octaves. Its music is written on two staves: the lower register is generally written using the bass clef, while the remaining notes are written using the treble clef.
Frame
Metal rings
Decorative nails
Rim
Skin
The Daf is a percussion instrument made from skin, wood, and metal. Its body is circular and has a diameter of approximately 60 centimeters. Metal rings are attached at regular intervals along the inside of the frame.
Daireh: A smaller and more traditional form of the Daf, commonly used in gatherings and celebrations.
Zangari Daireh: A circular instrument with a wooden frame. Small openings are made along the frame, and pairs of small metal cymbals are fitted inside them.
The main parts of the Kamancheh include:
Tuning pegs
Spike
Neck
Pegbox
Bridge
Nut
Tailpiece
Resonating body
Skin
The Kamancheh is a traditional Iranian bowed string instrument. It is made from bone, skin, wood, and metal.
It is approximately 75 centimeters long from the metal spike to the top of the instrument. It is played while sitting, with the instrument held vertically in the musician's left hand.
The fingers of the left hand move along the neck while the bow, held in the right hand, moves back and forth horizontally across the strings.
The Kamancheh has four metal strings of different thicknesses. Its usual range is approximately three octaves. Its music is generally notated using the treble clef.
The main parts of the Rubab include:
Skin
Neck
Soundboard
Bridge
Frets
Pegbox
Tuning pegs
Nut
Tailpiece
Resonating body
The Rubab is another traditional string instrument found in various regions of Iran. Depending on the region and playing tradition, it may be played either with a plectrum, similar to the Tar, or with a bow, similar to the Kamancheh.
It is considered one of the oldest instruments associated with regional Iranian music. Evidence of the Rubab can be found in ancient carvings and literature.
The instrument has six main strings, which are generally tuned in pairs.
Its usual range is approximately one and a half octaves. Although the treble clef is sometimes used for convenience, the bass clef is more appropriate because its actual sounding pitch is one octave lower than the written notes.
The main parts of the Tombak include:
Body
Small opening
Large opening
The Tombak, also known as the Zarb, is one of the most famous Iranian percussion instruments.
It is made from a single piece of wood, commonly from maple, walnut, or mulberry. The body consists of two main sections: the larger body and the narrower neck-like section. Tombaks are produced in different sizes. Smaller versions are commonly used for solo performances, while larger ones are often used in ensembles and orchestras.
Tombak music can be notated on a three-line staff. The central area of the drumhead is represented on the first line, the middle area on the second line, and the edge of the drumhead on the third line. In some cases, different types of staff notation are also used.
The instruments introduced above represent only part of the rich and diverse world of Iranian musical instruments. From string and bowed instruments such as the Tar, Setar, Kamancheh, and Rubab to wind and percussion instruments such as the Ney, Daf, and Tombak, each instrument reflects an important part of Iran's musical heritage and cultural history.
We hope this introduction helps music enthusiasts become more familiar with the fascinating world of traditional Iranian music and its instruments.
