How the rubab makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the rubab belongs to the lutes: strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck – the family of the guitar, violin, sitar and oud.
More broadly it is one of the chordophones (string instruments), where sound comes from vibrating strings, amplified by a resonating body.
Players shape its sound through technique and materials; the resonating body filters the raw vibration, boosting some harmonics and damping others.
From Wikipedia
The rubab (UK:, US: ) or robab is a lute-like musical instrument of Central Asian origin. It is the national musical instrument of Afghanistan and is also commonly played in India and Pakistan, mostly by Balochis and Kashmiris, and Punjabis.
Variants of the rubab include the Kabuli rebab of Afghanistan, the Uyghur rawap of Xinjiang, the Pamiri rubab of Tajikistan, and the North Indian seni rebab. The instrument and its variants spread throughout West, Central, South and Southeast Asia.
Other lutes
Frequently asked questions
What does a rubab sound like?
As one of the lutes, its sound comes from the way strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck.
What type of instrument is the rubab?
It is classified as lutes (Hornbostel–Sachs 321.321-6).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q1640934 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Rubab (instrument) – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Unnamed photographer, released into public domain by Metropolitan Museum of Art – CC0 1.0