Listen to the setar
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
How the setar makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the setar 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.
Its timbre – the colour that lets you tell it apart from other instruments playing the same note – comes from the mix of overtones its body and resonator emphasise.
From Wikipedia
A setar is a stringed instrument, a type of lute used in Persian traditional music, played solo or accompanying voice. It is a member of the tanbur family of long-necked lutes with a range of more than two and a half octaves. Originally a three stringed instrument, the addition of a fourth string is commonly credited to Sufi mystic and musician Moshtaq Ali Shah. It is played with the index finger of the right hand.
It has been speculated that the setar originated in Persia by the 9th century AD. A more conservative estimate says "it originated in the 15th century, or even earlier".
Other lutes
Frequently asked questions
What does a setar sound like?
Listen to 1 recording on this page. 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 setar?
It is classified as lutes (Hornbostel–Sachs 321.321).
Sources & credits
- Segah-Setar by Leyth at fawiki – CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q1544746 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Setar – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Leyth at Persian Wikipedia / کاربر:Ghazy Kelay – GFDL