How the sintir makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the sintir 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
The sintir (Arabic: سنتير), also known as the guembri (الكمبري), gimbri, hejhouj in Hausa language, is a three stringed skin-covered bass plucked lute used by the Gnawa people of North Africa, mainly in Morocco (Gnawi music), Algeria (Diwane music), Tunisia (Stambeli music), and in Mali. It is approximately the size of a guitar, with a body carved from a log and covered on the playing side with camel skin. The camel skin has the same acoustic function as the membrane on a banjo. The neck is a simple stick with one short and two long goat strings that produce a percussive sound similar to a pizzicato cello, pedal harp, or double bass.
Other lutes
Frequently asked questions
What does a sintir 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 sintir?
It is classified as lutes (Hornbostel–Sachs 321.312).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q1431454 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Sintir – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Sguastevi – CC BY-SA 4.0