How the tanbūra makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the tanbūra 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.
Press play above and watch the spectrum: the evenly spaced peaks are harmonics, and their relative strength is what gives the instrument its character.
From Wikipedia
The tanbūra or "Kissar" is a bowl lyre of East Africa and the Middle East. Tanbūra traces its etymology to the Persian tanbur via the Arabic tunbur (طنبور), though this term refers to long-necked lutes. The instrument probably originated in Upper Egypt and the Sudan in Nubia and is used in the Fann At-Tanbura in the Persian Gulf Arab States. It also plays an important role in zār rituals.
The tanbūra is a member of a family of lyres which can be found, with variations, in many areas throughout East Africa: compare the Ugandan Endongo and Kenya Nyatiti. According to ethnomusicologist Christian Poché, the Sudanese style of lyre has been played throughout "Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, North Yemen, Southern Iraq and the Gulf States."
Other lutes
Frequently asked questions
What does a tanbūra 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 tanbūra?
It is classified as lutes (Hornbostel–Sachs 321.21).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q3541715 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Tanbūra (lyre) – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Ji-Elle – CC BY-SA 3.0