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[[File:Iraqi Santur Player.jpg|thumb|The Iraqi Santur]]
[[File:Iraqi Santur Player.jpg|thumb|The Iraqi Santur]]


The '''santur''' (also santour, santoor ) ({{lang-ar|'''سنطور'''}}) is a hammered dulcimer of Mesopotamian origin.<ref>--- Rashid, Subhi Anwar (1989). ''Al-ʼĀlāt al-musīqīyya al-muṣāhiba lil-Maqām al-ʻIrāqī''. Baghdad: Matbaʻat al-ʻUmmāl al-Markazīyya.
The '''santur''' ({{lang-ar|'''سنطور'''}} also santour, santoor ) is a hammered dulcimer of Mesopotamian origin.<ref>--- Rashid, Subhi Anwar (1989). ''Al-ʼĀlāt al-musīqīyya al-muṣāhiba lil-Maqām al-ʻIrāqī''. Baghdad: Matbaʻat al-ʻUmmāl al-Markazīyya.
</ref> It is a trapezoid box zither with a walnut body and ninety-two steel (or bronze) strings. The strings, tuned to the same pitch in groups of four, are struck with two wooden mallets. The tuning of these twenty-three sets of strings extends from the lower ''yakah'' (G) up to ''jawab jawab husayni'' (a). The bridges are called ''dama'' (chessmen) because they look like pawns. The name 'santur' is thought to be derived from the Greek ''psalterion'' which, itself, is the result of musical experiments by Phythagorus based on the 6,000-year-old bull-headed lyre discovered from excavations found in the ancient city of [[Ur]] ('Children's Book of Music' ISBN 978-0-7566-6734-4).<ref>[[Lyres of Ur]]</ref> It is also thought that the name is derived from "Sant"- "Ur", meaning sound of Ur in Sumerian. It is native to Iraq, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Iran and Azerbaijan.
</ref> It is a trapezoid box zither with a walnut body and ninety-two steel (or bronze) strings. The strings, tuned to the same pitch in groups of four, are struck with two wooden mallets. The tuning of these twenty-three sets of strings extends from the lower ''yakah'' (G) up to ''jawab jawab husayni'' (a). The bridges are called ''dama'' (chessmen) because they look like pawns. The name 'santur' is thought to be derived from the Greek ''psalterion'' which, itself, is the result of musical experiments by Phythagorus based on the 6,000-year-old bull-headed lyre discovered from excavations found in the ancient city of [[Ur]].<ref>'Children's Book of Music' ISBN 978-0-7566-6734-4){{rs?}}</ref> Forms of the instrument are played in Iraq, Iran, and Turkey, while more varied forms are played throughout Asia and Europe.

⚫
The instrument was brought to Europe by the Arabs through North Africa and Spain during the Middle Ages and also to China where it was referred to as the "foreign ''qin''".<ref>--- Touma, Habib Hassan (1996). ''The Music of the Arabs''. Amadeus Press.</ref> It is the main instrument used in the classical [[Maqam al-iraqi]] tradition along with the Iraqi spike fiddle "joza". ('Music of the Arabs' ISBN 0-931340-88-8). In recent years and, thanks to Mr. Hayaf Yassine, the santur has been gaining popularity in Lebanon.


==Characteristics==
The Iraqi santur has, since its inception, been fully chromatic allowing for full maqam modulations. It uses 12 bridges of steel strings on both sides, and has three movable bridges: B half flat qaraar, E half flat and B half flat jawaab. The non-standard version of the Iraqi santur includes extra bridges so that there's no need to move those three bridges. However, playing it is a bit harder than playing the standard 12-bridge santur. ('Music of the Arabs' ISBN 0-931340-88-8)
The Iraqi santur has, since its inception, been fully chromatic allowing for full maqam modulations. It uses 12 bridges of steel strings on both sides, and has three movable bridges: B half flat qaraar, E half flat and B half flat jawaab. The non-standard version of the Iraqi santur includes extra bridges so that there's no need to move those three bridges. However, playing it is a bit harder than playing the standard 12-bridge santur. ('Music of the Arabs' ISBN 0-931340-88-8)


==History==
==History==
⚫
The santur was invented in [[Mesopotamia]] (modern-day [[Iraq]]) in ancient Babylonian (1600-911 BCE) and neo-Assyrian (911-612 BCE) eras. This instrument was traded and traveled to different parts of the middle east and each country customized and designed their own versions to adapt to their musical scales and tunings. The original santur was made with tree bark, stones and stringed with goat intestines. The Mesopotamian santur is also the father of the harp, the Chinese yangqin, the harpsichord, the qanun, the cimbalom and the American and European hammered dulcimers.<ref name="ToumaTouma2003"/>


⚫
The instrument was brought to Europe by the Arabs through North Africa and Spain during the Middle Ages and also to China where it was referred to as the "foreign ''qin''".<ref name="ToumaTouma2003">{{cite book|author1=Habib Hassan Touma|author2=Habib Touma|title=The Music of the Arabs|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=u5te52MtTiwC&pg=PA125|date=1 January 2003|publisher=Amadeus Press|isbn=978-1-57467-081-3|}}{{page missing}}</ref> It is the main instrument used in the classical [[Maqam al-iraqi]] tradition along with the Iraqi spike fiddle "joza".<ref name="ToumaTouma2003"/>
⚫
The santur was invented in [[Mesopotamia]] (modern-day [[Iraq]]) in ancient Babylonian (1600-911 BCE) and neo-Assyrian (911-612 BCE) eras. This instrument was traded and traveled to different parts of the middle east and each country customized and designed their own versions to adapt to their musical scales and tunings. The original santur was made with tree bark, stones and stringed with goat intestines. The Mesopotamian santur is also the father of the harp, the Chinese yangqin, the harpsichord, the qanun, the cimbalom and the American and European hammered dulcimers. ('Music of the Arabs' ISBN 0-931340-88-8).

The santur became especially popular in Iran after Khomeini banned all types of music other than classical Iranian music, which resulted in the revival of the otherwise semi forgotten instrument in Iran. Persians believe it to be a Persian instrument because Persia was occupying and ruled their neighbour semites (Babylonians, Phoenicians and Arabs) by force and all semitic achievements and inventions, instead of being credited to their real owners, are thought to be Persian by Iranians without any archeological evidence by world experts to back up such claims.


==Notable Iraqi santur players==
==Notable Iraqi santur players==
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* Yusuf Badros Aslan (1844–1929)
* Yusuf Badros Aslan (1844–1929)
* Yusuf Hugi Pataw (1886–1976) <ref name="dangoor" />
* Yusuf Hugi Pataw (1886–1976) <ref name="dangoor" />

==Source==
*Al-Hanafi, Jalal (1964). ''Al-Mughannūn al-Baghdādīyyūn wa al-Maqām al-ʻIrāqī''. Baghdad: Wizarat al-Irshad.
*[[Habib Hassan Touma|Touma, Habib Hassan]] (1996). ''The Music of the Arabs'', trans. Laurie Schwartz. Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press. ISBN 0-931340-88-8.


== References ==
== References ==
<!--- See [[Wikipedia:Footnotes]] on how to create references using <ref></ref> tags which will then appear here automatically -->
<!--- See [[Wikipedia:Footnotes]] on how to create references using <ref></ref> tags which will then appear here automatically -->
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}



==Further reading==
==Further reading==

Revision as of 13:20, 10 December 2013

The archetype of the instrument carried horizontally and struck with two sticks, found in iconographical documents in ancient Babylon (1600-911 BCE) and neo-Assyria (911-612 BCE).
String instrument
Classification Struck
Related instruments
Qanun
The Iraqi Santur

The santur (Arabic: سنطور also santour, santoor ) is a hammered dulcimer of Mesopotamian origin.[1] It is a trapezoid box zither with a walnut body and ninety-two steel (or bronze) strings. The strings, tuned to the same pitch in groups of four, are struck with two wooden mallets. The tuning of these twenty-three sets of strings extends from the lower yakah (G) up to jawab jawab husayni (a). The bridges are called dama (chessmen) because they look like pawns. The name 'santur' is thought to be derived from the Greek psalterion which, itself, is the result of musical experiments by Phythagorus based on the 6,000-year-old bull-headed lyre discovered from excavations found in the ancient city of Ur.[2] Forms of the instrument are played in Iraq, Iran, and Turkey, while more varied forms are played throughout Asia and Europe.

Characteristics

The Iraqi santur has, since its inception, been fully chromatic allowing for full maqam modulations. It uses 12 bridges of steel strings on both sides, and has three movable bridges: B half flat qaraar, E half flat and B half flat jawaab. The non-standard version of the Iraqi santur includes extra bridges so that there's no need to move those three bridges. However, playing it is a bit harder than playing the standard 12-bridge santur. ('Music of the Arabs' ISBN 0-931340-88-8)

History

The santur was invented in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) in ancient Babylonian (1600-911 BCE) and neo-Assyrian (911-612 BCE) eras. This instrument was traded and traveled to different parts of the middle east and each country customized and designed their own versions to adapt to their musical scales and tunings. The original santur was made with tree bark, stones and stringed with goat intestines. The Mesopotamian santur is also the father of the harp, the Chinese yangqin, the harpsichord, the qanun, the cimbalom and the American and European hammered dulcimers.[3]

The instrument was brought to Europe by the Arabs through North Africa and Spain during the Middle Ages and also to China where it was referred to as the "foreign qin".[3] It is the main instrument used in the classical Maqam al-iraqi tradition along with the Iraqi spike fiddle "joza".[3]

Notable Iraqi santur players

[4]

  • Abdallah Ali (1929–1998)
  • Akram Al Iraqi
  • Amir ElSaffar [5]
  • Azhar Kubba
  • Bahir Hashem Al Rajab
  • Basil al-Jarrah
  • Ghazi Mahsub al-Azzawi
  • Hugi Salih Rahmain Pataw (1848–1933) [6]
  • Hashim Al Rajab
  • Hala Bassam
  • Hammudi Ali al-Wardi
  • Haj Hashim Muhammad Rajab al-Ubaydi (1921–2003)
  • Hendrin Hikmat (1974-)
  • Heskel Shmuli Ezra (1804–1894)
  • Mohamed Abbas
  • Muhammad Salih al-Santurchi (18th century)
  • Muhammad Zaki Darwish al-Samarra'i (1955-) [7]
  • Mustafa Abd al-Qadir Tawfiq
  • Qasim Muhammad Abd (1969-)
  • Rahmatallah Safa'i
  • Sa'ad Abd al-Latif al-Ubaydi
  • Sabah Hashim
  • Saif Walid al-Ubaydi
  • Salman Enwiya
  • Salman Sha'ul Dawud Bassun (1900–1950)
  • Sha'ul Dawud Bassun (19th century)
  • Shummel Salih Shmuli (1837–1915)
  • Wesam al-Azzawy (1960-) [8]
  • Yusuf Badros Aslan (1844–1929)
  • Yusuf Hugi Pataw (1886–1976) [6]

References

  1. ^ --- Rashid, Subhi Anwar (1989). Al-ʼĀlāt al-musīqīyya al-muṣāhiba lil-Maqām al-ʻIrāqī. Baghdad: Matbaʻat al-ʻUmmāl al-Markazīyya.
  2. ^ 'Children's Book of Music' ISBN 978-0-7566-6734-4)[unreliable source?]
  3. ^ a b c Habib Hassan Touma; Habib Touma (1 January 2003). The Music of the Arabs. Amadeus Press. ISBN 978-1-57467-081-3. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)[page needed]
  4. ^ --- Al-Hanafi, Jalal (1964). Al-Mughannūn al-Baghdādīyyūn wa al-Maqām al-ʻIrāqī. Baghdad: Wizarat al-Irshad.
  5. ^ http://amirelsaffar.com/
  6. ^ a b http://www.dangoor.com/72page41.html
  7. ^ https://sites.google.com/site/santourmzdarwish/mohamedzakidarwish
  8. ^ http://www.wesamalazzawy.com/

Further reading

  • Duchesne-Guillemin, Marcelle (1980). "Sur la restitution de la musique hourrite". Revue de Musicologie 66, no. 1 (1980): 5–26.
  • Duchesne-Guillemin, Marcelle (1984). A Hurrian Musical Score from Ugarit: The Discovery of Mesopotamian Music, Sources from the Ancient Near East, vol. 2, fasc. 2. Malibu, CA: Undena Publications. ISBN 0-89003-158-4
  • Fink, Robert (1981). The Origin of Music: A Theory of the Universal Development of Music. Saskatoon: Greenwich-Meridian.
  • Gütterbock, Hans (1970). "Musical Notation in Ugarit". Revue d'assyriologie et d'archéologie orientale 64, no. 1 (1970): 45–52.
  • Kilmer, Anne Draffkorn (1971). The Discovery of an Ancient Mesopotamian Theory of Music. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 115:131–49.
  • Kilmer, Anne Draffkorn (1974). "The Cult Song with Music from Ancient Ugarit: Another Interpretation". Revue d'Assyriologie 68:69–82.
  • Kilmer, Anne Draffkorn (1997). "Musik, A: philologisch". Reallexikon der Assyriologie und vorderasiatischen Archäologie 8, edited by Dietz Otto Edzard, 463–82. Berlin: De Gruyter. ISBN 3-11-014809-9.
  • Kilmer, Anne (2001). "Mesopotamia §8(ii)". The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. London: Macmillan Publishers.
  • Kilmer, Anne Draffkorn, Richard L. Crocker, and Robert R. Brown (1976). Sounds from Silence: Recent Discoveries in Ancient Near Eastern Music. Berkeley: Bit Enki Publications, 1976. Includes LP record, Bit Enki Records BTNK 101, reissued [s.d.] as CD.
  • Vitale, Raoul (1982). "La Musique suméro-accadienne: gamme et notation musicale". Ugarit-Forschungen 14 (1982): 241–63.
  • Wellesz, Egon, ed. (1957). New Oxford History of Music Volume I: Ancient and Oriental Music. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • West, M[artin]. L[itchfiel]. (1994). "The Babylonian Musical Notation and the Hurrian Melodic Texts". Music and Letters 75, no. 2 (May): 161–79.
  • Wulstan, David (1968). "The Tuning of the Babylonian Harp". Iraq 30:215–28.
  • Wulstan, David (1971). "The Earliest Musical Notation". Music and Letters 52 (1971): 365–82.

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