Persian Setar
The Persian setar is a pear-shaped long-necked plucked lute with four strings played with fingernails or a plectrum. It is chiefly used as a solo instrument in Persian classical music.
“Setar” literally means “three strings”, and is a cognate with the Indian sitar, although neither has three strings today. In terms of construction, it is thought to belong to the family of tanbur instruments, which first appeared in a treatise by the scholar Al-Farabi in the 10th century and includes other instruments such as the Uzbek tanbur and the Uyghur tembur. The setar has been frequently depicted in Persian miniature drawings since the 16th century, and its soft, delicate sound makes it most suitable to intimate settings that is considered typical for Persian classical music.
Similar to the tar, the setar is usually made of walnut for the neck, and mulberry or walnut for the body. The four strings are made of steel and bronze. The numerous frets are traditionally made of gut strings, and they allow for the numerous microtones used in Persian music.
