Setar

For other uses, see Setar (disambiguation).

For the Indian instrument, see sitar.

A typical Iranian setar
String instrument
Classification	Plucked
Hornbostel–Sachs classification	321.321
Related instruments
Tambouras, Tar, Tanbur
Musicians
Ebadi, Alizadeh,

Setar (Persian: سه‌تار‎‎, from seh, meaning "three" and tār, meaning "string") is a Persian musical instrument used across Greater Iran and Central asia. It is a member of the lute family, which is played with index finger of the right hand. Two and a half centuries ago, a fourth string was added to the setar. it has 25 - 27 moveable frets which are usually made of animal intestines or silk. It originated in Persia before the spread of Islam.

Uyghur variant

The satar (Uyghur: ساتار‎; Chinese: 萨塔尔) is an important instrument in 12 muqam. It is a bowed lute with 13 strings, one raised bowing string and 12 sympathetic strings, tuned to the mode of the muqam or piece being played.

Notable setar players

Hossein Alizadeh and his shourangiz (a new kind of setar)

• Hossein Alizadeh
• Mohammad-Reza Lotfi
• Kayhan Kalhor
• Mirza Abdollah
• Houshang Zarif
• Sa'id Hormozi
• Ahmad Ebadi
• Abolhasan Saba
• Dariush Safvat
• Mohammad Reza Lotfi
• Jalal Zolfonun
• Dariush Talai
• Hamid Motebassem
• Omid Kamkar Lotfi

See also

See also: Lute § History and evolution of the lute

• Music of Afghanistan
• Music of Iran
• Barbat (lute)
• Bağlama
• Sitar

External links

• About Setar
• Setar.info
• Atlas of Plucked Instruments - Middle East - Iran
• About Persian Setar
• Experimental Music on Setar on YouTube
• Setar and Guitar Hybrid Instrument