String instruments
Tar
A fretted string instrument with a figure-eight-shaped (double-bowl) body, played especially in Azerbaijan and Eastern Anatolia.
In brief
- Family: Plucked string instrument (long-necked, fretted)
- Origin: Iran and the Caucasus; the modern Azerbaijani tar was developed by Sadigjan around 1870
- Body and materials: Figure-eight double bowl of mulberry wood; opening covered with a thin membrane
- Skin: Lambskin on the Iranian tar, ox pericardium on the Azerbaijani tar
- Strings: 11 on the Azerbaijani tar, 6 (three pairs) on the Iranian tar
- Playing: With a small brass plectrum; the Azerbaijani tar is held against the chest
- Regions: Azerbaijan, Iran, the Caucasus, Central Asia and Eastern Anatolia[1, 2]
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History
The main string instrument of Azerbaijani and Iranian music. The Caucasian tar, developed in the 19th century by Mirza Sadig Asad oglu, was inscribed on UNESCO's list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012.
Construction
The opening of a double-chambered body carved from mulberry wood, shaped like the figure eight, is covered with a thin membrane (usually from ox heart). Frets are tied to its long neck; the Azerbaijani tar has eleven strings, the Iranian tar six.
How it is played
It is played with a brass plectrum; the instrument is held against the chest.
Its place in makam music
It is the core instrument of Azerbaijani mugham and Iranian dastgah; its frets are tied according to the near-quarter-tone intervals of these traditions.
Getting started: types, sizes, tuning
Start with this instrument
Masters on recordings
Performers who play this instrument on recordings of works in the score archive (MusicBrainz).
Frequently asked questions about the Tar
What is the difference between the tar and the bağlama?
Both are long-necked, fretted string instruments played with a plectrum; but the tar's body is a double-chambered bowl shaped like a figure eight, and its opening is covered with a thin membrane instead of wood. This gives the tar a bright, full and ringing sound. The tar is central to the art music of Azerbaijan and Iran, while the bağlama is central mostly to Anatolian folk music.
How do the Azerbaijani and Iranian tar differ?
The Azerbaijani tar has more strings, is held horizontally against the chest and sounds fuller thanks to its extra resonating strings. The Iranian tar has fewer strings and is mostly played resting on the lap. Their fret placement, repertoire and ornamentation styles also differ: one has been shaped by the Azerbaijani mugham, the other by the Iranian dastgâh.
What does the name tar mean?
“Tar” means “string” in Persian. Names from the same root, such as setar (three strings) and dutar (two strings), likewise describe the instrument's number of strings. This naming shows that the long-necked string instruments across a wide region from Iran to Central Asia come from a common family.
In what ensembles is the tar played?
In the Azerbaijani mugham tradition, the tar forms the classical mugham trio together with the bowed kamancha and the gaval frame drum; the singer performs the mugham accompanied by this trio. The tar is also a leading instrument in solo improvisations, in folk and art music orchestras, and in Iran in dastgâh performances. There are also tar players in Eastern Anatolia.
Where can I hear the tar?
The “Listen” section on this page has sound samples taken from real tar recordings. The tar cannot yet be played as a virtual instrument; if you want to try fretted long-necked instruments, you can open the virtual bağlama or the virtual tanbur in your browser.