Description: The santur is the most ancient member of the hammered dulcimer with in the struck cordophone family. The name santur means (san meaning "100" and tur meaning "strings"). The name santur is debated weather the name maybe of Aramaic or Akkadian in origin. Both the Assyrians and the Babylonian peoples had recorded the existence of the santur for the first time since 669 B.C. Stone tablets have described in detail about various stringed instruments in one resembled a harp like instrument played with hammers. In the year 1660 A.D. The hammered dulcimer or dulcimer in England became a Christened instrument, in which today can be heard in British and North American folk musics. In Iraq the santur is constructed slightly differently and it is used to play the Iraqi maqam, the Iraqi santur uses steel strings. The santur is the original instrument in who inspired the Greek Sanduri, the Romanian & Hungarian cymbalom and the German hackbret.

The Santur in Persian Classical Music: In Persian classical music the santur is played solo, or accompanied with voice or an ensemble of instruments, tonbak (zarb), tar, voice, kamenche, barbat and so on. Each course of strings are quadruple sets of strings in which totals up to 76 strings. Each course of strings is a total of four strings. The hammers used for the Persian santur are very light in weight. Koroush Zolani a noted santur player improved the design of the santur in which the santur is traditionally tuned diatonic. Koroush Zolani's instruments are tuned chromatically in A, D or C# they have 72 strings and 19 bridges these are transpositional instrument he does have chromatic santurs of his own designs who are non-transpositional.

The Santur in India: In India the santur has it's origins in Kashmir in which was popularized by the world-renowned Shiv-Kumar Sharma. He plays a modified version of Kashmir santur, by adding more strings and increasing the over all size, shape and range of melody of the santur. The current form of the santur in India is mainly played in Northern India.

The Regional distribution of the Santur: In Turkey the santur is often played along with the saz, oud, and the doumbek or the santur maybe played as solo instrument. In Greece the santur is called Sanduri where the sanduri is played both in mainland Greece and also on some of the Greek-Islands.

The tuning of the Persian Santur: The first series of strings are "e-f", the second series of strings are also tuned "e-f" and the third series of strings are also tuned to "e-f". The bridges in Farsi (kharak) are flexible in which allow the musician to move the bridge to create any desired tuning. The santur has a range of three octaves.

Citations: Santur.com (Persian santur) > ney-nava.com santur article > Santur article by Kereshmeh Records.com > Korosh Zolani (Chromatic Santur); New Grove Dictionary of Music P to Z, Santur Page 291.