(In the above painting, the setar is portrayed with a daf, a
precussion instrument.)
The setar is a four stringed lute. Two of the strings are made of steel, two are of brass, and they are tuned to c, c semi-sharp, g, and c semi-sharp, respectively. In the above painting, it is depicted with a zarb. The average setar is 85 cm long, 20 cm wide, and has a 15 cm deep gourd, and is made entirely of wood. (Unlike the tar which has a membrane streched across the body.) Also, unlike the tar, the player plucks the strings with the nail of the index finger, instead of using a plectrum.
Jalal Zolfonun
playing the setar. (228K WAV file).
Incidentally, he has
released a new record, Kord Bayat. Click here for more information.
