Sataer

The satar (Uyghur: ساتار; Chinese: 萨它尔)[lower-alpha 1] is a traditional Uyghur long-necked bowed lute. It is used by Uyghur people in Xinjiang, western China, and is an important instrument to play maqams.[1]

sataer (ساتار)
photo of man playing a sataer
Uyghur satar or sataer (ساتار)
String instrument
Classification string instrument
Related instruments
The instrument lacks the modern satar's sympathetic strings, the 12 frets on the soundboard, and the bridge placed at an angle, with the main strings raised separately from the sympathetic strings. It does have the satar's tanbur or setar-like shape and length. It is also 3-stringed, the original meaning of setar. 1860s, Turkestan

Characteristics

The instrument is a long-necked lute, about 140 cm long, with a bowl about 16.5 cm at the widest point, about 15 cm deep. The neck is fretted with 18 tied frets, which may be made of string rather that the inlaid metal frets of western instruments. The soundboard has additionally frets laid on it under the main melody string, approximately 11 or 12 frets.

The satar is strung with between 9 and 17 sympathetic strings which are not played directly but vibrate in reaction to the melody string, in sympathetic resonance.[2]

A single melody string is set apart from the sympathetic strings. This is the string that the musician manipulates on the instrument's neck, fretting it to change the notes as the string is bowed.

On modern instruments, the bridge is set on the soundboard near the bottom at an approximately 45 degree angle, instead of set straight across the soundboard.[3]

A shorter version, about 120 centimeters long, is known as the alto sataer (中音萨它尔).[4]

Tuning

The main string of the instrument is set in relation to the lead singer's voice, singing the 12 maqams. The string is set approximately to:[4]

c-c2 or d-d2

For an instrument using 12 sympathetic strings, the strings may be tuned:

G, c, d, e, g, a, c1, d1, e1, g1, a1, c2

or 

c, d, e, g, a, c1, d1, e1, g1, a1, c2, d2.

See also

Notes
  1. The Chinese translation—萨塔尔, sàtǎ'ěr—is a transliteration of the original Persian loanword (via Uyghur).

References
  1. Cui Jia; Mao Weihua (21 July 2017). "Instrument makers dance to a traditional tune". China Daily. Satar 135 cm An important instrument for the maqam, the most famous genre in Uyghur music, it is played with a bow.
  2. Niyaz Sattar; Qurban Sabir. "The craft of Satar making by the people of Toksu". xjtsnews (Xinjiang Tianshannet). Archived from the original on 2011-10-26. The first string of the satar is the main string, which represents the main melody, or the main string. The rest of the strings act as a reflection.
  3. "维吾尔十二木卡姆乐器简介 一、 弓弦乐器 1、萨它尔(translation: Introduction to Uyghur Twelve Muqam Musical Instruments, One, bowed stringed instruments, 1. Sattar)". [See top photo.]
  4. Zhao Hongxiao. "Introduction of Chinese and Western Musical Instruments".
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