The Mirza Abdollah Radif for Tar and Setar, Vol. 6

The Tar is a long-necked, waisted lute that serves as the primary instrument of Persian classical music. It is distinguished by its double-bowl body carved from mulberry wood and covered with a thin membrane of lambskin, which gives it a unique, resonant, and slightly nasal timbre. It typically has six strings (arranged in three courses) and movable gut frets that allow for the microtonal intervals essential to the Dastgah system. The instrument is held against the upper chest and plucked with a small brass plectrum held in a ball of wax, allowing for intricate ornamentation and rapid tremolos.

Santur refers to music centered on the santur (or santoor), a trapezoidal hammered dulcimer whose strings are struck with light wooden mallets. Originating in Persia (modern Iran), the instrument spread through Mesopotamia and the wider Middle East, later inspiring related dulcimers across Europe and Asia. In Iranian classical music, the santur is tuned to the modal dastgāh system and features shimmering tremolos (riz), delicate grace notes, and agile, dance-like passages (especially in chahārmezrāb and reng). In Iraq and the Levant it participates in maqām traditions, while in the Indian subcontinent—especially through the Kashmiri santoor—it was adapted to the Hindustani raga system and re-engineered with more strings and different bridges for sustained melodic development. The timbre is glassy and bell-like but warm, capable of luminous arpeggios, rippling rolls, sharply articulated rhythms, and intricate ornamentation. Modern performers also bring the santur into jazz, film music, pop, and electronic fusion.