tambur

Tambur is a long-necked plucked lute used in traditional music across the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. The name is applied to several regional instruments that share a common ancestry in the tanbur family. Although regional variants differ in size, shape, and tuning, they are all fretted, have relatively long necks, and produce a bright, singing melodic line that is central to their musical roles.

In construction, tamburs typically feature a carved wooden body of modest size and a long neck with tied or pressed frets. The instrument is usually played with a pick or plectrum, and the strings are arranged in courses. Some variants include drone strings or sympathetic strings to enrich the sound, while others emphasize a clear melodic voice. Tuning and scale systems vary by tradition, with each region adapting the instrument to its own modal framework.

Regional variants include the Turkish tambur, the Persian tanbur, and related Caucasian forms. The Turkish tambur plays a central role in Ottoman classical music and is associated with makam systems, whereas the Persian tanbur is linked to dastgah-based repertoires and Sufi devotional music. In the Caucasus and surrounding areas, tambur-like instruments appear in folk and regional styles and have contributed to a shared musical vocabulary.

Historically, tamburs trace to medieval Middle Eastern instrument families and evolved through cultural exchanges across empires and regions. In modern times, they continue to be studied, built, and performed, maintaining their function as vehicles for melodic improvisation and expressive ornamentation within traditional ensembles and solo repertoires.