The ''Sataer'' (; zh,
萨它尔) is a
traditional Uyghur long-necked bowed
lute
A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck (music), neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted.
More specifically, the term "lu ...
. It is used by
Uyghur
Uyghur may refer to:
* Uyghurs, a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia (West China)
** Uyghur language, a Turkic language spoken primarily by the Uyghurs
*** Old Uyghur language, a different Turkic language spoken in the Uyghur K ...
people in
Xinjiang
Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC romanization, SASM/GNC: Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People' ...
, western China, and is an important instrument to play
maqam
Maqam, makam, maqaam or maqām (plural maqāmāt) may refer to:
Musical structures
* Arabic maqam, melodic modes in traditional Arabic music
** Iraqi maqam, a genre of Arabic maqam music found in Iraq
* Persian maqam, a notion in Persian clas ...
s.
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
fret
A fret is any of the thin strips of material, usually metal wire, inserted laterally at specific positions along the neck or fretboard of a stringed instrument. Frets usually extend across the full width of the neck. On some historical inst ...
s, 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 sataer is strung with between 9 and 17
sympathetic string
Sympathetic strings or resonance strings are auxiliary strings found on many Indian musical instruments, as well as some Western Baroque instruments and a variety of folk instruments.
They are typically not played directly by the performer (ex ...
s which are not played directly but vibrate in reaction to the melody string, in
sympathetic resonance
Sympathetic resonance or sympathetic vibration is a harmonic phenomenon wherein a passive string or vibratory body responds to external vibrations to which it has a harmonic likeness. The classic example is demonstrated with two similarly-tuned ...
.
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.
A shorter version, about 120 centimeters long, is known as the alto sataer (中音萨它尔).
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:
[
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
* Setar
A setar (, ) (lit: "Three String (music), Strings") is a stringed instrument, a type of lute used in Persian traditional music, played solo or accompanying voice. It is a member of the tanbur family of long-necked lutes with a range of more than ...
* Chinese music
The music of China consists of many distinct traditions, often specifically originating with one of the country's various ethnic groups. It is produced within and without the country, involving either people of Chinese origin, the use of tradit ...
* List of Chinese musical instruments
Chinese musical instruments are traditionally grouped into eight categories (classified by the material from which the instruments were made) known as (). The eight categories are silk, bamboo, wood, stone, metal, clay, gourd and skin; other instr ...
Notes
References
External links
Video. Trio playing Uyghur instruments; satar is on the far right.Video. Satar playing with drum.
Chinese musical instruments
Culture in Xinjiang
Uyghur musical instruments
{{lute-stub