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Home > Tambura Strings
Bowl lyre of Egypt, the Sudan, Djibouti, North Yemen, southern Iraq and the Gulf states. While the instrument's shape is the small in all types, the size varies considerably, from 70 cm for small Sudanese instruments to 1.4 meters for the tambura of the Yemen; the body may be up to 50 cm in diameter. Various materials are used. The body, circular or bowl-shaped, may be made from a gourd, wood or metal. From the lower part of the body protrude two skin-colored arms, forming two sides of an isosceles triangle whose base is a yoke on which five or six strings are wound. These are fastened with strips of cloth or cords which can be varied in tension to alter the pitch. The strings converge towards the lower part of the body and are held in place by a metal ring which also serves as a bridge, although most models have a separate bridge which improves the quality of the sound. The soundboard may have two holes. Courtesy of New Grove DMI © 1995.
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