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It is very easy to track the development of these derivative instruments back to the time of the later years of the Ottoman Empire, again still thousands of years after the birth of the tambura.

The "dotar" and "sêtar" of Iran also share a much more ancient ancestry with the tambura giving us a view into history and how it once looked.

The tambura owes its current shape, form and dimensions to the the peoples of Turkey where it has thrived and continues to thrive. Countless people are responsible for its development and well-deserved fame.

The tambura, plays an important religious role and is seen as sacred by the "Alevî" of Turkey and the "Kakei" of Western Iran and Northeastern Iraq.

Technically speaking the tambura may be described as: "A long-necked Anatolian Lute with a bowl-shaped body and tied frets with microtones". Other common names for the tambura are: "saz", "danbura", "dombra", "tanb(o)ur(a)", "tembûr", "bağlama", "çöğür" and "kopuz".

The tambura has two main variants distinguished by neck-length. Each variant has its own unique playing styles and techniques.

However, it is without doubt that the long-neck(ed) version —the original variant of instrument— is the richer of the two. While the short-neck(ed) version essentially has one main tuning style, the long-neck(ed) version effectively has dozens and is grossly more flexible and transposable. Only with the long-neck(ed) tambura are you really able to play all regional styles.

Regional styles are (mainly) distinguished by their picking, strumming, and complicated trilling techniques that require great skill to perform.

I play both variants with their different tunings and styles, although not "şelpe", a playing technique using the fingers instead of a plectrum.

Not long ago şelpe was nearly lost in Turkey. In recent times it has been "revived", refined and developed by Hasret Gültekin, Erdal Erzincan and Erol Parlak. Revival was not necessary in the Western Zagros region where it has remained the main playing technique since ancient times.

See Aliakbar Moradi and Kayhan Kalhor for more on truly authentic şelpe.

INFLUENCES & SOURCES OF INSPIRATION

A partial list ;-)

- Abdullah Papur
- Abdülrahim Karakoç
- Adnan Türköz
- Ahmet Gazi Ayhan
- Ahmet Yamacı
- Ali Ekber Çiçek
- Ali Ercan
- Ali Ersan, "Çekiç Ali"
- Ali Gürlü
- Ali İbicek
- Arif & Rıfat Balaban
- Bahri İlhan
- Barış Manço
- Bayram Aracı
- Belkis Akkale
- Bedri Ayseli
- Beyhanî, Âşık
- Cahit Berkay
- Celal Güzelses, "Şark Bülbülü"
- Cem Cansız
- Cengiz Özkan
- Çetin Akdeniz
- Daimî, Âşık
- Davut Sularî
- Dertli Divanî
- Dilek Karadağ
- Emel Sayın
- Emel Taşçıoğlu
- Ercüment Batanay
- Erkan Oğur
- Gamze Özen
- Gönül Yazar
- Gülçin Günduğ
- Güler Duman
- Gündüz Şerifsoy
- Hacı Taşan
- Hale Yamaner
- Hasan Genç
- Hasret Gültekin
- Hatice Uğur
- Hisarlı Ahmet
- Hüsamettin Subaşı
- Hüseyin Turan
- İhsan Mendeş
- İnan Karakış, Master Luthier
- İsmail Hakkı Demircioğlu
- İzzettin Ökte
- Karacaoğlan
- Kayhan Kalhor
- Kazım Koyuncu
- Kul, Âşik
- Lütfü Haydaroğlu, Master Luthier
- Mahsunî Şerif, Âşık
- Mehmet Erenler
- Mehmet Maksutoğlu
- Muammer Kuzey, "Hammer Muammer"
- Muazzez Ersoy
- Muharrem Temiz
- Muhlis Akarsu
- Mutlu Torun
- Muzaffer Sarısözen
- Mükerrem Kemertaş
- Neriman Altındağ & Nida Tüfekçi
- Neşet Ertaş
- Nida Ateş
- Nuray Hafiftaş
- Oktay Kösegil
- Okan Murat Öztürk
- Onur Akın
- Ömer Hayri Uzun
- Ömer & Orhan İlhan
- Özay Gönlüm
- Özay Önal
- Pir Sultan Abdal
- Refik Başaran
- Reyhanî, Âşık
- Sabahat Akkiraz
- Seda Gülbeyaz
- Selahettin Alpay
- Selda Bağcan
- Serdar Yayla, "Hayalet Parmak"
- Seyfettin Topçu, "Divan Seyfî"
- Seyhan Güler
- Sibel Güzel
- Şevval Sam
- Şimşek Doğan
- Süleyman Yıldız
- Talip Özkan
- Tanburî Cemil Bey
- Tuğba Ger
- Tuğrul Şan
- Tülin & Necmi Berbergil
- Yasemin Yıldız
- Yıldırım Bekçi
- Yıldız Tezcan
- Yücel Paşmakçı
- Yüksel Özkasap, "Köln Bülbülü"
- Zara
- Zeki Adsız, "Sarı Zeki"
- Zeynep Başkan
- Zeynep & Şinazi Cihan
- Zülfü Livaneli

++++++++++FOOTNOTES+++++++++++ +

1. "Patuk" is an adaption of the name "Palo Rojo", a special hardwood with beautiful red tones, when combined with "Uzunkol" meaning "long-arm" —in reference to the neck of the instrument— we get "long-neck(ed) Palo Rojo Anatolian Lute".