Persian Tar Maker

This is a short clip from the movie "Delshodegan," by Ali Hatami. I loved the movie and always enjoy watching the Tar maker at work. There is a little clipping because the DVD I have is not the best quality.
The body of a Persian Tar is usually carved from 2 pieces of mulberry wood. The neck is usually walnut or other hardwoods and the pegs are made from the same woods. The fingerboard is made from camel bones (the shin bone), and the resonator is usually lamb skin. Tar making is a gruling process and it takes a long time.




Music is by H. Alizadeh.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Persian
• Iran
• Tar
• Taar
• Alizadeh
• Ali
• Hatami
• Construction
• Carving
• Music

[goodcyrus]

5 stars and thanks for the upload. I don't think you meant the body of the tar is truly 2 pieces. i think the use of skin in most instruments is to transmit the vibration to the resonator efficiently while minimizing any blockage of sound coming out. (Assuming this to be correct, I dont think there is any need to have skin over the small chamber.) Now, the special tar sound due to the skin is a byproduct which over time has become a cultural taste.

[peybak]

@goodcyrus

The body is constructed out of two pieces that are glued together. Check 0:22. The bam tar made by M. Jaleh has a rosette instead of skin on the naghareh which looks much more elegant.

[linda3342]

thank you for posting this video...very nice

[peybak]

You're welcome.

[xashaiar]

Alizadeh is playing tar...very touching, very deep, very old, very Iranian.

[filsoofimusic]

nostalgic

[goodcyrus]

To me, all bridge on skin instruments have a funky sound (due to skin's non-linear elasticity) which i don't quite care for. Banjo, kamancheh, some kanons and other instruments of the tar family throughout Asia. It makes the sound too provincial/medieval and unrefined, to my ear at least.

[arashk50]

very touching, very deep, very old, very Iranian

[ramjam25]

that tar is a work of art.