What it means
سنتور (santur) is the Persian hammered dulcimer. Trapezoidal walnut body, 72 strings in 18 courses, struck with two featherlight wooden mallets called mezrâb.
How to use it
- سنتور مینوازم (santur minavâzam) “I play the santur”
- صدای سنتور (sedâ-ye santur) “the sound of the santur”
- سنتورنواز (santur-navâz) “santur player”
How it sounds and when you’ll hear it
Crystalline, cascading, like a piano made of glass. The mallets bounce so fast the notes blur into shimmer. You hear it on Faramarz Payvar recordings, in any Persian classical ensemble, and on the soundtracks of Iranian films when a scene needs to feel old and inward. Parviz Meshkatian and Pashang Kamkar are the modern reference points.
Cultural note
The santur is one of the oldest instruments still played in Iran, with cousins in Iraqi, Indian, and Greek music. In Tehran homes, a santur sitting on its custom stand signals the family takes classical music seriously. It’s a hard instrument to fake, which is part of its prestige.
References
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