Dutar

The dutar is a traditional long-necked two-stringed lute found in Iran and Central Asia. Its name comes from the Persian word for "two strings", دو تار dotār, although the Herati dutar of Afghanistan has fourteen strings. When played, the strings are usually plucked by the Uyghurs of Western China and strummed and plucked by the Tajiks, Turkmen, Uzbeks, Afghani people, and in Western parts of Pakistan. Related instruments include the Kazakh dombra, and the dotara played by the Baul community of West Bengal and Bangladesh. In the instrument's 15th-century beginnings in the hands of shepherds, its strings were made from gut. With the coming of the Silk Road, the strings were made from twisted silk. Modern instruments also have silk or nylon strings. The dutar has a warm, dulcet tone. Typical sizes for the pear-shaped instrument range from one to two meters.