 Greek playing tambouras, 18th-century painting | |
| String | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Plucked |
| Related instruments | |
The tambouras (Greek: ταμπουράς [tabuˈras]) is a Greek traditional string instrument of Byzantine origin.[1] It has existed since at least the 10th century, when it was known in Assyria and Egypt. At that time, it might have had between two and six strings, but Arabs adopted it, and called it a tanbur. The characteristic long neck bears two strings, tuned five notes apart.[2]
It is also similar to the Turkish tambur and Indian tanpura.[3]
Tanbur, a Persian word, is according to some scholars derived from the Sumerian pan tur, meaning "little bow".
- ^ Eleni Kallimopoulou (2009), Paradosiaká: Music, Meaning and Identity in Modern Greece, SOAS musicology series, Ashgate Publishing, pp. 50 & 53, ISBN 978-0-7546-6630-1
- ^ "Traditional Stringed Instruments of Greece". Retrieved 2010-03-28.
- ^ "The Stringed Instrument Database: Index". stringedinstrumentdatabase.aornis.com. Retrieved 2023-03-29.