| Starting with the most popularized instruments: | | | | the manner of Iranian tar, and others having inlaid |
| Tar and kemanche (kemane in this case, due to | | | | patterns more in the Uzbeki and Azerbaijani style. |
| Uzbeki dialect) from Central Asia that are very | | | | Several countries use the tar as one of the most |
| well made and have excellent sound. These | | | | important art instruments, including Uzbekistan, |
| instruments, although not from Iran but from the | | | | Azerbaijan, Armenia, Tajikistan, and of course |
| countries just North of the Iranian border, are | | | | Iran; even the Herat region of Afghanistan had |
| ideal for Persian music. The Kemane is a spike | | | | the chartar, although it was much rarer than the |
| fiddle but unlike our Turkish spike fiddle (kabak | | | | dutar and rebab and tambur. For many years it's |
| kemence) which has a gourd body with a skin | | | | been difficult to get instruments from this part of |
| head these have a body made of strips of | | | | the world, and we are fortunate to have a supply |
| staved wood, and are heavier constructed and | | | | of these once rare items from a part of the |
| even feature a leg rest with swivel base- you | | | | world that is too little known, particularly its rich |
| don't change the bow angle to change strings but | | | | musical heritage. For centuries this was the Silk |
| rather turn the whole instrument. The tone is | | | | road, the caravan trail from the Middle East to |
| comparable to Persian kemanche, and for all | | | | China, and along with silk, spices, jewels, precious |
| purposes is the same instrument, which is identical | | | | metals, etc., musical instruments were carried |
| to those used in Armenia. | | | | from place to place. |
| The tar are Central Asian style with the additional | | | | Many cities along the Silk road, like Samarkand |
| side strings, but just like Iranian tar have the skin | | | | and Bukhara, were known for their great musical |
| head, 3 pairs of main strings of metal and waisted | | | | cultures, often mixing musical elements from |
| body carved from wood. These tar are shaped | | | | different regions into a rich fusion. Political |
| very much like Iranian tar from last century, with | | | | upheavals of the last century and geographic |
| the curves of the upper skin being more wide and | | | | isolation (the caravan trails are not the most used |
| rounded than those of the last 50 years. These | | | | routes anymore) have kept Central Asia from the |
| are the most robust tar we have been able to | | | | mainstream of the world music revival, but things |
| offer; they even have a neck reinforcement rod | | | | are changing now as the treasures of this part of |
| for added strength. They vary quite a bit in | | | | the world become better known. |
| ornamentation, with some being austerely plain in | | | | |