Sato (instrument)

The Sato is a bowed tanbur, or long-necked lute, played by performers of Central Asian classical and folk music, mainly in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.[1] It has five strings. When plucked, the top string is pressed to the neck to produce a melody; the other four strings are drone strings.[1] Frets on the neck are made of tied string.[2] The soundboard has holes drilled in it for sound holes.[2] It is made from mulberry wood.[2]

the sato, a Central Asian instrument with 5 strings.

Sato and bow in a hard case

Famous Uzbek musician Turgun Alimatov is solely responsible for reviving the art of playing the Sato, as it had completely disappeared for a number of centuries before he took it up in 1957. Thus he has been considered as the founder of the Sato and its playing style and technique.[3][4] Professor Abduvali Abdurashidov is the foremost teacher of Sato and composer of the art of Shash Maqom (also called Shashmaqam) in Tajikistan.

the sato, a Central Asian instrument with 5 strings.

The bridge of the instrument the sato is called xarak - also the word used for bench and donkey

the inlays are usually mother-of-pearl, and the frets are generally made of string or gut.

the highest frets on the sato are made of wood.

The strings are tied off in a loop and anchored on the metal plate at the bottom. the top string is set slightly apart from the 4 drone strings, and is elevated higher above the finger board as well.

References

1. "Instruments". akdn.org. Aga Khan Development Network. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
2. Green, Todd. "String Instruments, Sato (Uzbekistan)". toddgreen.com. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
3. Matyakubov, O. "A Traditional Musician in Modern Society: A Case Study of Turgun Alimatov's Art". Yearbook for Traditional Music 25 (1993), pp. 60-66.
4. https://shahnameh.netlify.com/sato.htm The Shahnameh Guide To The Lutes Of Central Asia