sintir

Also known as hajouj, hajhouj, gembri, gimbri, gambri, gembré, guembri, gembre

The sintir (), also known as the guembri (), gimbri, hejhouj in Hausa language, is a three stringed skin-covered bass plucked lute used by the Gnawa people of Morocco. It is approximately the size of a guitar, with a body carved from a log and covered on the playing side with camel skin. The camel skin has the same acoustic function as the membrane on a banjo. The neck is a simple stick with one short and two long goat strings that produce a percussive sound similar to a pizzicato cello, pedal harp, or double bass.

Key facts

Instrument.name: Sintir
Instrument.image: Sintir player in Rabat, Morocco.JPG
Instrument.image_size: 300px
Instrument.alt: Sintir player in Rabat, Morocco
Instrument.caption: Sintir player in Rabat, Morocco
Instrument.background: string
Instrument.names: gunbrī, gunībrī, gumbri, guembri, gimbri, hejhouj
Instrument.hornbostel_sachs: 321.33
Instrument.hornbostel_sachs_desc: Tanged or Semi-spike lute: Chordophone, the plane of strings runs parallel with the sound table, the string bearer is a plain handle and passes "diametrically" through the resonator, the resonator consists of a natural or carved out bowl, in which the handle extends into but does not pass completely through the resonator
Instrument.developed: Multiple cultural influences; instruments show elements from Egyptian lutes (tuning rings and tabs) and folk elements of pre-Arab Africa. Possibly adapted further with Arab influence.

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Image: Guinbri, Marroc, s. XIX.jpg

Show 2 more facts

Commons category: Guembri
Hornbostel-Sachs classification: 321.312

Sources (2)

via Wikidata · CC0

~6 min read

Article

3 sections

Contents

Styles
References
External links

The goat gut strings are plucked downward with the knuckle side of the index finger and the inside of the thumb. The hollowed canoe shaped wooden body resonates a percussive tone created by knuckles slapping the camel neck top of the body while the thumb and index finger are plucking the strings. The lowest string on the sintir is a drone note and the second string, the highest in pitch, is tuned an octave higher and is never fretted. The third string is tuned a fourth above the drone. The buzzing sound often heard emanating from the sintir is caused by metal rings dangling off of a galvanized metal feather mounted on the end of the sintir's neck. The feather and rings vibrate in rhythm with the sintir.