Shanz
 | |
| Other names | Shudarga |
|---|---|
| Classification | Bowed string instrument |
| Related instruments | |
| Sanxian, Shamisen, Sanshin, Đàn tam, Chanzy | |
| More articles or information | |
| Music of Mongolia, List of Mongolian musical instruments | |
The shanz or shudraga (Mongolian: шанз, шударга, Mongolian pronunciation: [ʃants]) is a three-stringed traditional Mongolian plucked string instrument. It is closely related to the sanxian.
Name
[edit]The name shudraga (Mongolian:ᠱᠤᠳᠤᠷᠭᠤ shudurgu) seems to derive from the verb шудрах (Mongolian:ᠱᠤᠳᠤᠷᠬᠣ shudurhu-, to brush against) which describes the way the instrument is played.[1] Whereas shanz is borrowed from 弦子 (xiánzi), referring to 三弦 (sānxián).
Description
[edit]Like the sanxian, the shanz has a long fretless fingerboard. The resonator is oval-shaped and the shell is made from wood (elm or sandalwood). Snakeskins are stretched and attached to cover the resonator.[2] The main difference with the sanxian is the playing technique: the shanz is played with a small, round bamboo stick, which is nowadays often replaced by the plastic tube of a ballpoint pen.[3]
The top string of the instrument is generally tuned an octave above the lowest one and the middle instrument an interval of a fourth or a fifth above the lowest string.[2]
The shanz is mainly used to accompany singing[3] and commonly used in ensembles or orchestras of traditional Mongolian instruments, as well as in short folk songs (bogino duu) and Huree songs.
History
[edit]The early history of the shanz is vague, but its current form has been influenced by the sanxian.[2] Historical variants of the spike lute known from writing include the shidurghū in Persian texts.[1][4] The instruments had a connection to the steppe cultures. Images have been found from Mongolian peoples in Northern China, to the Turkic and Persian peoples in Northern India, Central Asia and Iran.
_ca_1200_CE.jpg)
Notable Shanz players
[edit]- Shanz 3
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 "Шудрага хөгжим буюу шанзны түүхээс". Archived from the original on 2018-02-12. Retrieved 2026-09-16.
- 1 2 3 "shudraga · Grinnell College Musical Instrument Collection · Grinnell College Libraries". omeka-s.grinnell.edu. Retrieved 2026-09-16.
- 1 2 "ATLAS of Plucked Instruments - Far East". atlasofpluckedinstruments.com. Retrieved 2026-09-17.
- ↑ Currie, Gabriela; Christenson, Lars (2022-05-31). Eurasian Musical Journeys: Five Tales (1 ed.). Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108913805. ISBN 978-1-108-91380-5.