AInstrumentIndependent states
Dutar
A long-necked two-stringed lute, one of the main instruments of Uzbek, Turkmen and Tajik folk music.
Dutar means "two strings" in Persian. Its pear-shaped body is carved from mulberry wood and its long neck is fretted; the strings were traditionally of silk.
Uzbeks both pluck and strum it, and its soft, lyrical tone is especially loved in accompanying women performers and love songs.
The dutar is heard in shashmaqam ensembles, folk songs and the epic performances of the bakhshi, and among the Turkmen it is the chief instrument of the bagshy.
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Updated: October 3, 2026