Organological presentation

The Afghan rubāb consists of a wooden body, usually a carved and hollowed out piece of mulberry. The pegbox is glued to the body by means of a tenon. The instrument is fitted with two types of strings: melodic nylon strings, formerly made of gut, of which there are three (they were doubled on the oldest instruments) and sympathetic metal strings known as sim-e tarab or sim-e badgi. The latter are divided into two categories, the shāhtār or ‘drone’ strings, of which there are two or three, and eight to fifteen sympathetic strings, the highest of which, called sim-e barchak or chikārī, is directly shaken in an elaborate rhythmic game specific to the Afghan rubāb, known as parandkāri. The melodic and shāhtāri strings are played with a thick, hard wooden plectrum.