Tar (drum)
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From: Edward William Lane, "An Account of the Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians", London 1836 .
The tar ( Arabic طار, DMG ṭār ; a masculine noun in Arabic) is a frame drum widespread in the Middle East , Turkey and North Africa (especially in the Maghreb ) .
Description and style of play
The drum, which can have a diameter of 12 to 70 cm and sounds correspondingly high or low, consists of a wooden frame with (goat) skin on one side, with or without a bell ring . When playing, she is held with one hand and hit with the other; often the holding hand supports the playing hand. The tar is played either as a rhythm accompaniment by other instruments or in special tar ensembles.
Terms
A similar frame drum played in the Arab world, the name of which is occasionally used synonymously with tar , is the riq with a ring of bells, in Persian music also the daff with and without bells. The general Arabic name for drums is tabl .
