Tuning Setar:
Actually since Ostad Ahmad Ebadi's major innovations in Setar's performance, there are many ways to tune the Setar. It's said that he has introduced about 60 to 70 different ways of tunning the Setar(the different combinations of the four strings).
Normally a Setar Player can perform all the seven Dastgahs of the Perisan music Radif in a single tune. But according to his feeling and desire, he generally prefere to adapt a special tunning to each Dastgah.
For exemple : Mahour is usually played in DO SOL DO DO; Nava in DO SOL RE RE , but also DO SOL DO FA ... ; Afshari in DO SOL DO FA ...; ABU ATA in DO SOL DO DO ... etc
Setar players learn all these tunnings little by little during their apprenticeship period.
But for beginners, Masters usually start with DO, SOL, DO, DO; going from down to the top when your are holding the Setar, ready to play.
Tuning Tape by Ostad Ebadi :
Listen to an extract :
- Different tunes for Dastgah e Mahoor:
