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The Children’s Santoor can be considered the first Iranian musical instrument designed to introduce children to the world of Iranian music. Inspired by the traditional Santoor, this instrument has been carefully redesigned with dimensions, structure, and features fully adapted to children’s physical and learning abilities. In terms of tuning, the Children’s Santoor—like the standard Santoor—is G-tuned (Sol), allowing children to become familiar from the very beginning with the authentic tonal space of the instrument. It features 8 bridges and offers a two-octave range, making it perfectly suitable for performing Iranian melodies as well as children’s songs.
To simplify learning and avoid confusion, the yellow strings have been removed. This design choice makes note recognition easier for children and also improves the instrument’s mallet response, allowing for smoother and more comfortable playing. Safety has been a key consideration in the design of the Children’s Santoor: it has no sharp or hazardous edges, and its structure is engineered to withstand string tension well beyond normal tuning pressure. As a result, the risk of string breakage is virtually eliminated. From a technical perspective, the instrument is equipped with smooth-tuning (geared) pegs, ensuring excellent tuning stability and long-term pitch retention. This important feature provides peace of mind for both children and instructors, as the instrument remains in tune for extended periods. The specially designed mallets, unlike those of a standard Santoor, do not have finger rings and are built to be highly durable and resistant to breaking. This allows children—and even music educators who are not Santoor players—to play the instrument comfortably, without struggling with playing posture, and to focus instead on learning rhythm and melody.
One of the standout features of the Children’s Santoor is the color-coded bridges, inspired by familiar children’s instruments such as the glockenspiel. This color system helps children form a strong visual connection with sounds without engaging in complex music theory, enabling faster and more intuitive note recognition. In addition, the Children’s Santoor method book presents notes on five colored staff lines, making sight-reading especially easy for young learners. By matching the color of each bridge with the corresponding colored note on the staff, children can quickly and confidently read music.