The sintir (Arabic: سنتير), also called the guembri (الكمبري), gimbri, or hejhouj in the Hausa language, is a three-stringed, skin-covered bass plucked lute used by the Gnawa people of Morocco. It is about the same size as a guitar, with a body made from a carved log and covered on the playing side with camel skin. The camel skin works like the membrane on a banjo to help create sound. The neck is a simple stick with one short string and two long goat strings that make a percussive sound similar to a pizzicato cello, pedal harp, or double bass.

The goat gut strings are plucked downward using the knuckle side of the index finger and the inside of the thumb. The hollow, canoe-shaped wooden body makes a percussive tone when the knuckles slap the top of the camel-skin-covered body. At the same time, the thumb and index finger pluck the strings. The lowest string on the sintir plays a continuous drone note. The second string, which is the highest in pitch, is tuned an octave higher and is never pressed against the neck. The third string is tuned a fourth above the drone. The buzzing sound from the sintir is caused by metal rings attached to a galvanized metal feather at the end of the instrument’s neck. The feather and rings vibrate along with the instrument’s sound.

The instrument’s body is hollowed from a single piece of wood and covered with camel or goat skin. The long neck goes through the top of the body, runs under the face, and exits through the skin near the base to act as a tailpiece or string carrier. Sliding leather tuning rings and a rattle-like metal sound modifier are common features in West African instruments like the kora and the xalam (lute). The way the sintir is played, with a percussive style, is similar to both West African techniques and certain styles of American banjo playing.

Because the sintir is mainly used by the Gnawa people (North Africans of Sub-Saharan African descent), it is likely that the instrument came from similar skin-covered lutes in areas such as Mali or other parts of the Sahel, like the ngoni, xalam, or hoddu.

Styles

Sintirs are used in different types of music:

Tagnawit: This is the music of the Gnawa people. They use a large instrument called the guembri, which has a long, rectangular body. A hole in the skin near the bridge helps improve the sound. The guembri has three strings: two that reach the end of the neck and one that reaches the middle. The two longer strings are tuned in fourths and were once fixed to the neck with special knots, but now many use tuning pegs like those on guitars or basses. Keeping the strings in tune depends on the string quality, air humidity, and a tradition of wetting braided leather strips with saliva to prevent movement. The shorter, thinner string is tuned like the lowest string and acts as a drone. Tuning keys vary by family or tradition, but common ones include C, F, D, and G. When Gnawa musicians clap without using krakebs (a type of castanet), they sometimes add a metal piece called sersara to the guembri for sound. The strings are plucked with the thumb or index finger, and the player may strike the body for a percussive sound. The Gnawa musician who plays the guembri is called a Maalem, or master of ceremonies. The instrument is also known as hajhouj or sintir. Well-known guembri players include Abderahmane "Paco" Kiruche, Mahmoud Guinia, Ahmed & Mustapha Baqbou, Abdelkader Amlil, Majid Bekkas, and Hamid al Kasri.

Izlan s Tamazight: This is sung poetry by Berbers in the Middle and High Atlas regions. The instrument resembles a lute or mandolin but has a longer, thicker neck. It has wooden tuners and usually four strings (sometimes five), tuned in fourths. Common tunings are A or C standard. It is played like a lute but has unique sounds and scales specific to Berber music. The main performer plays the lute and sings, with support from bendir players and singers. The Berbers often call this instrument loutar, though in some areas it is called guembri. Notable loutar players include Mohamed Rouicha, Hammou Oulyazid, Hajjaoui, Mohamed Mssmodi Al Hamadi, and Maghni.

Malhun: This is sung poetry in Moroccan Arabic (Darija). The instrument is similar in shape to the loutar but smaller. It is not the main instrument but adds contrast to the music. It is sometimes called guenbri as well.

Images include:
– A sintir or guimbri being played by Nuru Kane
– A Moroccan sintir (front view)
– A Moroccan sintir (side view)
– A lotar (لوتار), a Berber guembri
– A Tunisian guembri (الكمبري)
– El Mehdi Nassouli from Morocco playing the sintir at The Cross Culture Festival in Warsaw, Poland, in 2012.