The panduri (Georgian: ფანდური) is a traditional Georgian stringed instrument played by plucking. It is found in many areas of Eastern Georgia, including Pshav-Khevsureti, Tusheti, Kakheti, and Kartli.
The panduri is used to support solo songs about heroes, humor, and love, as well as dances.
Construction
The frets on the panduri are usually made of wood that is attached to the fingerboard. There are often seven frets in each octave. However, some panduris now have metal frets arranged to allow all notes to be played.
The body of the panduri is typically shaped like a spade, though sometimes it has a flat end. It is usually carved from one piece of wood, but it can also be made from several pieces joined together, similar to a lute.
- Back view of panduri with body made of ribs
- Front view of panduri with body made of ribs
- Georgian panduri (carved version) from back
Variants and related instruments
The panduri is a three-stringed lute from the highland and lowland areas of eastern Georgia. It is usually played by strumming and often helps singers with rhythm and harmony.
In Georgia, there are two types of panduri. The first is the traditional "folk" panduri, which has seven frets and is designed to match the musical notes of a non-Western Georgian scale system. The second type is the "chromatic" panduri, which has the same musical divisions as a guitar and can play all the half-steps of the Western musical scale. This type is sometimes found in Western Georgia, such as in Upper Imereti and Racha. A two-stringed version of the panduri is still used in Khevsureti.
The panduri is sometimes incorrectly called a "chonguri." However, the chonguri is a different instrument from western Georgia. It has no frets and includes a fourth, shorter drone string. The chonguri is mainly played by women, while the panduri is typically played by men.
A similar instrument is found in Chechnya, where it is known by several names: phandar, pondar, ponder, pandir, pandur, dechig pondur, adkhoku pondur, dakhch pandr, or merz ponder.