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 carved from a single log and covered on the playing side with camel skin. The camel skin works like the membrane on a banjo to help produce sound. The neck is a simple stick with one short string and two long goat strings that create a percussive sound similar to a 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 creates a percussive tone when the knuckles are slapped against the top of the body. At the same time, the thumb and index finger pluck the strings. The lowest string is a drone note that remains constant in pitch. 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 passes through the top of the body, runs under the face, and exits through the skin near the base of the instrument to act as a tailpiece or string holder. Sliding leather tuning rings and a rattle-like metal sound modifier are common features in West African instruments such as 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 American banjo playing styles.

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

Styles

Sintirs are used in various types of music:

Tagnawit: This is the music of the Gnawa people. The guembri they use is the largest, with a long, rectangular body. A hole in the skin near the bridge helps the sound be louder. The instrument 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 with special knots on the neck, but now many use standard tuning pegs like those on guitars or basses. Keeping the strings in tune depends on the quality of the strings, air humidity, and a tradition of wetting braided leather strips with saliva to prevent them from moving. The shorter, thinner string is tuned like the lowest string and acts as a drone. Different families or traditions may use different tunings, but common ones are C, F, D, and G. When the Gnawa clap instead of using krakebs (a type of castanets), they sometimes add a metal piece called a sersara to the guembri to create a ringing sound. The strings are plucked with the thumb or index finger, and the player may tap the body under the strings for a rhythmic sound. The Gnawa musician who plays the guembri is called a Maalem, or master of ceremonies. The Gnawa also call the guembri hajhouj or sintir. Famous guembri players include Abderahmane "Paco" Kiruche and Mahmoud Guinia from Essaouira, Ahmed and Mustapha Baqbou from Marrakesh, Abdelkader Amlil and Majid Bekkas from Rabat, and Hamid al Kasri from Ksar El Kebir.

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

Malhun: This is sung poetry in Moroccan colloquial Arabic (Darija). The instrument is similar in shape to the loutar but much smaller. It is not the main string instrument but is used to add different sounds to the music. It is sometimes called guenbri as well.

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