Kamanche is an Iranian instrument, similar to violin & bass. It’s a bit bigger than a violin and almost equal to a viola, however, it has many similarities and differences with them. Like for example, Kamanche is a four-metal strings instrument played with a single-stringed bow. The shape resembles that of a violin, a wooden hemisphere with a long handle. Usually, the wooden hemisphere is covered with a membrane from sheepskin.
A key difference is that Kamanche, unlike the violin, has a bridge that is diagonal. It can be tuned in many different ways depending upon the regions’ likeness. For example in Tehran, it is tuned as G D A E which is similar to that of a violin.
Some people are of the belief that Kamanche was a three-stringed instrument until violin was introduced in Iran in the late 20th century when a fourth string was added to it.
This Persian musical instrument can be observed on many Iranian antique paintings, showing how commonly it was played and liked throughout centuries in Iran.