Modal Analysis of the Setar: A Numerical–Experimental Comparison

Abstract

The setar, a Persian longnecked lute, is analyzed by means of experimental modal analysis and finite element (FE) method. The experimental analysis is performed using a combination of impulse hammer and laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV), which has led to the extraction of structural mode shapes, natural frequencies, and modal dampings. The FE model is developed taking into account structural details, such as orthotropic properties of the wood, direction of the grains, nonideal joints, and the effect of strings preload. Numerical results are shown to be in a very good agreement with the experimental data over a wide range of frequencies.