Doshpuluur (Tuvan Three-String Lute)
Long-necked, three-stringed plucked lute of the Tuvans, with a small wooden body often carved in a canoe shape and gut or nylon strings. The doshpuluur forms a key part of Tuvan music, accompanying songs and dance and often played in duet with the igil; it is a close relative of the Altai topshur and the Mongolian tovshuur. The player plucks the strings with one hand while fretting the melody with the other, and its dry, percussive sound supports the rhythmic side of Tuvan song. It is used in folk ensembles and by throat-singers to keep the beat, and in the kargyraa style its notes double the