Tovshuur

Overview

The tovshuur is a two-string plucked lute from western Mongolia, particularly associated with the Altai region and the Oirat Mongol peoples. Carved from a single piece of wood and traditionally fitted with gut or horsehair strings, it has a narrow pear-shaped body and a long fretless neck. The tovshuur is closely tied to the singing of Mongol heroic epics and to the overtone-singing traditions of the western steppes.

Origin & History

Two-string plucked lutes have a long history across the Inner Asian steppe and feature in the music of many Turkic and Mongolic peoples. The tovshuur belongs to this broader family, alongside instruments such as the Tuvan doshpuluur and the Kazakh dombra. Its precise lineage is difficult to trace, but the instrument is documented as part of Mongol musical life over many centuries and remains in continuous use today.

In the late twentieth century the tovshuur became one of the focal instruments of cultural revival movements in western Mongolia, and it has been adopted into contemporary Mongolian folk-rock and world-music projects, broadening its audience well beyond its traditional context.

How It’s Played

A typical tovshuur is around seventy to ninety centimetres long, with a flat or slightly arched soundboard and a long fretless neck terminating in a carved peghead. The two strings are most commonly tuned a fourth or fifth apart and were traditionally made of twisted gut or horsehair; modern instruments often use nylon.

The right hand plucks the strings with the thumb and index finger, sometimes using a strumming motion across both strings to produce a continuous accompaniment. The left hand stops the strings against the unfretted neck, allowing fluid sliding ornamentation and microtonal inflection. Players often use the open second string as a drone while playing a melody on the first.

The tovshuur’s traditional function is to accompany solo singing — particularly the long heroic epics of western Mongolia, in which a tuulch (epic singer) recites stories of warriors and ancestors over a steady instrumental background. It is also used to accompany khoomei (Mongolian throat singing) and dance music.

Cultural Significance

For Oirat and other western Mongol peoples the tovshuur is a deeply rooted symbol of regional identity, tied to the long tradition of orally transmitted heroic poetry. Master epic singers, recognised in their communities and increasingly by national cultural institutions, are regarded as carriers of an important strand of Mongol heritage.

In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries the tovshuur has also become familiar to international audiences through groups such as Altai Khairkhan and through collaborations with Mongolian throat-singing ensembles. The instrument is featured at the National Naadam festival and in many cultural events promoting western Mongolian music.

Related Instruments

• Doshpuluur – the Tuvan two-string plucked lute
• Morin Khuur – the Mongolian horse-head fiddle
• Komuz – the Kyrgyz three-string fretless lute
• Yatga – the Mongolian long zither
• Igil – the Tuvan two-string bowed lute

Where to Hear It

Recordings of Mongol epic singers and of groups such as Altai Khairkhan, Egschiglen, and Khusugtun give an excellent introduction to traditional and contemporary tovshuur playing. Field recordings on Smithsonian Folkways and other archives capture the instrument in its original context of epic accompaniment.

• Wikipedia: Tovshuur
• Wikidata: Q4460933

Learning Resources

The tovshuur is taught at the Mongolian State University of Arts and Culture in Ulaanbaatar, and in cultural centres in western Mongolian provinces such as Bayan-Ölgii and Khovd. Outside Mongolia, learning resources are limited; students typically work with master players in person or through online video lessons.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the tovshuur the same as the morin khuur?
No. The morin khuur is a bowed two-string fiddle with a horse-head pegbox, while the tovshuur is a plucked two-string lute. Both are central to Mongolian music but are distinct instruments.

How many strings does it have?
Two, traditionally of gut or horsehair, today usually of nylon, tuned a fourth or fifth apart.

Is it used to accompany throat singing?
Yes. The tovshuur is one of the instruments that accompanies khoomei (Mongolian throat singing) and is also a standard accompaniment for sung epics.

Is the tovshuur fretted?
No. The neck is fretless, allowing players to slide between pitches and to use the microtonal ornamentation characteristic of Mongol music.