Dimitris Papageorgiou

Fretless, pear-shaped lute at the heart of Arabic, Turkish and Persian music. Warm, deep tone with expressive slides between notes.

Long-necked Turkish lute with a bright, ringing tone, central to Anatolian folk and Sufi traditions.

The smallest member of the bouzouki family, tuned an octave higher. Bright, crisp and agile, and a classic voice of rebetiko.

The best-known member of the saz family, a long-necked lute played with a pick or with the fingers. The signature sound of Anatolian folk music.

Fretless Turkish instrument with a metal, banjo-like body. Loud, buzzy and full of character.

Greek long-necked lute with a bright, shimmering tremolo. The voice of rebetiko and modern Greek music.

A smaller, higher-pitched relative of the bouzouki, with a sweet and intimate tone.

Greek folk lute, mostly played as rhythmic and chordal accompaniment, often alongside the lyra.

Small bowed fiddle held upright on the knee. A fiery, singing sound from Crete and the Aegean islands.

Bulgarian bowed folk fiddle held upright, with extra resonating strings that give it a raw, nasal and ancient sound.

Plucked folk lute of Ukraine and Romania, played for centuries by travelling minstrels. Warm, rustic and storytelling.

Italian lute with paired strings and a bright, rippling tremolo.

Small ten-string lute from the Andes with a bright, sparkling sound.

Small four-string instrument with a light, cheerful, plucky character.

From nylon-string flamenco and Latin to steel-string folk and electric rock.

The deepest member of the string family, played standing. Warm, woody pizzicato for jazz and swing, or bowed for dark, cinematic weight.