{{Short description|Musical instrument}} {{Infobox Instrument |name= Chang (instrument) |names= |image=Bishapur zan, AO 26169.jpg |image_capt=A Sassanid era mosaic excavated at Bishapur |classification= *string instrument |hornbostel_sachs=322.12 |hornbostel_sachs_desc=angular harp |range= |related= * Çeng * Konghou * Harp * ჩანგი - Changi (Georgian instrument) }} thumb|Chang. Museum of musical instruments, Baku, Azerbaijan [[Image:Harp-Sassanid.png|230px|thumb|right|Taq-e Bostan carving. Women playing changs while the king is standing in a boat holding his bow and arrows, from 6th century Sassanid Iran.]] The '''chang''' ({{langx|fa|چنگ}}; {{IPA|fa|tʃæŋɡ}}; {{langx|tr|çeng}}; {{langx|ar|جَنْك}} ''al-ǧank'' or صَنْج ''ṣanǧ''; Georgian: ჩანგი ''changi'') is a Persian musical instrument, a vertical angular harp. It was very popular and used widely during the times of ancient Persia, especially during the Sasanian Dynasty where it was often played in the shahs' court. It was also played until the 19th century in the Ottoman Empire but has since disappeared from Turkish folk music.

== History == {{See also|Sasanian music}} The chang first appears in paintings and wall art in Persia in about 4000&nbsp;BCE.<ref>{{cite web |editor=Laylazi, Arash |url=http://www.farabisoft.com/Pages/FarabiSchool/InstrumentsDetails.aspx?lang=en&PID=4&SID=23 |title=Chang |website=farabi |publisher=Sout Azin Co. Ltd. |access-date=4 Oct 2012}}</ref> In these paintings and mosaics, the chang went from the original arched harp to an angular harp in the early 1900s&nbsp;BCE, with vertical or horizontal sound boxes.<ref name="Lawergren">{{cite book |author=Lawergren, Bo |title=Iranian Music |series=The Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies (CAIS) |year=2011 <!-- |access-date=4 Oct 2012 --> }}</ref>

From the Hellenistic period (~300&nbsp;BCE) and through beginning of Common Era (~1&nbsp;CE), the chang changed shape to be less of a handheld instrument and more of a large, standing harp, and subsequently gained in popularity.<ref name="Lawergren"/>

Sassanian courts were enamored with the Hellenistic chang, which increased its popularity, and by the end of the Sasanian period the chang had been redesigned to be as light as possible.<ref name="Lawergren"/>

By becoming more slender, the chang lost much of its rigidity and structural soundness, but gained a portability that made it the primary harp for what would soon become Iran. The chang that is used today resembles the last documented transformation.<ref name="Lawergren" />

== Structure == The chang is essentially an Iranian harp,<ref name="Lawergren"/><ref name="OwnThisBlog">{{cite web |url=http://music.ownthisblog.com/2008/09/07/chang-jing-open-music-%E5%B8%B8%E9%9D%99-%E3%80%8A%E7%A6%BB%E5%BC%A6%E3%80%8B/ |title=Chang Jing: Open Music 常静 -《离弦》 &#124; Music Own This Blog |access-date=2012-12-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222212225/http://music.ownthisblog.com/2008/09/07/chang-jing-open-music-%E5%B8%B8%E9%9D%99-%E3%80%8A%E7%A6%BB%E5%BC%A6%E3%80%8B/# |archive-date=2008-12-22 |url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref> but unlike an eastern harp the strings are made of sheep gut and twisted goat hair and sometimes even nylon.<ref name="Lawergren"/> This characteristic stringing gives the chang a unique sound; it does not have the resonance of metal strings in other folk-harps.<ref name="Lawergren"/>

In medieval Azerbaijan, the chang had 18–24&nbsp;strings but this varies based on how far the chang dates back.<ref name="OwnThisBlog"/> In the design of some ancient changs, sheepskin or goatskin was used to amplify the sound making it sound closer to an eastern harp,<ref name="Lawergren"/> but its unique sound is desirable and typically preserved.<ref name="Lawergren"/>

The chang is played by plucking the strings with your right hand finger nails or finger picks and using your left hand to apply pressure on the strings to execute glissandos, vibratos, and other embellishments, and occasionally, plucking techniques.<ref name="OwnThisBlog" /> In modern days the chang is made out of special string or the tail of a horse.

The past body of the chang typically included goat- or sheep-skin. The skins used on the chang also give it a different sound.

== Musicians == The chang was predominantly played by women during ancient times.<ref name="Simorq">{{cite web |website=Simorq |url=http://www.simorq.org/Chang.248.0.html |title=History |series=Chang |id=248.0 <!-- Shivateam.com --> |date=6 October 2012}}</ref> However, the chang is being revived and is now starting to make its way back into the field of contemporary Persian music. There are depictions from as far back as 4000&nbsp;BCE that show the chang being played, along with other instruments, and a singer.<ref name="Simorq"/>

Since the playing style of the chang does not share any similarities with other Persian instruments, it is a difficult instrument to pick up, play, and master. As a result, the number of chang players is small.

There are a few modern players of the chang including Mrs.&nbsp;Parvin Ruhi and her two daughters, Zaynab Baqeri Nejad and Masome Baqeri Nejad.<ref name="Simorq" />

Today the chang is played in small ensembles, such as religious ceremonies and parties.<ref name="Simorq" />

== Other usages in music == thumb|Georgian Changi, Svaneti (ჩანგი) The chang (or Chinese chang) is also a name given to the fangxiang, a Chinese metallophone played in China since ancient times.<ref>{{cite book|last=Scholes|first=Percy|title=The Oxford Companion To Music|page=481|publisher=Oxford University Press|edition=1956}}</ref>

The Uzbek chang is a hammered dulcimer, similar to the Chinese Yangqin.

The Burmese harp, called ''saung'' (စောင်း, transliterated 'caung:' in MLCTS), is etymologically derived from the Persian word "chang," which is the Persian arched harp.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Shorto|first=H.L.|url=http://sealang.net/mon/|title=Dictionary of Modern Spoken Mon|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1962|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref>

==See also== * Çeng * The Turkish harpist (Manuchehri) thumb|Azada plays the chang, riding behind Bahram Gur. ==Further reading== * Lawergren, Bo (2003, updated 2012). [http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/harp "Harp"]. ''Encyclopaedia Iranica online''. * Mallah, Hosayn-Ali (1990). [http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/cang-harp "Čang"]. ''Encyclopaedia Iranica online.''

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCZpQoFZkDI A Persian harp] played by Tomoko Sugawara. * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp4hSmOw2ZA Talk and demonstration] of harp-playing by Rabe'eh Zand. * [https://www.simorq.org/Chang.248.0.html The Persian harp]. (Simorgh orchestra website.)

{{Harps}} {{Iranian musical instruments}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chang (Instrument)}} Category:Persian musical instruments Category:Angular harps Category:Folk instruments of Sindh Category:Music of Georgia (country)