The tombak (), tonbak () or zarb () is an Iranian goblet drum. It is considered the principal percussion instrument of Persian music. The tombak is normally positioned diagonally across the torso, while the player uses one or more fingers and/or the palm(s) of the hand(s) on the drumhead, often (for a ringing timbre) near the drumhead's edge. Sometimes, tombak players wear metal finger rings for an extra-percussive "click" on the drum's shell. Tombak virtuosi often perform solos lasting ten minutes or more.
Description
thumb|Early to mid 19th-century zarb, part of [[Qajar Iran]]
Hossein Tehrāni
The Tombak was considered an accompanying instrument until the pioneering work of Hossein Tehrāni in the 1950s. Tehrani added to the instrument's possibilities with added "beating methods". He also played his instrument with different "sonorities".