ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Dutar

Oh, hello there! Would you like to learn about a cool musical instrument called the "dutar"? It's a stringed instrument that's been played in Central Asia for hundreds of years!

Okay, let's imagine you have a big long stick with a bunch of strings on it, kind of like a really skinny guitar. That's what the dutar looks like! It's made of a big piece of wood with two long necks that stick out from each end, and lots of strings stretched between them. That might sound a bit confusing, but imagine holding two broomsticks together lengthwise and then attaching strings to them – that's sort of what a dutar looks like!

When you play the dutar, you hold it in your lap or against your chest and pluck or strum the strings with your fingers. The strings make a beautiful, twangy sound that's really relaxing to listen to. It's kind of like a mix between a guitar and a harp!

People have been playing the dutar for a very long time – hundreds of years, even! It's a really important instrument in the music and culture of Central Asia, especially in countries like Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.

So that's the dutar! It's a really cool musical instrument that's been around for a long time and is still played by lots of people today. Maybe you'll get to hear one being played someday!