Apple Using the GarageBand Jam Pack: World Music Instruments - Manual (Page 24)

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The playing technique for the koto includes the “tsuki” style, in which the string is
plucked, pressed, and then released, causing the note to first bend up then return to its
original pitch. Another common technique uses double-struck notes, with the string
forcibly plucked in alternate directions. The Japanese Koto Software Instrument
includes both these playing styles, with the “tsuki” style produced at the highest note
velocity level and double-struck notes played using the mod wheel.
Persian Santoor
The santoor (the name comes from a Sanskrit phrase meaning “100-stringed lute”) is a
classical music instrument of Persia and Arabia, and was also played in India by Sufi
sects founded by the poet Rumi. Many musical cultures have similar instruments,
including the santour in Iran, Iraq, and Turkey, and the santoori in Greece.
The wooden body is trapezoidal, with narrow sides and a wide soundboard. The strings
are stretched across wooden bridges that sit on top of the soundboard. On the right
side of the instrument are tuning pins which the player uses to retune the strings. In
the instrument’s upper and middle range there are three strings for each note; all three
are always struck together. In the lower range each note has two strings, and the
lowest notes have only a single string. The strings are struck with angled mallets held in
both hands. The notes are allowed to ring and are not muted.
The playing technique of the santoor includes a tremolo attack, in which the mallet is
bounced across the strings producing quick repetitions of the note, adding intensity,
and also includes a longer tremolo that is often played softly. The Persian Santoor
Instrument gives you both of these styles, accessed using the mod wheel.