A frequency-correlated vibro-acoustic model of a tembur

This study presents a specimen-specific structural–acoustic numerical investigation of the tembur, with emphasis on the relationship between its structural dynamics and predicted radiated sound behaviour. A numerical model was developed from 3D-scanned geometry and assessed through comparison with experimentally identified natural frequencies obtained from impact-hammer testing. The resulting structural model was then used to examine predicted sound radiation and directivity over the frequency range of interest. The results show that the vibratory and acoustic response of the tembur is strongly frequency-dependent and cannot be explained solely by the presence of structural resonances. Although the numerical model showed generally good agreement with the experimentally identified frequencies within the selected comparison range, the coupled acoustic analyses indicate that the efficiency and spatial distribution of predicted radiated sound vary noticeably across resonant regions, with the 156 Hz mode producing the highest predicted radiated acoustic power in the damped model analysis, a result that is stable across the examined structural loss factor range. The findings therefore suggest that the acoustic output of the tembur is governed not only by modal characteristics but also by the frequency-dependent redistribution of radiated energy. Overall, the study provides a specimen-specific and experimentally informed numerical framework for the structural-acoustic characterization of the tembur and offers a methodological basis for future investigations of long-necked plucked string instruments, while the present model assessment remains limited to frequency-based comparison.