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gourd acting as the resonating chamber. A distinctive feature are
the curved frets, which are moveable (allowing fine variation in
tuning) and raised (so that resonant, or sympathetic, strings can run
underneath the frets, giving a very lush sound). A typical sitar has 18
or 19 strings (depending on the style) - 6 or 7 on top and 12
sympathetic strings under the frets. It is rather difficult to tune the
instrument. The strings can be tuned using both the pegs on the
mezrab. Traditional approaches to learning the sitar involve a long period of apprenticeship under the tutelage of a master although
nowadays it is possible to purchase books and videos to assist home learning. It was popularised in the West by The Beatles,
whose guitarist, George Harrison, was inspired by - and later taught by - Ravi Shankar.
Learning to play the sitar is a difficult process. The entire 3 octave range of the instrument is achieved by sliding the index finger of
the left hand up and down the neck of the sitar over a single melody string, while the mezrab on the index finger of the right hand
strikes the string. Thus it demands a very high degree of technical mastery to play even simple melodies with clarity and accuracy.
It is also a rather painful process for the beginner until the hard calluses and black grooves on the tips of the index and middle
finger, which typify the sitar player, begin to develop. A specialised technique called "Meend" involves pulling the main melody
string down over the the bottom portion of the sitar's curved frets, with which the sitarist can achieve a 7 semitone range of
microtonal notes. Meend gives the sitar its characteristic fluid sound, but typically takes the sitarist a decade or more of hard
practise to achieve with fluency and precision.
In one of the more common tunings (used by Ravi Shankar among others) the strings are tuned C C G C G C F. The sympathetic
strings are tuned depending on the raga, although for beginners it is okay to tune them according to a C major scale: C, D, E, F, G,
A, B, C, D, E.
The name sitar may be derived from the kithara, an instrument from classical times used in Ancient Greece and later throughout the
Roman Empire. It is also thought that the design of the sitar (as well as the guitar) could be derived from the Persian lute, and thus,
the name could be derived from Arabic, meaning something to the effect of seven strings.
Source: www.wikipedia.com
According to ancient vedic scriptures, bansuri (bamboo flute) is one of the three original forms of rendering Indian classical music:
Vaani (vocal), Veena (strings) and Venu (flute). It is the instrument of Lord Krishna according to Hindu mythology and has been
widely used for playing folk music. The introduction of the flute as a concert instrument in Indian classical music has been a rather
recent phenomenon and the Late Pt. Pannalal Ghosh has been credited with the adaptation. Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, with his
innovative fingering and blowing techniques, elevated this folk instrument to greater heights as a respected concert instrument by
introducing the playing of jor and jhala on the simple bansuri which has no frets or keys to define notes.
The bansuri flute usually consists of a piece of hollowed out bamboo with a blowing hole, six and sometimes seven fingering holes.
Full notes and partial notes are produced by variously opening and closing fully or partially the holes with the finger pads. The pitch
of the bansuri varies depending on the length and diameter of the hollowed out bamboo. The longer the flute, the deeper is the
pitch. However, longer flutes are also difficult to blow and hard to handle. The optimum length of the bamboo flute is approximately
75-80 cm with the pitch of E.
The bamboo suitable to make a bansuri has to be carefully selected. The piece chosen should be free of nodes. The bamboo
species which produce such node-free lengths are found in the states of Assam and Kerala in India. The piece of bamboo cut to
the desired length is initially seasoned to release the natural resins which tend to strengthen the bamboo. It is then blocked with a
piece of cork or rubber stopper at one end. Holes are then burned (not drilled) into the piece of bamboo, as drilling tends to split the
bamboo. The relationship between the length of the bamboo, bore size, the diameter of each hole and the location of the
stopper/cork are extremely critical factors in determining the correct tuning of the bansuri. The bansuri is then bound at both ends
with cotton or silk thread to hold it together and to prevent it from splitting. It also serves a decorative purpose.
The bansuri flute is quite a versatile instrument in that it can readily produce all the basic elements and variations of Hindustani
music such as meend (glide), gamak, tan. Experienced bansuri players can also bring out emotions in their music through
variations in their blowing technique and tatakari. It is also an extremely popular instrument in semi-classical, folk, and film music.
Source: www.brindavangurukul.org
The tabla is the most popular percussion instrument used in the classical and popular music
of the northern regions of South Asia (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, northern India,
Pakistan). The history of this instrument is at times the subject of heated debate. The most
common historical account credits the 13th century Persian poet Amir Khursau as having
invented the instrument. However, none of his own writings on music mention the drum (nor
the string instrument sitar). Another common historical narrative portrays the tabla as being
thousands of years old, yet this is mere conjecture, based on slipshod interpretations of
iconography. Reliable historical evidence places the invention of this instrument in the 18th
century. The term tabla is an Arabic word which means "drum", and this attests to its status
as a product resulting from the fusion of musical elements from indigenous Hindu and Central
Asian Muslim cultures that began in the late 16th century.
The smaller drum, played with the dominant hand, is called dayan (lit. "right"; a.k.a. dahina, siddha, chattu) and can also be referred
to individually as "tabla." It is made from a conical peice of wood hollowed out to approximately half of its total depth. One of the
primary tones on the drum is tuned to a specific note, and thus contributes to and complements the melody. The tuning range is
limited although different dayan-s are produced in different sizes, each with a different range. For a given dayan, to achieve
harmony with the soloist, it will usually be necessary to tune to either the tonic, dominant or subdominant of the soloist's key.
The larger drum, played with the other hand, is called bayan (lit. "left"; aka. dagga, duggi, dhama). It is a bowl shape made of metal
(or sometimes clay or wood, although not favored for durability). It has a much deeper bass tone, much like its distant cousin, the
kettle drum.
The playing technique for both drums involves extensive use of the fingers and palms in various configurations to create a wide
variety of different sounds. On the bayan the heel of the hand is also used to apply pressure, or in a sliding motion, so that the pitch
is changed during the sound's decay. This "modulating" effect on the bass drum and the wide range of sounds possible on the
instrument as a whole are the main characteristics that make tabla unique among percussion instruments.
Both drum shells are covered with a head (or puri) constructed from goat or cow skin. An outer ring of skin is overlaid on the main
skin and serves to suppresses some of the natural overtones. These two skins are bound together with a complex woven braid that
also gives the entire assembly enough strength to be tensioned onto the shell. The completed head construction is affixed to the
drum shell with a single continuous piece of cow or camel hide strap laced between the braid of the head assembly and another
ring (made from the same strap material) placed on the bottom of the drum. The strap is tensioned to acheive the desired pitch of
the drum. Additionally, cylindrical wood blocks are insterted between the strap and the shell allowing the tension to be adjusted by
their vertical positioning. Fine tuning is achieved by striking vertically on the braided portion of the head using a small hammer.
The skins of both drums also have an inner circle on the head refered to as the siyahi (lit. "ink"; a.k.a. shai or gab). This is
constructed using multiple layers of a paste made from cooked rice mixed with a black powder of various origins. The precise
construction and shaping of this area (especially on the smaller drum) is responsible for modification of the drum's natural
overtones, resulting in the clarity of pitch and variety of tonal possibilities unique to this instrument. The skill required for the proper
constuction of this area is highly refined and is the main differentiating factor in the quality of a particular instrument.
For stability while playing, each drum is positioned on a toroidal bundle called chutta, consisting of plant fiber or another malleable
material wrapped in cloth
Source: www.wikipedia.com
A tambura (South India; North India: tanpura) is a long-necked Indian lute, unfretted and round-bodied. It has
four or five (rarely: six) wire strings all played open which are plucked one after the other to make a drone
sound.
In Hindustani classical music, with four strings, the strings are usually tuned PA SA SA SA, the last SA low.
With a fifth string, NI is added: PA NI SA SA SA, the last SA low again (see swara).
Since the Tambura is an instrument of drone-accompaniment, it is incapable of playing melodies
Source: www.wikipedia.com
Pakhawaj is a barrel shaped percussion instrument which is similar to mridangam. It is famous
in North India. It is widely used for orissi dancers and sometimes for kathak. It is the standard
percussion instrument in dhrupad. As with the tabla, the pakhawaj rhythms are taught by a
series of mnemonic syllables known as bol.
Source: www.wikipedia.com
