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Sitar is perhaps the most well known of the Indian
instruments. Artists such as Ravi Shankar have popularized this instrument
around the world. Sitar is a long necked instrument with an interesting construction.
It has a varying number of strings but 17 is usual. It has three to four playing
strings and three to four drone strings. The approach to tuning is somewhat
similar to other Indian stringed instruments. These strings are plucked with
a wire finger plectrum called mizrab. There are also a series of sympathetic
strings lying under the frets. These strings are almost never played but they
vibrate whenever the corresponding note is sounded. The frets are metal rods
which have been bent into crescents. The main resonator is usually made of
a gourd and there is sometimes an additional resonator attached to the neck.
Sitar is used in a variety of genre. It is played in north Indian classical
music (Hindustani Sangeet), film music, and western fusion music. It is not
commonly found in south Indian classical performances or folk music.
Origin of Sitar -
The sitar developed during the collapse of the Moghul empire (circa 1700).
It reflected the culture of the times in that it showed both Indian and Persian
characteristics. (go to "Origin of the Sitar" for a better description.)
Parts of the Sitar -
The sitar is of a complex construction. It is crafted of natural materials
by extremely talented and well trained craftsmen. (go to "Parts of the
Sitar" or "Making the Sitar"for a better description.)
Tuning and Stringing the Sitar -
There are a number of options in tuning and stringing the sitar. Even the
same instrument will be tuned differently from piece to piece, according to
the requirements of the rag. A good description of the various tunings and
stringing options is to be found in "Drew's Sitar Tuning Page".
Playing the Sitar -
The technique of the sitar is very involved. It is certainly advisable to
have a teacher. However a good introduction to the basic technique is to be
found in "Peter Cutchey's Online Sitar Tutorial".
The sitar is one of the most popular instruments of North Indian classical music. It has been in continual evolution over the past 200 years. Its invention is often attributed to Amir Khusraw, a Persian musician, well versed in both Persian and Indian music, who achieved high acclaim in the Moghul court of Ala'al-Din Khilji, Sultan of Delhi (1296-1316). This is probably more legend than fact. It does, however, point to the fact that the North Indian sitar is the product of more than one culture. In its current design one can find traces of the veena, one of India's oldest stringed instruments, alongside influences of middle eastern saz and Afghani setar. The name "sitar" is muslim and means either three or seven string.
Sitar has been India's most favored indian classical
string instrument for more than a century. Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Vilayat
Khan has made them famous in the West for the last 50 years.
The sitar is a plucked string instrument, the fusion between the tambur, an
instrument close to the tambura but of smaller size, and the been having frets
on its neck.
Its body is carved out of tun, (Cedrela tuna) or teak wood and its main resonator
is made out of a pumkin.
Many modifications have been brought to the instrument, such as rhythm strings
(cikari) from the been or sympathetic strings at the end of the 19th century.
Ratna Rahimat Khan has changed the general shape of the sitar, adding a bigger
resonator and thicker strings, so as to be able to play alaps in much the
same color as he would have done on a bin.
Ustad Imdad khan, on the contrary, has developed a smaller, faster sitar.
The first type of sitar has 13 sympathetic strings
tuned on the notes of the raga, 3 playing strings to cover three octaves tuned
MA SA PA, and a fourth one reaching a bass octave tuned SA (kharaj).
At last 3 rhythm strings (cikari) are tuned SA SA GA.
The second type of sitar is smaller, designed for a greater playing speed.
It does not reach the bass octave (kharaj) and has 11 sympathetic strings.
Its playing strings are tuned MA SA GA PA and its two cikari are tuned in
SA.
