Hindu Culture (Music) -2

Hindu  Culture – Music

Tuning Pegs

The tuning pegs are a very important part of the dotora.  These are known as the "kan".  As one moves around India and Bangladesh, one may find many variations on how the tuning pegs are made.  One often finds tuning pegs made of hard wood that have been turned; these are similar to those found on the sitar or sarod (see "Making the Sitar - kunti").  One occasionally may see mechanical tuners similar to those found on guitars, mandolins and modern dilrubas.  These fancier tuning systems are typical of the higher priced dotoras found in many of the larger music stores of the cities.  However, we will stick to the more rural roots and describe a way of making tuning pegs from bamboo.

A few words are in order concerning bamboo.  As a whole, it has been said that bamboo has a strength-per-weight ratio which is greater than steel.  However, one must be sensitive to the characteristics of bamboo.  Parts of it are very strong, but weak areas can compromise the overall strength very significantly.  For our purposes, it is sufficient to remember that the skin of the bamboo is the strongest part of the bamboo; but the skin is also very thin.  This should be kept in mind when one is carving and fashioning the pegs.  It is preferable not to carve too much of the skin away because this will compromise the overall strength of the peg.  However carving away the inner, woodier side, will not compromise the strength as much.
To make the tuning peg, one starts with the proper bamboo.  For instance, the local variety "makla" is widely chosen and found to be suitable for this purpose.  One starts with a cylinder of bamboo roughly four inches in length (illustration "A" in the figure below).  With a chisel one cuts out a longitudinal section that is about 1 inch in width (illustration "B" and "C" in the figure below).  One then takes this section and carves it into the form shown in figure "D".  This produces a peg that has two sections.  There is the handle and there is the shaft.  The handle should be roughly 2.5 inches and the shaft should be roughly 1.5 inches.  This is of course merely a rough guide to the proportions; the precise dimensions are determined by the size and dimensions of the muga (i.e., the peg box).

Although it is only barely noticeable, the shaft should not be cylindrical.  There should be a slight taper to it.  This will allow for a better control on the tension as it is fitted into the peg box (muga).

Bridge

The dotora must have a bridge.  There are numerous variations in both material as well as form for the bridge.  The more expensive ones available in the music stores sometimes use bridges made of camel bone.  However a more rustic version would be made of wood.  A wooden one may have the form as shown in the picture below.

One should notice two things about the bridge at this point.  One is that it does not have any grooves for the strings.  Making the groves should be the last job and performed only when one is stringing the instrument and is able to judge a proper action.  Another point to consider is that at this point the feet should be longer than required.  As we start to string the dotora, then at that point we can chop the feet down and adjust the action to a comfortable level.

String Attachment at Base

There must be some provision for attaching the strings to the base of the instrument.  There are almost as many ways to do this as there are instrument makers.  Many of the fancier and expensive southern versions have basses made of brass or bone with projections on them allowing for the strings to be tied to.  Some of the simplest forms are nothing more than tying the strings directly to the protrusion on the base of the instrument.  Sometimes a nail or screw is inserted into the base; upon this the strings can be tied.  In the accompanying photographs we see a simple form of akkra.  This is nothing more than a small rod which is tied to a nail in the protrusion at the base.  Upon this rod the strings are attached.

Finishing Touches

At this point there are a number of finishing touches that must be attended to.  Let us look at them in greater detail:

One topic that needs to be addressed is the tuning pegs (kan).  Ideally at this point, the tuning pegs will be slightly too large for the holes.  (If this is not the case, you had better go back and make some more pegs.)  Now is the time that you work on both pegs and holes to make a good fit.  It is interesting to note that when you finish, you will find that a particular peg only fits well with a particular hole; so do not forget which peg goes into which hole.  This is not peculiar to the dotora but is a quality which is shared by sitars, sarods and other indigenous instruments of South Asia.
Next, we roughly string the instrument and put the bridge on.  There are several jobs that need to be done.
One of the jobs is to cut the notches into the bridge.  This must be done by seeing how the strings on the bridge line up against the fingerboard.  This may be thought of as a lateral adjustment of the string positions.
There is also a vertical adjustment of the string position.  This is how high the strings are from the fingerboard.  This is also referred to as the "action" of the instrument.  The general rule is to have the strings as low and as close to the fingerboard as possible.  However the concept of "possible" may not be intuitive.  The strings should not be so low as to rattle against the fingerboard.  Furthermore over time, the skin will stretch and the bridge will go down, so allowances must be made for the settling in of the skin and bridge.  Although we are trying to get the action such that the strings are close to the fingerboard, they must be high enough to accommodate these other considerations.
The adjustment of the action is done by shortening the feet of the bridge.  We previously mentioned that the feet should intentionally be made longer than necessary.  It is at this point that we gradually cut the feet down until we obtain the right action.

Plectra

The dotar is played with a plectrum known as a "kati".  It is generally made of horn, bone, coconut shell, or wood.

Stringing and Tuning

The stringing and tuning of the dotora, like many other instruments of South Asia, is not standardised.  In south asia the stringing and tuning is considered a part of the artistic process.  Therefore choices of gauge and material for the strings is often just a reflection of an individual artist's taste.  The tuning is so variable that it is very normal for the tuning to be different for each song.  With these considerations in mind, we will approach the subject of stringing and tuning.  It is pointless to pontificate on specific tunings, but more appropriate to discuss the philosophy and approaches to the tuning.

Philosophy of the Tuning - There are several things to consider when developing concepts and approaches to tuning the dotora.  The first thing to remember is that the instrument will be tuned to an open tuning.  That is to say that the strings, tension, and pitch will reflect but a single key.  Most of the considerations of the stringing and tuning become clear when we keep one simple fact in mind; the dotora is there to accompany the voice.  Therefore, the most fundamental issue, specifically what key to tune to, is determined entirely, according to what key the singer is going to sing in.  Unlike Western music or the Western influenced film music, the singer generally does not change the key from song to song, but retains a particular key for all of their performances.  Once this key is established, then everything else about the tuning falls into place.

Dotoras may have a varying number of strings but the most important will be the first two strings.  The outer most string is known as the jin and the next one in is known as the sur.  Of these two strings the sur is tuned to the tonic (i.e., Sa, a.k.a. Shadaj, or Khadaj) and the jin will be tuned a fourth up from this tonic (i.e., Ma or Maddyam or "moddhom").  Most of ones playing will be upon these two strings.  Any other strings and their tuning is generally only a reflection of the individual artist's taste.
We will show two common tunings for a four-string dotora.  The first is shown below:

This last tuning deserves some discussion.  We see that both the second string and the third string are tuned to the tonic (Sa).  This effectively gives you two strings which are the sur.  The fourth string is a fourth below the sur (i.e., a fifth, but in the lower octave).  This corresponds to Pa (Pancham).  This string is called the "Bom". (For more information on scale structures go to: Saptak-The Scale.
There is another tuning that you should consider.  This is shown below:

There are a couple of interesting points to consider about this tuning.  The first is that it extends the potential playing range half an octave lower than the first tuning.  Although almost all of the playing is done only on the first two strings, there are occasions where you wish to explore the lower octave.  In these rare cases, the extended range of this tuning can be advantageous.  But, this extended range is comes by sacrificing some of the richness of the sound of the tonic that one finds with two sur strings.

Materials and Gauges of Strings - The first thing to remember about the choice of materials and the gauges of the strings is that they must reflect the overal philosophy of tuning.  If you wish to tune to a particular note, it is important that the strings will actually do it.  This may seem self evident, but as a practical matter this is the point that trips most people up.

As a general rule we can say that the southern versions of the dotora tend to use metal strings while the northern dotoras tend to use strings of silk, cotton, gut, or artificial fibres.  This is just a generalisation, because it is normal even to find different materials mixed together on the same instrument.

We only need to keep a few things in mind when choosing strings:

• Heaver gauges (thicker strings) produce lower pitches, while light gauges produce higher pitches.
• Metallic strings produce lower pitches while gut, cotten, and silk produce lower pitches.
• Brass and bronze produce lower pitches while steel produces higher pitches.

With these simple points, you can start experimenting to find the right strings for your instrument.

Playing the Dotora

An in depth discussion of the playing of the dotora is beyond the scope of this humble web page.  However there are a few things that we can mention.

The dotora has two modes of playing.  The first mode treats the the dotora as though it were a rhythmic instrument.  For this, there is an alternation between the sur string (Sa or the second string) and the jin string (Ma or first string).  This is done in an open manner, without the use of the fingerboard.  This produces the characteristic sound that is so typical of baul sangeet, (the music of the Bauls).  The second mode is where the dotora is played in a melodic fashion.  This is almost always upon the first two stings, and involves very intricate fingerings upon the finger board.  In this mode, all the notes of the scale may be produced.  Typically the dotora is played in such a way that it alternates between these two surprisingly distinct modes.

Dramyen (Damyan, Dranyen, Dramyin, Tungana)

The dramyen is a folk rabab found in most of the Himalayan region.  The number of strings varies from place to place, but 4, 5, 6, or 7 seems to be common.  The names also vary from region to region, where local versions may be called Damyan, Dramyen, Dranyen, Dramyin (curiously enough sometimes spelled as sgrna-snyan), or Tungana.  Sizes too may vary, the Nepali Tungana tends to be smaller than the Tibetian Dramyen.  Manuscripts from the Moghul period indicate that at one time, this form of rabab was very common in northern India, however today it is confined to the Himalayan regions.

EKTAR

Ektar is a simple folk instrument. It is used to provide both a drone as well as simple rhytmic accompaniment to folk songs. It may be the oldest stringed instrument in the Indian subcontinent. The ektar is described in ancient Sanskrit texts as the ekatantri vina, literally the "one stringed lute". In Punjab the ektar is known as the tumbi

The construction is very simple, it is nothing more than a gourd which has been penetrated by a stick of bamboo. Another piece of bamboo forms the tuning peg. The bridge is merely a coin, piece of coconut, plastic or similar object. Ektars such as this are common in the south. In the north, their construction is a little more complicated. A membrane is stretched over the gourd and the bridge is placed over the taut membrane.

The term ektar literally means "one string", as such the term is loosely applied to a variety of one-stringed folk instruments. This includes such instruments as the tuntun, katho, anand lahari, and gopichand.

The ektar is very popular in folk music and has a strong rustic connotation. It is very much associated with the saint Mira Bai. The smaller Punjabi version (tumbi) is much associated with the bhangra style of song and dance. Among the Gadaba and Paraja tribes of Orissa, it is known as dudumah and dung-dungi.

GETCHU VADYAM

Getchu vadyam, also known as gettuvadyam, gethu vadyam, or Jhallari, is a very rare instrument. It is a hammered lute, only 2-3 feet long. It is placed in front of the performer and struck with two small bamboo mallets. It is found only in the deep south where it is played along with the mridangam. There are very few artists today who play this instrument.

Editor

The gopichand, also, known as gopiyantra, is a very popular folk instrument of Bengal. It is an instrument that is much used by the wandering minstrels known as the Baul.

There are several variations on the construction. The length may be as small as one foot or as long as three feet, however 2-3 feet is the norm. It consists of a length of bamboo that is split through most of the length. The two ends are pried apart and attached to a resonator. This resonator may be a coconut, gourd, metal container or a hollowed out cylindrical section of wood. The open end of the resonator is covered with taught skin and a string penetrates the centre. This string is attached to a reinforced section in the centre. This string then passes through the hollow of the resonator and attaches to a tuning peg located in the bamboo.

The sound of the gopichand is most distinctive. There is a peculiar bending of the pitch as the two legs of the bamboo are squeezed together by the left hand while the right hand plucks the string. This is a rhythmic instrument rather than a melodic instrument and it is used to accompany instruments such as kartal, dotar, or khol.

GOTTUVADYAM

The Gottuvadhyam also known as the chitravina, is an instrument played in Southern India. It is usualy used as a solo instrument in Carnatic sangeet.

Gottuvadhyam has an interesting construction. It resmbles the saraswati vina in its general form. It has six main playing strings which pass over the very top of the instrument. It has three thallam (drone) strings at the side, and a series of sympathetic strings which pass under the main strings. The approach to tuning is in some ways similar to the sitar, in other ways it is similar to the saraswati vina, but in many ways it is unique. It is played with a slide in a manner somewhat like a Hawaiian guitar.

The gottuvadyam does not appear to be very old, probably around 100 years old. It was popularised in the south by Sakharam Rao of Tiruvidaimarudur. It was later taken up and further popularised by Narayan Iyengar who was a palace musician of the old state of Mysore.

Katho (Khomok)

The katho (a.k.a. khamak, khomok, gub-gubi, anand lahari or gholtong) is a folk instrument found in various places in India. It is a most unusual instrument with an even more peculiar sound. This instrument is basically a small drum. however it is penetrated with a small string or cord that is attached to a handle. This handle is used to pull the string tight. The string is then plucked while the force exerted on the handle is used to change the pitch.

It is curious how broadly this instrument is dispersed across India. But there are small differences in construction. In the North-East part of India (i.e., Bengal), the chord is played while it passes through the drum shell; This is known as the khamak or khomok. However in Maharashtra it is played with the cord pulled from the outside; this is known as the katho.

MAGADI VINA

Magadi Vina is a simple bamboo stick zither. It is image may be found on the walls of ancient temples. This instrument appears to be the progenitor of such classical  instruments as the rudra vina. Today this instrument is very rare

NAKULA VINA

Nagkula is a simple bamboo stick zither.

RABAB

Rabab is a very ancient instrument found primarily in Afghanistan but in India is common in Kashmir. It is a hollowed-out body of wood with a membrane stretched over the opening. Combinations of gut (or nylon) and metal strings pass over a bridge which rests on a taught membrane. The rabab is mentioned quite frequently in old texts. However this is usually the seni rabab which is different from what we think of today. It is common to refer to the modern rabab as the kabuli rabab to distinguish it from the seni rabab.

Although the kabuli rabab is the style that is normally thought of today, over the centuries the term has been applied to a variety of instruments. Therefore as a generic term it has been applied to a variety of instruments that even impinge upon the sarod and the sarangi.

There is evidence that this instrument may be the progenitor of a number of Indian instruments. The saringda, sarod, and the sarangi are the ones most commonly attributed to this instrument. At first it may seem hard to make the connection between a plucked instrument and a bowed instrument, however notice the "waist" in the middle of the rabab. This is an indication that the instrument at some time was played with a bow. All bowed instruments must be narrow at the place where the bow must pass.

     

RUDRA VINA

Rudra vina also known as the bin (been), appears to be one of the oldest styles of vina. Such evidence is readily seen in elements of its construction, and from its depiction onthe walls of ancient temples. This instrument is basically a bamboo stick with two gourds attached. It has frets which are set into wax. This instrument is quite rare nowadays.

SANTUR

Santur is an instrument indigenous to Kashmir, but nowadays played throughout the North. It is a hammered dulcimer which is struck with light wooden mallets. The number of strings may be as few as 24 or more than 100. Typical sizes tend to be around 80. It has a vibrant tone and has become very popular in the last 20 years.

One must not confuse the Indian santur with the Persian santur. The Indian santur is box-like while the Persian version is much wider.

Two playing positions are shown below:

In the first picture the instrument is resting on a small stand.  The second picture shows it being placed in the lap.  Sometimes it is placed directly on the floor.  The small wooden mallets are placed lightly between the index and middle fingers.  This is facilitated by two finger sized cut-outs in the mallets.  The mallets are shown below:

Tuning styles are extremely variable.  They are usually tuned to the particular rag and must therefore be retuned for each piece.  Furthermore different artists have their own styles of tuning.
The origin of the instrument is clear.  The name, structure, and technique point solidly to the Middle East.  Yet, there are those who attempt to trace its origins to an ancient Indian harp like instrument known as "Vana Veena".  There is absolutely no evidence for this latter view.  If we are to accept this proposition, then how are we to explain its 2000 year disappearance, followed by a miraculous reappearance in a form and usage that, by mere coincidence, is similar to the middle eastern santur?  It is clear that attempts to link the santur with this Vedic instrument are mere wishful thinking.  There are many people who cannot accept the concept of something great developing outside of India.

SARASWATI VINA

Saraswati vina (Saraswathi veena) is the instrument associated with Saraswati, the goddess of learning and the arts. This instrument is common in south India and is an important instrument in carnatic sangeet. It is variously called simply vina, or veena, the "Saraswati" part being implied.

The saraswati vina has an interesting construction. It has a body made of wood, generally, this is jackwood. The highest quality vinas have the entire body carved from a single block of wood, while the ordinary vinas have a body which is carved in three sections (resonator, neck and head). There are 24 frets made of brass bars set into wax. (see "Fretting and Fingering the Vina") There is another resonator at the top of the neck. This is no longer a functioning resonator, but is mainly used as a stand to facilitate the positioning of the instrument when it is played. Because it is no longer functioning it is not unusual to find that this upper resonator may be made of acoustically neutral materials such as paper mache, cane or other similar materials. Unlike north Indian instruments like the sitar, the saraswati vina has no sympathetic strings. It has only four playing strings and three drone strings (thalam). (see also "Tuning the Vina") The main bridge is a flat bar made of brass. This bar has a very slight curve. It is this light curve which gives the vina its characteristic sound. A major centre for the manufacture of the saraswati vini is in Tanjore.

The playing position is shown below. We see that the performer sits cross-legged on the floor, the small vestigial gourd rests against the left thigh while the main resonator rests on the floor. The right hand plucks the strings while the left hand frets the instrument.

Sarod

Sarod is an instrument which is derived from the rabab. It is not an ancient instrument, probably no more than 150 to 200 years. It is essentially a bass rabab. It has a metal  fingerboard with no frets. The bridge rests on a taut membrane which covers the resonator. The sarod has numerous strings, some of which are drone, some are played, and some are sympathetic. The approach to tuning is somewhat similar to other stringed instruments. It is played with a pick made of coconut shell.

There are a number of artists who have excelled at this instrument. Today the most notable are Amjad Ali Khan and Ali Akbar Khan

SENI RABAB

The seni rabab was an instrument that was very popular during the Moghal period. The seni rabab came close to extinction, but in recent years has started to make a comeback.

This instrument comes in several forms. As one moves around in time and geography one finds tremendous variation. It becomes almost impossible to tell where the seni rabab, ends and other rababs begin. Some of the other instruments in the rabab family include the kabuli rabab, the swarabat of south India, and the dotora of Bengal. Even the kamancha of Rajasthan appears to be nothing more than a bowed version of the seni rabab.

The name "seni rabab" is interesting. It is an Indian corruption of the Persian "Sen-e-Rabab" which means "the rabab of Tansen". Tansen was a great musician in the court of Akbar who is credited with the popularisation of this instrument. There are many who (incorrectly) attribute the invention of the seni rabab to Tansen. The seni rabab is also referred to as the "Indian rabab", to distinguish it from the kabuli rabab. The kabuli rabab is originally from Afghanistan, but today commonly found in Pakistan and Kashmir.

This instrument was held in great esteem in the past. The first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak is said to have had tremendous love for the instrument. It is said that he was accompanied by has friend and musical accompanist Mirdana while he sang the Gurbani. It is the rising interest in gurmat sangeet (Sikh religious music) which is primarily responsible for the reawakening in interest in this instrument.
Parts of the Seni Rabab

There are a number of parts of the seni rabab. These are shown in the illustration below:

The seni rabab consists of a body which is hollowed out of wood.  There is a large hollowed out bowl which is covered with thin goat skin (khal); this forms the resonator.  There are two bridges on the instrument; the one on the skin is known as the guraj while the upper one on the neck is known as the tar gahan.  There are six strings known as rodas.  They are affixed to six wooden tuning pegs (kunti) at the upper end.  They are also affixed at the lower end.  There are no frets to the seni rabab, only a wooden finger board.  The fact that this finger board is made of wood, and not covered with a metal plate, means that only soft strings can be used.  These are usually of gut; however on modern instruments, one often finds that nylon is used.
The construction of the seni rabab is interesting, not just for what is found, but probably more for what is not found.  Traditionally, the seni rabab did not have sympathetic strings (tarafdar); however, some modern instruments include them.  Furthermore, they did not have chikari strings as we have come to expect on modern instruments.  Still, the lower strings of this instrument do function as drone strings in much the same way as the lower strings of a sitar, esraj, or dilruba, may function as drone.

Tuning the Rabab

Anyone with any experience with Indian musical instruments should not be surprised to find that there are several tunings for the seni rabab.

It must always be remembered that the tuning of Indian stringed instruments is a reflection of how a particular artist feels about their music.  Stringed instruments are typically tuned differently for different rags and different styles.  Many times an artist will use a different tuning for each piece.  One should keep this in mind as we go over several tunings here.  For these, kindly refer to the illustration below:

Tuning #1 - The table below is a very traditional tuning for the rabab:

String	Pitch	Name of String
1	Pa in Madhya Saptak	Zeer
2	Re in Madhya Saptak	Mian
3	Sa in Madhya Saptak	Sur
4	Pa in Mandra Saptak	Mandra
5	Ga or Ma in Mandra Saptak	Ghor
6	Sa in Mandra Saptak	Karaj

Tuning #2 - Here is another tuning for the seni rabab.  The last tuning may be traditional, but many people may be uncomfortable with the constant sounding of the Re.  Therefore, in an effort to aid the revival of the rabab, many artists adopt a more contemporary approach to tuning.  One example is shown in the table below:

String	Pitch	Comments
1	Ma in Madhya Saptak
2	Sa in Madhya Saptak
3	Pa in Mandra Saptak
4	Sa in Mandra Saptak
5	variable according to the rag
6	variable according to the rag	Many of the modern seni Rababs do not have a 6th string

Tuning #3 - There is another variation upon this tuning which is sometimes employed.

String	Pitch	Comments
1	Sa in Madhya Saptak
2	Pa in Mandra Saptak
3	Sa in Mandra Saptak
4	variable according to the rag
5	variable according to the rag
6	variable according to the rag	Many of the modern seni rababs do not have a 6th string

Tuning Taraf Strings - It appears that taraf strings (i.e., sympathetic strings) on the rabab are a "recent" innovation.  (The word "recent" might be several centuries, so you can interpret this word any way you wish.)  If your rabab does have taraf strings, the question naturally arises as to how they are tuned.  For this, one follows the same principles used in the tuning of the taraf strings on the sitar, sarod or any other north Indian instrument.  That is to say that they may be tuned chromatically, or according to the rag, or some variation between these two approaches.

Playing the Rabab

Let us discuss some of the basic points that are important to playing the seni rabab.

Sitting Position - It is obvious that the sitting position is one of the most fundamental points to playing the seni rabab.  However there is not just one way, we can describe at least four ways.  These will be described below:

The illustration below shows a person standing while the rabab is suspended around his neck.  Since the seni rabab was known to be a rather loud instrument, it was suited for outdoors processions.  In such situations, this was a very workable arrangement.

The illustration below shows a way that appears to have been very common. In this position, one sits on ones knees such that the feet a facing the rear. The rabab is placed at a very steep angle over the left shoulder.

Neither comfort nor good control of the instrument are advantages of this approach. The main function is to avoid the misdemeanour of inadvertently showing the soles of your feet to the king, or honoured guests of the performance.

The illustration below shows a musician seated in a cross legged position with the instrument in his lap.
cross legged sitting position for the rabab is placed at a very steep angle over the left shoulder.

Neither comfort nor good control of the instrument are advantages of this approach. The main function is to avoid the misdemeanour of inadvertently showing the soles of your feet to the king, or honoured guests of the performance.

The illustration below shows a musician seated in a cross legged position with the instrument in his lap

Below we see the rabab placed against the heel of the left foot in a position very much like that used for the sitar.

In this section, we presented four ways to hold the rabab.  Do not think that these are the only ways to do it.  I am sure that there are other positions; however, this sampling should at least give you an idea of the possibilities.

Plucking and fingering

Fingering is done with the left hand.  usually the nails are employed.  In this capacity it was common for musicians to grow their fingernails long.  In other instances the scales of fish were glued on.

THE SITAR

Introduction

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 the Sitar

There are a number of options in tuning the sitar. Even the same instrument will be tuned differently from piece to piece, according to the requirements of the rag. for more information check out "Tuning the Sitar".


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 "Learning the Sitar".


Making the Sitar

The craft of making sitars is also very involved. It is certainly much more involved than can be covered on a webpage, however for a general overview, check out "Making the Sitar".


Sitar Forum

Check out a very active forum to discuss various aspects of the sitar. Go to "The Sitar Forum"

SURMANDAL OR SWARMANDAL.

Surmandal otherwise known as swarmandal, is basically a small harp. It is generally used for the drone to accompany vocalists. Although it is considered a minor instrument, as a class the harps are very old in India.

There is no such thing as a standard tuning for surmandal.  Although this lack of standard tuning is discomforting to the average Western musician, it really is rather obvious.  We must not forget that:

1.  There is no standard size for a surmandal.

2.  There is no standard number of strings.

3.  Different individuals will sing from different keys.

4.  One tunes the surmandal to the rag, every one of which will be different.

Stringing a surmandal for any individual is basically one of trial and error.  Fortunately the latitude is so great that there is very little "error".  It is usually more a question of individual taste.  Simply start the low strings with strings that are that are intuitively low (e.g., brass, bronze, wire wrapped, etc).  Start stringing it, and then gradually work your way up to strings which are intuitively high (e.g., light gauge, steel).
Tuning is very simple, but you must first know two things.  You must know what key that you sing in (i.e., safed ek (C), kali ek (C#), safed do (D), etc.).  You must also know what rag that you wish to perform.  We must presume that you know both of these things.
Start the tuning with the lowest string and work your way up.  Simply start with the lowest string and tighten it until the tension feels comfortable.  At that point find the nearest note which is in the rag and tune to it.  Try to tune to Sa or Pa. Then tune the next string, and the next, etc.
You will quickly reach a point that the strings are getting too tight.  At that point you can double up on the tuning.  That is to say that you tune two or more strings to the same note.  Then again you go up the scale.  Again you reach a point where it is getting too tight.  Again you double up the tuning.  Repeat this entire process until the instrument is in tune.  One can use any note to double up on, however Sa and Pa are very comfortable.
Initially it is good to tune to a seven note scale (sampurna jati) (see jati for more information).  Therefore, if you need to switch to a five note scale (audav) or a six note scale (shadav), then all that you have to do is double up on the appropriate strings.  You do not wish to go back and retune the whole instrument when simply doubling up on the strings will do the job.
The surmandal is now in tune.
As you work with your surmandal you will find yourself tailoring it to your own needs.  You will find that changing the gauge or material of a string here and there, or a slight alteration of the tunings are in order.  However, you will find that very quickly you have your surmandal as you like it.

SWARABAT

A number of great personages are known to have played the swarabat. These include include Parmeswara Bhagavathar, the Raja Swati Thirunal, Baluswami Dikshitar (the brother of the great Muthuswami Dikshitar), Veene Seshana, and Krishna Iyengar. Today this instrument is nearly extinct.

TANPURA OR TAMBURA

Tanpura is a drone instrument. It resembles a sitar except it has no frets. It has four strings tuned to the tonic. The word "tanpura" (tanpoora) is common in the north, but in south India it is called "tambura", "thamboora", "thambura", or "tamboora". The tanpura is known for its very rich sound. There are three main styles; the Miraj style, the Tanjore style and the small instrumental version sometimes called tamburi.

The Miraj style is the typical north Indian tanpura (tambura). This is the favourite of Hindustani musicians. It typically is between 3 to 5 feet in length. It is characterized by a pear shapped, well rounded tabali (resonator face) and non-tapering neck. It usually has a resonator made of a gourd, but rarely one may find resonators made of wood. This style is shown at the top of this page.

The Tanjore style of tambura is found in the south. This is the favourite for Carnatic musicians. It is also about 3 to 5 feet in length. Unlike the Miraj style, the neck tapers toward the top, and the front plate is very flat. Resonators are almost always of wood. An example of the Tanjore style is shown above.

In recent decades the tamburi or instrumental tambura (tanpura) has become popular. Its most striking characteristic is its size. It averages only about 2 to 3 feet in length. It has a very shallow resonator made of wood and only a slightly curved resonator plate (tabali). It usually has four strings but may just as well have 5, 6, or even more strings. The tamburi's small size means that the playing technique is usually slightly different from the standard tambura. Although the tamburi is generally acknowledged to have an inferior sound, it is the easiest of all the tamburas to maintain. It is extremely portable, it holds its tuning well, and because it is all wood (i.e., no gourds) it is virtually indestructible. These points makes the tamburi very popular with the travelling musician.

Much more information about the tanpura including its playing technique may be found in "Elementary North Indian Vocal" by David Courtney and Chandrakantha Courtney.

     

TUNTUNA (CHOHOKHODE)

The tuntuna also referred to as the chohokhode, is a one string folk musical instrument of the ektar class. It is found amoung the Bhil, Kukna, and Warli people of Western India.

VICHITRA VINA

The Vichitra vina is a stringed instrument like the rudra vina except it has no frets. It is played with a slide like a Hawaiian guitar.

Bowed-Stringed Instruments (Vitat)

  This is a class of stringed instruments which are bowed. This class appears to be quite old, yet these instruments did not occupy a place in classical music until the last few centuries. The entire class of instruments has a certain stigma attached to it. Even today only the Western violin is free of this stigma.

Banam

The banam is a class of folk fiddles found among the Santal people of North East India and Bangladesh.

Classification of the various forms of banam are difficult. Among the Santalis, Tendor Banam, Dhodro Banam, Huka Banam and a host of other names may be applied to them. However the Santalis tend to, classify their instruments according to ornamentation rather than structural elements. Furthermore there is extreme variety because each instrument reflects the artistic vision of its maker.

The banam is very import to the Santal people.  According to legend, at one time there were seven brothers who conspired to kill and eat their sister.  But the youngest brother was so overcome by guilt that he could not bring himself to eat his portion.  He surreptitiously buried it in an ant hill.  Upon that spot, a beautiful tree grew.  A stranger passing the tree, hears a beautiful sound emanating from it.  He cuts a branch off the tree and fashions the first banam.

The importance of the banam to the Santals is well represented by the artwork on the instruments.  In many cases the major portion of the work goes into these elaborate carvings.  Human figures are an especially important motif.  It is interesting to note that some of the most elaborately carved banams may be the crudest from a purely musical standpoint.  Many times they may have only a single string and in some case are not even fitted with a tuning peg.

The number of strings varies. A single string is the most common, but two, three, and even four strings are to be found.

Similar instruments with similar names are seen throughout the region. Pena, bena, and bana appear to be cognates of the term bana

Chikara

Chikara is a simple spike fiddle. It is played with a bow in a fashion somewhat like a sarangi or saringda. There is also a smaller version known as chikari. The term Chikara is somewhat ambiguous; it is often applied to a variety of unrelated folk fiddles of northern India. In some cases it is a resonator which is penetrated by a spike (upper example) and in other cases it is a thin, spike-like sarangi (lower example).

DILRUBA

Dilruba is a cross between the sitar and sarangi. It is extremely close to the esraj and the mayuri vina. It so close that most people are unable to tell them apart. The difference is to be found in the shape of the resonators and the manner in which the sympathetic strings attach. Still they are so similar that a dilruba player has no trouble playing an esraj or a mayuri vina and vice versa.

The construction is very interesting. The neck has approximately 18 strings. The approach to tuning is somewhat similar to the sitar. Like the sitar, almost all of the playing is performed upon only one string. There are a number of metallic frets, some of which will be moved according to the requirements of the rag. It has a series of sympathetic strings which are tuned to the notes of the rag.

The dilruba is popular in north-west India. It is found in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

TECHNIQUE - The technique is also a cross between the sarangi and the sitar. It is bowed with a bow (known as gaz) in a manner very much like the sarangi. It is bowed with the right hand while the left hand fingers the strings.

There seem to be two schools concerning the fingering of the dilruba. One approach shows a strong influence of the sitar. For this approach, there is a strong preference given to using the index finger. Like the sitar, one occasionally invokes the middle finger to gain speed. This approach seems to be slightly more common in North Eastern India. The other school of seems to show a distinct preference to the use of the middle finger coupled with the index finger. This approach seems to have the advantage that if one requires speed, one can occasionally use either the index or the ring finger to go in either direction. It is interesting to note though that the proponents of the this school seem to be less disposed to invoke such shortcuts to their technique.

In either case, one does not solidly lock the string against the fret as one would do with the sitar or most other fretted stringed instruments. One only has to lightly touch the fret against the string. This allows one to alter the intonation with ease. One has no problem raising or lowering the pitch at the fret simply by where on the fret you wish to place the finger. In short, we can think of the frets of the dilruba as being mere guides for correct finger placement.

The layout of the strings of the dilruba is very similar to the sitar. This is shown in the illustration to the right. However unlike the sitar, there is no need to move the frets whenever one is playing a note that does not have a fret (e.g., Komal Re or Komal Dha in the middle register.) When one needs to play these notes, one merely has to place the finger in the appropriate point midway between the frets.

The meend is also produced in a fashion very differently from the sitar. For the dilruba, one need only slide the fingers up and down along the string in order to produce a meend or any other ornament, where on the sitar one pulls the string laterally across the fret.

Esraj

Esraj is a combination between saringda and sitar. The base of the instrument is like saringda while the neck and strings are like sitar. It gives a sound very much like sarangi without being as difficult to play. This instrument is often confused with dilruba. Both have a similar construction and technique. The approach to tuning is somewhat similar to the sitar. The esraj is popular in the Bengal area of India.

TECHNIQUE - The technique is also a cross between the saringda and the sitar. It is bowed with a bow (known as gaz) in a manner very much like the sarangi. It is bowed with the right hand while the left hand fingers the strings.

There seem to be two schools concerning the fingering of the esraj. One approach shows a strong influence of the sitar. For this approach, there is a strong preference given to using the index finger. Like the sitar, one occasionally invokes the middle finger to gain speed. This approach seems to be slightly more common in North Eastern India. The other school of seems to show more of an influence from the sarangi. For this approach there is a distinct preference given to the use of the middle finger coupled with the index finger. This approach seems to have the advantage that if one requires speed, one can occasionally use either the index or the ring finger to go in either direction. It is interesting to note though that the proponents of the "sarangi" school of technique seem to be less disposed to invoke such shortcuts to their technique.

In either case, one does not solidly lock the string against the fret as one would do with the sitar or most other fretted stringed instruments. One only has to lightly touch the fret against the string. This allows one to alter the intonation with ease. One has no problem raising or lowering the pitch at the fret simply by where on the fret you wish to place the finger. In short, we can think of the frets of the esraj as being mere guides for correct finger placement.

The layout of the strings of the esraj is very similar to the sitar. This is shown in the illustration to the right. However unlike the sitar, there is no need to move the frets whenever one is playing a note that does not have a fret (e.g., Komal Re or Komal Dha in the middle register.) When one needs to play these notes, one merely has to place the finger in the appropriate point midway between the frets.

The meend is also produced in a fashion very differently from the sitar. For the dilruba, one need only slide the fingers up and down along the string in order to produce a meend or any other ornament, where on the sitar one pulls the string laterally across the fret.

KAMANCHA: Folk Fiddle of Rajasthan

Kamancha is a folk fiddle of Rajasthan. It is similar to the sarangi and saringda, in that it is a bowed instrument with a bridge set upon a taught membrane.

KENDA

The kenda is basically a bowed ektar that is found among the Mundas of East India. It is very similar to the pena, bana, or bena, found in North East North East India.

MAYURI VINA (A.K.A. TAUS, BALASARASWATI)

The mayuri vina (A.K.A. Taus) is defined by its peacock shaped body. Even the word mayur means "peacock". This instrument is of the same class as the dilruba and the esraj. Like the other members of this family the differences are so slight that one may move from one instrument to another with ease. This instrument was nearly extinct, but it seems to have made a resurgence in the last few years.

Om Tat Sat

                                                        

(Continued...) 

(My My humble salutations  and thankfulness  to  Hinduism online dot com Swamijis, and Philosophers com  for the collection)

(The Blog  is reverently for all the seekers of truth, lovers of wisdom and   to share the Hindu Dharma with others on the spiritual path and also this is purely  a non-commercial)