Krsna Kirtana Songs est.
2001 www.kksongs.org
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Sitar
The sitar is the
most popular stringed instrument in India. It is a long neck lute containing
five playing strings, two drone strings, and twelve to
fifteen sympathetic strings. The resonator is made of gourd (pumpkin), while
the majority of the instrument is made of wood. The sitar’s unique feature is
that it has a bridge made of bone that is carved to a special degree of
curvature allowing the sitar to produce the unique buzz. Altering the bridge
will change the sound of the sitar. The fingerboard is made of wood and
contains twenty heavy metal frets that are moveable for fine-tuning. The frets
are also raised to allow one to pull the strings laterally to produce the
ornamentation used in North Indian music.
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS: