| Part 1 - Sarangi: An Overview Part 2 - Parts of Sarangi Part 3 - Tuning the Sarangi Part 4 - Fingering the Sarangi - This Page |
Fingering is a very important topic when learning the sarangi. However before we get into the fingering of the instrument, we need to have a basic idea as to where the notes lay. (For the rest of this page we will be presuming that the standard tuning is employed for our sarangi.) Refer to the following illustration:
The illustration above shows us where the notes are. In this illustration we see the three octaves of the instrument. Notice that the first tetrachord of the lower octave (i.e., Sa through Tivra Ma) is played with the heavy third string. The middle sized second string plays the upper portion of the lower octave. And finally, the thin first string plays the remaining two octaves. Once we have familiarised ourselves with the positions, we next turn our attention to the actual fingering.
The first thing to remember is that the strings are not stopped against the fingerboard, but instead are simply stopped by sliding the string against the nail, cuticle, or area under the first knuckle. The actual position seems to be a question of personal taste. I for one, like to slide the string against the nail, I find it does the least damage to your fingers. Most people use the area around the cuticle, and some, as in the picture below, use the area above the cuticle.
The first three fingers of the left hand will be used to stop the string. Sometimes the string is stopped with the first finger (index finger). This is illustrated with the picture below:
Sometimes the string is stopped with the second finger (middle finger). This is illustrated with the picture below:
Sometimes it is stopped with the third finger (ring finger). This is illustrated with the picture below:
Now the obvious question arrises as when to use which finger. India is big county and one may find considerable differences of opinion. I do not like to pontificate on these matters, so I will discuss several of the approaches here.
The table below is probably the most common approach to fingering.
| STANDARD FINGERING | ||
| NOTE | STRING | FINGER |
| Sa (Lower Octave) | 3rd | Open |
| Komal Re (Lower Octave) | 3rd | 1st |
| Shuddha Re (Lower Octave) | 3rd | 1st |
| Komal Ga (Lower Octave) | 3rd | 1st |
| Shuddha Ga (Lower Octave) | 3rd | 1st |
| Shuddha Ma (Lower Octave) | 3rd | 2nd |
| Tivra Ma (Lower Octave) | 3rd | 2nd |
| Pa (Lower Octave) | 2nd | Open |
| Komal Dha (Lower Octave) | 2nd | 1st |
| Shuddha Dha (Lower Octave) | 2nd | 1st |
| Komal Ni (Lower Octave) | 2nd | 2nd |
| Shuddha Ni (Lower Octave) | 2nd | 2nd |
| Sa (Middle Octave) | 1st | Open |
| Komal Re (Middle Octave) | 1st | 1st |
| Shuddha Re (Middle Octave) | 1st | 1st |
| Komal Ga (Middle Octave) | 1st | 1st |
| Shuddha Ga (Middle Octave) | 1st | 1st |
| Shuddha Ma (Middle Octave) | 1st | 2nd |
| Tivra Ma (Middle Octave) | 1st | 2nd |
| Pa (Middle Octave) | 1st | 2nd |
| Komal Dha (Middle Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Shuddha Dha (Middle Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Komal Ni (Middle Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Shuddha Ni (Middle Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Sa (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Komal Re (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Shuddha Re (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Komal Ga (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Shuddha Ga (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Shuddha Ma (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Tivra Ma (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Pa (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Komal Dha (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Shuddha Dha (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Komal Ni (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Shuddha Ni (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Sa (2 Octaves Higher) | 1st | 3rd |
There is a variation to this fingering that was used by the Ram Narayan. It differs from our standard fingering as to when one shifts from the first finger (index) to the second finger (middle finger). By Ram Narayan's own admission it is a non-standard approach, and under any other circumstance we would dismiss this as being a somewhat idiosyncratic technique. However Ram Naryan is considered unequalled in the 20th century for his skill and influence over the entire field of sarangi; therefore some attention to his technique is in order.
| RAM NARAYAN FINGERING | ||
| NOTE | STRING | FINGER |
| Sa (Lower Octave) | 3rd | Open |
| Komal Re (Lower Octave) | 3rd | 1st |
| Shuddha Re (Lower Octave) | 3rd | 1st |
| Komal Ga (Lower Octave) | 3rd | 2nd |
| Shuddha Ga (Lower Octave) | 3rd | 2nd |
| Shuddha Ma (Lower Octave) | 3rd | 2nd |
| Tivra Ma (Lower Octave) | 3rd | 2nd |
| Pa (Lower Octave) | 2nd | Open |
| Komal Dha (Lower Octave) | 2nd | 1st |
| Shuddha Dha (Lower Octave) | 2nd | 1st |
| Komal Ni (Lower Octave) | 2nd | 2nd |
| Shuddha Ni (Lower Octave) | 2nd | 2nd |
| Sa (Middle Octave) | 1st | Open |
| Komal Re (Middle Octave) | 1st | 1st |
| Shuddha Re (Middle Octave) | 1st | 1st |
| Komal Ga (Middle Octave) | 1st | 2nd |
| Shuddha Ga (Middle Octave) | 1st | 2nd |
| Shuddha Ma (Middle Octave) | 1st | 2nd |
| Tivra Ma (Middle Octave) | 1st | 2nd |
| Pa (Middle Octave) | 1st | 2nd |
| Komal Dha (Middle Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Shuddha Dha (Middle Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Komal Ni (Middle Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Shuddha Ni (Middle Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Sa (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Komal Re (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Shuddha Re (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Komal Ga (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Shuddha Ga (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Shuddha Ma (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Tivra Ma (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Pa (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Komal Dha (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Shuddha Dha (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Komal Ni (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Shuddha Ni (Upper Octave) | 1st | 3rd |
| Sa (2 Octaves Higher) | 1st | 3rd |
Now we need to discuss how strictly any particular fingering is adhered to. If we were simply to play straight (i.e. "cut" notes) as one finds in Western music, then it would be possible to play all of the notes as specified above. However, it becomes readily apparent that with either of these above approaches, many types of ornamentation, in particular many slides (i.e., meend), are simply impossible. Therefore considerable latitude is extended to the fingerings.
One area where this latitude produces interesting technical results is in the playing of the second and third strings. Although the fingering charts described above showed the third string going only as high as Tivra Ma (augmented 4th), and the second string going only as high as Shuddha Ni (Natural 7th), in practice these strings are played considerably higher up into the scale. For instance virtually any ornamentation of the lower octave Pa, must played on the third string, and virtually any ornamentation of our middle Sa, must be played from our second string. This usable range of the second and third string is extended even further when we wish to play other meends. (e.g. lower Ni to Re as one would find in Yaman Kalyan which can only be played as a meed from the 2nd string.) There is no theoretical limit placed upon how high we can go on the third or second strings, but as a practical matter, one seldom goes more than a step or two beyond the ranges specified in our earlier fingering charts.
| Part 1 - Sarangi: An Overview Part 2 - Parts of Sarangi Part 3 - Tuning the Sarangi Part 4 - Fingering the Sarangi - This Page |
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| Part 1 - Sarangi: An Overview Part 2 - Parts of Sarangi Part 3 - Tuning the Sarangi Part 4 - Fingering the Sarangi - This Page |
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