THE SITAR: AN OVERVIEW

by David Courtney working tools


sitar

Introduction

Sitar is perhaps the most well known of the In­dian in­stru­ments.  Artists such as Ravi Shankar have pop­ularised this instrument around the world.



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.

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.

 

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".

 

Radio Special -

- A few years ago we did a radio special on the sitar.  Listen to "Radio Special"


 

Selected Video

 

 

 


 

© 1998 - 2020 David and Chandrakantha Courtney

For comments, cor­rections, and sug­gestions, kindly contact David Courtney at [email protected]