Premla Shahane playing a sitar, 1927

The sitar is a Hindustani classical music instrument. It typically has a gourd acting as the resonating chamber. A distinctive feature is the frets, which are moveable (allowing fine variation in tuning) and raised (so that resonant, or sympathetic, strings can run underneath the frets, giving a very lush sound). A typical sitar has 19 strings - 7 on top and 12 under the frets. It is a rather difficult to tune instrument. The outer two strings can be tuned using both the pegs on the sides or the 'beads' at the bottom, which are mainly for fine tuning.

The right hand is used to pluck the string using a 'pick' called the mezrab. Traditional approaches to learning the sitar involve a long period of apprenticeship under the tutelage of a master although nowadays it is possible to purchase books and videos to assist home learning. It was popularised in the West by The Beatles, whose guitarist, George Harrison, was inspired by - and later taught by - Ravi Shankar.

Learning to play the sitar is a difficult process, not only due to the sheer skill required, but also due to the fact that the left hand index finger is supposed to stay on the string and the right hand index finger is tormented by the mezrab. Classical sitar players can be easily recognized by the black grooves in their index fingers.

The classical way of playing only involves playing one string with the left hand. Besides the index finger, the middle finger is used to change the pitch as well.

Usually the strings are tuned C C G C G C C. The sympathetic strings are tuned depending on the raga, although for beginners it is okay to tune them according to a C major scale: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E.

The sitar is instrument #105 on a General MIDI bank.

External links

• Manufacturer of Sitar (http://www.pakrashi-harmonium.com/string-musical-instruments.html/)
• Information on the Sitar (http://sendingtransmission.tripod.com/sitarinfo.html)
• The Classical Sitar MIDI Palace Warehouse (http://litefantastic.tripod.com/sitarmidis.html)
• An on-line tutorial on Sitar for beginners (http://www.buckinghammusic.com/sitar/sittut/btut.html)
• Maintaining and repairing a sitar (http://www.buckinghammusic.com/sitar/sittut/jaw.html)

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