Sitar Music

Sitar Music

By Jack L

The Sitar is an old Indian stringed instrument. It is very important to the Hindu religion, and unlike so many old instruments, it has made an appearance in modern music. It was developed in the 17th century, but it has been around in less complex states for a very long time. It is constructed using teak wood as a neck and gourd for its resonator, and it varied amount of strings. The stringcount varies from one Sitar to another, some have 17 and others have over 23. There are exceptions to this. It is a member of the lute family, and one plucks it to play it. To play it, one balances the Sitar between their left foot and right knee, while sitting cross legged. People think it evolved from a vina.

Some notable Sitar players:

Ravi Shankar - One of the most famous Sitar Players

George Harrison - One of the Beatles, popularized Sitar music in the western world

Pandit Nikhil Banerjee -- Sitar Prodigy

Annapurna Devi - Renowned Sitar player and teacher, Ravi Shankar's wife

Videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKsZo-em7Es If you watch it, skip straight to 4:47 (Linked because it can't be embedded due to a request made by the person who posted the video.

Thanks for reading!