.
A bowed long-neck lute combining elements of sitar and sarangi, which holds a special place in Sikh traditions
–Raga instruments (full list)–
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—Kirpal Singh Panesar (Bihag)—
“The dilruba [‘stealer of the heart’] is a young instrument in Indian terms, being only about 200 years old, used in religious music and light-classical song. Some argue that it is the work of the 10th Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh, who intended to ‘scale down’ the taus to made it more convenient for the Sikh army, who carried their instruments on horseback. While the dilruba has more sympathetic strings and a different body shape to the esraj, they both have 4 main strings. The soundboard is a stretched piece of goatskin, similar to a sarangi. It is played with a bow, and the player may slide the note up or down to achieve the characteristic meend of Indian music. Both the dilruba and the esraj had been declining in popularity for many decades…however, with the rising influence of the Gurmat Sangeet movement, these instruments are once again attracting considerable attention…” (Ethnic Instruments)
—More Info—
- Sa pitch: All recordings were within around semitone either side of D, with individual variances seemingly down to size and stringing [see my Survey of Sa Tunings for more].
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• Hindustani Instruments: Anandi | Bansuri | Bass-Veena | Bazantar | Bulbul Tarang | Cello | Chaturangi | Dilruba | Electric Guitar | Esraj | Fretless Guitar | Harmonium | Jal Tarang | Jori | Mandolin | Mohan Veena | Nal Tarang | Pakhawaj | Piano | Rabab | Rudra Veena | Sagar Veena | Santoor | Sarangi | Sarod | Saxophone | Shehnai | Sitar | Surbahar | Sursagar | Sursingar | Swarmandal | Tabla | Tabla Tarang | Tanpura | Tar Shehnai | Taus | Vichtra Veena | Violin
–Survey of Sa tunings–
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An open-ended project seeking to bring North Indian raga closer to all who approach with open ears. Combines direct input from dozens of leading Hindustani artists with in-depth insights from music history, global theory, performance practice, cognitive science, and much more besides!
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George Howlett is a London-based musician, writer, and teacher (guitars, sitar, tabla, & santoor). Above all I seek to enthuse fellow sonic searchers, interconnecting fresh vibrations with the voices, cultures, and passions behind them. See Homepage for more, and hit me up for Lessons!
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