Handbook of Sitar (History, Anatomy, Learning and Maintenance)

Music is considered to have a divine origin and one which brings its practitioner very close to God. It is said that God created music to give a proof of His presence. Therefore, the existence of music is as old as humanity itself. But later it came to be presumed that music is an inborn quality, given by God Himself, and therefore it can not be learned here on this earth. One may be trained in music and excel, provided there is genetic support. But, it is not a universal fact. One can learn everything with proper sincerity and devotion.

Keeping this in view, the present series of hand books have been prepared as a reference material for those who have just got in a formal touch with music and if it knocks the gate of anyone’s emotional energy, to proceed further in this field. For this, we have selected one of the oldest instruments of our music tradition – the Sitar. It is an instrument which is capable of energizing anyone’s senses with its sweet sound.

Moreover, our classical instrumental music has an edge over other forms of music of the world. Vocal music has a sort of limitation as it is bound in worlds, hence it leaves the audience with a limited scope of imagination, largely confined to the meaning of words and its ambience. But contrary to that, an instrument communicates with the audience in an affective form and energizes the senses according to the imagination of an individual listener. It does not confine the listener to any area and thus leaves with enormous possibilities of imagination. That is why a book in the form of a handbook has been brought out to facilitate a beginner in familiarizing himself with the so called difficulties of Sitar, so that if one feels the necessities for enjoying instrumental music, he may have a ready reference at the initial stage itself.

The book does not claim to give you details and intricacies of music as well as of Sitar but it will, most certainly, give you a plain to stand on. Moreover, this book does not intend to replace the position of a guru in the field of music. The principal aim of this book is to provide a ready reckoner to the beginners for satiating all inquisitiveness related to music in general and the Sitar in particular:

I would like to place on record the blessings of my revered guru, Sarod maestro, Pt. Sunil Mukherjee, whose teaching and training has enabled me to understand the nuances of music such as its philosophical as well as emotional aspects. I am also indebted to my first guru, Pt. Mor Mukut Kedia, who made me capable of holding the Sitar and write this book.

I am also indebted to my parents, who, in spite of all odds in life, did not discourage me but gave all their support to pursue music.

The publisher of this book, Mr. Vikas Bajaj, and the publishing house – PANKAJ PUBLICATION, deserve special mention and thanks for carrying out this enormous job which is in fact a small step towards saving this old and dying tradition of our Indian culture.

Any suggestion to enhance the quality of this book is heartedly solicited.

Preface	v
Part 1: Theory of Music	9-40
The Indian Music System	11
Lay (Tempo or Speed)	21
Taal (The Rhythm)	24
Indian Music Notation System	30
Format of Music on Sitar	32
Western Notation System	34
Points to remember in Combined Notation System	39
Part 2: The Sitar – Then & Now	41-54
History and Development	43
Indian String Instruments	46
Famous Sitarists	50
Part 3: Know The Sitar	55-66
Various Types of Sitar	57
Parts of a Sitar	60
Strings & Frets	65
Part 4: Playing The Sitar	67-72
Sitting Positions	69
Important Tips While Playing the Sitar	71
Part 5: Sounds and Notes	73-82
Production of Basic Bols	75
Position of Notes on Frets	78
Steps to Shift the Frets	79
Flaying Basic Swaras	80
Part 6: Tuning and Maintenance of a Sitar	83-92
Tuning the Sitar	86
Repairs & Maintenance of a Sitar	90
Tips for Buying a Sitar	92