Sitar

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The Sitar is the most popular of all North Indian instruments. It is classified as a chordophone in the lute family, and is related to the Veena and Zither. Sitars have necks crafted from toon or teakwood. The resonator is carved from a large seasoned gourd. There may be an additional, smaller, gourd resonator attached to the neck. There are a series of arched metal frets, which are tied to the neck with line. These frets may be adjusted to alter the pitch.

There are two sizes of tuning pegs on the Sitar. The larger pegs on the peg box are for the playing strings. The large pegs on the side of the neck are for the chikaries (drone strings). The smaller pegs, on the side of the neck, are for the sympathetic strings. The degree of decoration of these pegs is an indication of the class of instrument. The more decorated the pegs, the higher the quality of instrument.

The surface of the sitar is highly decorated. There are numerous inlays and a good deal of carving. Sitars can be divided into two types, the single and the double toomba. The Double toomba has a second, smaller, carved gourd at the end of the neck. The single usually has fewer strings and only one gourd.

"Jawari" is the process of optimizing the tonal quality of an instrument such as sitar, veena, or tanpura. Sitars have a mixture of jawari finishes which will differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. The basic rule is that 7-string sitars usually have an 'open' jawari, and 6-string sitars usually have a 'closed' jawari. It is expected that a player will need to adjust the jawari on their sitar as part of the normal "tweaking" process.

The "professional" sitar is made by professional sitar players, who are more qualified, which adds to the construction and quality of the sitar. The professional sitar is typically 48-49 inches in length, and has 13 sympathetic strings. The standard sitar is shorter in length and has 11 sympathetic strings.

More information on sitars