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Indian Instruments Posted by on Feb 15, 2011 in Uncategorized

There are so many Indian instruments; it’s hard to keep count! India has a long and rich history and culture, and the musical heritage from which Indian epics and love songs derive from are also deep and complex. As a result, many musical forms and instruments were created to narrate an oral tradition of storytelling.

The Saraswati Veena is a stringed instrument that is particularly played in Southern India. The instrument was named after Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of music. The saraswati veena has two resonators, but the resonator near the neck no longer functions as a resonator. It is used to prop the instrument to make playing easier.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0ffY2zVItU&feature=related

The Esraj is an instrument with twelve to fifteen strings. The strings are made of metal, but the soundboard is made of goatskin. This instrument can be played with the fingers on frets while the other free hand can be used to slide a bow against the strings. The esraj is not as popular as the other instruments, but now it’s making a comeback.

The Sārangī is a stringed instrument that can be played with a bow, but unlike the esraj, the sārangī is smaller in size (about two feet long). It’s also the hardest Indian instrument to master, one of the reasons being that it’s hard to tune. It’s also been said that it is the stringed instrument that most resembles a human voice.

The Mohan Veena is also a stringed instrument with twenty strings. This instrument is used to play classical Indian music, and looks a lot like a modern guitar. There’s a good reason for that and that’s because the mohan veena is a modified guitar. There is a gourd attached to the back of the neck, which gives the instrument a good, clear sound.

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