sitar

[wescattle]

someone here tell me about the sitar!!! How hard or easy is it to play?? Is it based on the guitar or not?
does anyone actually play one here. It is such a cool instrument! are there any places to order one online?

thanks

[AndrewSimon]

Originally Posted by wescattle

someone here tell me about the sitar!!! How hard or easy is it to play?? Is it based on the guitar or not?
does anyone actually play one here. It is such a cool instrument! are there any places to order one online?

thanks

Are you talking about authentic Indian Sitar?
If so, it's not only "NOT based on guitar" but their scales are totally different.
Western world scale is built on half tones, in Indian music they have quarter notes as well.
So in between E and F they have one more note.

Try the Ravi Shankar site (most famous sitar player) for more info:
http://www.ravishankar.org

[bynt]

Yeah, traditional Indian Sitar is all about some damned "microtones" which I find fascinating. In the West we call it "out of tune" but there's magic in Indian classical music. If I'm not mistaken, normally it's an apprenticeship that starts very young and takes a lifetime damned near to be proficiant at. My father in law played one before moving to the Chapman Stick. Guys just a sucker for punishment.

[J.T.]

First step would be to make sure you get a real instrument and not the crap that is routinely sold for $300-$400. I would like on spending around a $1000 from a reputable world instrument dealer.Keep in mind these things have 18 strings and use friction pegs to tune and can be trying to change strings , tune and set up. Since i would imagine teachers are scarce there are some video instructionals on the net. I think there is an indian quote somewhere to the jist of it takes 20 years of practice, 20 years of playing and 20 years of teaching to master the instrument .Good luck!

[scottlr]

But you could probably figure out how to play The Beatles' Norwegian Wood in no time

[richpeax]

Easy way out is the Variax with the preset Coral/Dano Electric Sitar sound. I have the 500 and would never get rid of it.
http://line6.com/variax/collection.html

you can check out the sound.

[willyboy]

I am certainly no expert on this, but my understanding is the scales are not totally different from many western scales from the materials i have read, in fact many ragas are based on the lydian scale although they may not recognize or call it such. i knew a guy who studied in india for a 5 years and if i remember correctly the sitar was tuned to the particular mode you are playing in - no quarter tones as has been suggested. i believe the quarter tone notes are embellishments of the usual chromatic pitches. a quick search on the internet will give you this same info.

[Fingers]

Originally Posted by scottlr

But you could probably figure out how to play The Beatles' Norwegian Wood in no time

True enough -- at that stage George just tuned it & played it like a guitar. Later he learned how to do it the regular way.

I had a sitar many years ago (till it got destroyed in a fire), & even recorded with it a bit when that sound was in demand on sessions around 1966. As far as whether it's hard to play, it's very hard on your left-hand fingers, especially since there's so much horizontal bending, that is, playing whole phrases using about 5 notes just on one string on one fret; play a sitar for an hour & the most uncooperative guitar will then feel like buttah. When the raga scale changes, you move the relavant fret(s), which are kind of tied-on. You also retune the thin resonator strings to match the scale. Also kind of painful is the plectrum, which you wear on your finger as it cuts circulation to that particular extremity. And the position you're supposed to sit in to properly hold the instrument really does work, but I think at my age if I was ever able to get down into it again I might not be able to get out.

They sound beautiful & are very transporting to play, though.

[karmadave]

Speaking of George...I just watched Concert for George last night. The first few songs are Ravi Shankar's daughter playing sitar with an orchestra. It's really cool! Totally different mindset. The Beatles, and George Harrison in particular, were one of the first pop groups to bridge Western and Eastern music.

-KD

[Reeek]

Originally Posted by karmadave

Speaking of George...I just watched Concert for George last night. The first few songs are Ravi Shankar's daughter playing sitar with an orchestra. It's really cool! Totally different mindset. The Beatles, and George Harrison in particular, were one of the first pop groups to bridge Western and Eastern music.

-KD

Is that Nora Jones then?

[Taller]

Originally Posted by Reeek

Is that Nora Jones then?

Noooo!
Anoushka Shankar - behold her beauty and mastery of the instrument:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3HqQoLq5c2c

[Frater B]

Originally Posted by wescattle

someone here tell me about the sitar!!! How hard or easy is it to play?? Is it based on the guitar or not?
does anyone actually play one here. It is such a cool instrument! are there any places to order one online?

thanks

It is not easy to play at all in the traditional way. I had one for about a month. It was not a good one. Which I highly suggest you buy if you are really interested in learning the sitar. You really need it to stay in tune! Even the good ones sometimes need some Bridge ( jawari ) work. I would also go for one without the sympathetic strings, no need to be bother with tuning 20 strings if you are just beginning. The sitar scales ( rag ) are certain notes up the fretboard and not always the same notes down the fretboard. So you can only hit certain notes accending and certain notes decending. Of course you can play what ever you want on it, like the beatles did, just don't let Ravi hear it. And this that has been mentioned: With 22 micro tones - theoretically the Indian oktave consists of sixty-six still smaller units (opposite 12 half-tones in the western music) and up to 72 tone types (in the west only 2 is well-known: major and minor) And the neck is rather large!

Yes, it is a very cool instrument! I have been listening to Indian classical since I saw Ravi and Allah Rakha on the Cavett show. http://youtube.com/watch?v=4gWCiLexilY I have been to countless sitar/classical indian recitals including Ravi, Anoushka, some of his discipels and many others....... I know I'm :NUTS , you don't have to tell me,

You can order good ones from a couple of places, I got my Tablas, Ghatam and a couple other things from:

http://aacm.org/

B

[Chrome Dinette]

One of my college roommates had a sitar, I assume it was one of the cheaper ones. It was a struggle to make any decent music on it. I think a good instrument, proper instruction and lots of discipline/practice are hugely important.

I know someone who bought an Israj(aka dilruba, sort of sitar-esque, but bowed) in India and practiced a lot and has become competent on his own, though.

[Myxolidian]

Originally Posted by Taller

Noooo!
Anoushka Shankar - behold her beauty and mastery of the instrument:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3HqQoLq5c2c

Awesome. She can play my sitar any time.

[thesedaze]

I highly recommend sitarsetc.com for indian instrument purchase. Great service!

I'll be putting an order on an instrumental (flat back, shorter scale) tanpura this weekend. It'll be a 5 string version of the 6 string decorative swan head model they offer...so I guess that constitutes as a 'special order'. With that said, it'll still only take about 30-45 days to get...from INDIA!

How wild is that? Boutique builders take note...