Any Sitar players here?

[Olam]

I'm about to buy a Sitar and was wondering if there are any players here...
I am new to this instrument and would love to exchange thoughts!

:clapping:

[Open Minded Dude]

Not really. But I love all kinds of "world music" and and kind of folk music and the used traditional instruments.

Nice synchronicity for me: I just listened an hour ago to an old vinyl of mine after 30 years again and the last song of the album was a kind of lullaby for the then newborn son of the singer (in 1984) and there was next to the Banjo a wonderful Sitar in it. It blew me away, my fav of that album for sure.

[Olam]

I used to numb myself with substances, nowadays, I look for the same effect in a healthy way...lol
I play many instruments and I can't wait to get into playing this one, for sure I will soar away those covid blues.
Play a C# drone in the background and play over that..for a long time.

[Samson]

I wondered Whats a Sitar, so i googled it and realised i have seen and heared sitars.

My ears dont like the sound of sitars, and so i googled an instrument my ears love, but dont know how its called or named, but googled 'ufo drum'. Magic happend.
Dear Olam, would you be so kind to share a sitar concert or moment You fell in love with the sound of the instrument?
Trumpets violins harps ...Samson stay on topic... why sitar?

[Olam]

Sure

Here is a master you might of heard the name, Ravi Shankar and his daughter Anoushka.
There are two main types of Sitars, the one named after Ravi Shankar was designed by him, it has a lower octave, plays lower frequency strings, which I love.
This is what I want to play....
Dim the lights, put on your pyjamas and perhaps a glass of wine....

:-)

lIQrUZLyATo

[ExomatrixTV]

Sitar Basics

vTzyJrFRUnU

[Karen (Geophyz)]

I found this enjoyable.


https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=C74945FAEA5A57FEB7FDC74945FAEA5A57FEB7FD&q=sitar+music&shtp=GetUrl&shid=c305883b-8219-4ed9-b015-7bea7f1f7e02&shtk=U0lUQVIgTUVUQUwgLSBXaGVuIFRpbWUgU3RhbmRzIFN0aWxsIChPZmZpY2lhbCBWaWRlbyk%3D&shdk=V29ybGQncyBmaXJzdCBzb25nIHByZXNlbnRpbmcgJ1RhcHBpbmcnIG9uIHRoZSBTaXRhciB0YWtlbiBmcm9tIHRoZSBXb3J sZCdzIGZpcnN0IFx1MDAyNiBvbmx5IFNpdGFyLWZyb250ZWQgSW5kaWFuIENsYXNzaWNhbCAtIE1ldGFsIEFsYnVtICdTaXRhciB NZXRhbCcgbm93IGF2YWlsYWJsZSBldmVyeXdoZXJlIC0gTGlzdGVuL0Rvd25sb2FkIGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnNpdGFybWV0YWwub3J nL211c2ljIC0gQ2xvdGhpbmcsIENEcyBcdTAwMjYgTWVyY2hhbmRpc2UgaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2l0YXJtZXRhbC5vcmcvc2hvcCB Db25uZWN0IHdpdGggU0lUQVIgTUVUQUwgLSBGYWNlYm9vayBodHRwczovL3d3dyAuLi4%3D&shhk=EbpmB3HWH9%2FSh995amWWtvqez7itjICn%2FtQQoi7O2rY%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.tqj3Eknl2ZeXKTl428zdXg

[Olam]

I found this enjoyable.


https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=C74945FAEA5A57FEB7FDC74945FAEA5A57FEB7FD&q=sitar+music&shtp=GetUrl&shid=c305883b-8219-4ed9-b015-7bea7f1f7e02&shtk=U0lUQVIgTUVUQUwgLSBXaGVuIFRpbWUgU3RhbmRzIFN0aWxsIChPZmZpY2lhbCBWaWRlbyk%3D&shdk=V29ybGQncyBmaXJzdCBzb25nIHByZXNlbnRpbmcgJ1RhcHBpbmcnIG9uIHRoZSBTaXRhciB0YWtlbiBmcm9tIHRoZSBXb3J sZCdzIGZpcnN0IFx1MDAyNiBvbmx5IFNpdGFyLWZyb250ZWQgSW5kaWFuIENsYXNzaWNhbCAtIE1ldGFsIEFsYnVtICdTaXRhciB NZXRhbCcgbm93IGF2YWlsYWJsZSBldmVyeXdoZXJlIC0gTGlzdGVuL0Rvd25sb2FkIGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnNpdGFybWV0YWwub3J nL211c2ljIC0gQ2xvdGhpbmcsIENEcyBcdTAwMjYgTWVyY2hhbmRpc2UgaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2l0YXJtZXRhbC5vcmcvc2hvcCB Db25uZWN0IHdpdGggU0lUQVIgTUVUQUwgLSBGYWNlYm9vayBodHRwczovL3d3dyAuLi4%3D&shhk=EbpmB3HWH9%2FSh995amWWtvqez7itjICn%2FtQQoi7O2rY%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.tqj3Eknl2ZeXKTl428zdXg

Wow, he is like the Eddie Van Halen of Sitar...

[mojo]

Hi Olam, I have been excited to share the most amazing song with you. It was a very special time and would play this song many nights before heading out to skywatch.... Hope you enjoy it as much as I have...

S42LGG3Eq44

[Olam]

Thanks mojo!
It's nice to see contemporary music done with traditional instruments.
I like the track.
I think once I have learned the basics with the traditional stuff, I will get into stuff like this.
Many ideas come to mind, all I have to do now is buy one...lol
very soon, just trying to buy the right one.
All instruments have personalities, it's just a question of finding one that jives with you.

[Blastolabs]

I have a tambura that I fixed up Its like a sitar that only has 4 drone strings. But I am very familiar with North Indian classical music and tuning and sitars. Guitar player here originally I can likely answer most questions you have. Where are you planning on buying it?

Properly tuning a tambura is extremely difficult because you must tune the strings AND the drone/ buzzing, typically to match the scale of the raga for which you are playing. Same goes from the sitar, you actually move the frets to match the notes in the raga and also need to tune the drone strings AND the "buzzing" harmonics...


Have you ever played a stringed instrument?

The learning curve on the sitar will be exponentially more difficult than say a violin or guitar, but that is not a bad thing.

[ZenBaller]

These oriental instruments have such a beautiful sound. For the musicians out here in Avalon and in this thread, if you have composed or covered anything on your own, it would be great to share it with us. Whatever it is (instrument or genre), professional or not, just a jam at home in low quality audio. It would be great if we had a thread about it. Maybe we could even cooperate and write something together. I play keyboards.

[Olam]

I have a tambura that I fixed up Its like a sitar that only has 4 drone strings. But I am very familiar with North Indian classical music and tuning and sitars. Guitar player here originally I can likely answer most questions you have. Where are you planning on buying it?

Properly tuning a tambura is extremely difficult because you must tune the strings AND the drone/ buzzing, typically to match the scale of the raga for which you are playing. Same goes from the sitar, you actually move the frets to match the notes in the raga and also need to tune the drone strings AND the "buzzing" harmonics...


Have you ever played a stringed instrument?

The learning curve on the sitar will be exponentially more difficult than say a violin or guitar, but that is not a bad thing.

Thanks for the info.
I have played guitar since age 7.
The thing for me that I like about the sitar, my grandma bought be a uke at age 7 and I had no clue about chords.
So for many years I just played melodies on one string.
So I can relate to the sitar which does just that.
It developped my ear and I just know I will be able to do this!

My questions right now are more about being able to recognize a quality sitar to help me choose the right one.
As I understand it, ( I have yet to try one), you want to find one that resonates strongly easily.
All instruments have personalities . I always choose my electric guitars by playing them acoustically.
If they resonate strongly and have lots of sustain that way, I just know they will be great plugged in.
So for the sitar, as long as the extra strings are well tuned to the resonant frequency, frequencies of the main 2 strings, they should resonate easily.
In other words, as I see it, you just need to pluck the 2 main strings in the open and the rest should come alive.
I understand that the Jawari, the bridge is also important , that is what gives the buzzing sound.

So anyhow!...I shall be trying some of them soon when our local stores open up, we are in lockdown right now.
Once I find a good one for me, I will start by learning the basics and after a short while I shall be flying on my own...

Honestly, what I am really excited to do is to just play a drone chord in the background, something like this and then just improvise on top of it.
When I listen to this, I can already hear melodies in my head that I could play all day long!
e66mCMLj7yI

[ljwheat]

I wonder if maybe similar to a guitar, used to play 60 years ago. may look into because o this post, thanks.

[mojo]

Hi Olam Thank you for responding back. Another instrument in that song is also very different. Can anyone guess? It is the didgeridoo, and bet many didnt know that. The label on the album is also very special as it is related to sacred geometry. In my own search in the paranormal, one hypothesis is that geometry that moves into infinity can also travel into other dimensions. Observations seemed to exhibit elements of moving from solid to not being there and through trees. Anyway sorry for going a little off topic. Anyway I dont think you will hear a Sitar & Didgeridoo playing together very much... ;)

[Olam]

I wonder if maybe similar to a guitar, used to play 60 years ago. may look into because o this post, thanks.

It makes me very happy to think that I might inspire you to play again!
What I really like about the sitar are the vocal like qualities and freedom it gives to play differently.
For example, listen to this Roy Buchanan track, he was always a very soulful player, and my absolute most favorite moment of everything that he ever played is at the end of this track.
He was able to make his guitar cry like a baby, or wail like a soul in pain, it's very emotional.

So on a sitar, I like it very much that you can do a 5 step bend on that one string, and anything in between, so it is very much like a human voice.
I tried to do like Roy, I can't....lol, I sound like someone complaining, but not like a soul in pain....
So I am very excited to try this stuff on the sitar.

PAUqGCpbKN4

[Blastolabs]

The instrument you linked is the one that I have, a tanpura. There is a LOT more to tuning a tanpura than simply tuning the strings. You tune via the tuning pegs like a regular guitar but you also have to tune down at the bridge to get the over tones correct for your particular raga.

Indian music does not have harmony which you kinda mentioned, instead it has a raga which is like a scale kind of of, but also includes a story that is suppose to be "told" through your improvising of the notes in the Raga.

I usually make music influenced by this concept, where I don't have a "song" but more like a world to explore.

If you were to purchase a tambura you could EASILY learn to play it and then by using a slide on the guitar you could hit all the notes available on a guitar.

This is kinda what the master Derek Trucks does... Y4eSREN3LXs

[Olam]

These oriental instruments have such a beautiful sound. For the musicians out here in Avalon and in this thread, if you have composed or covered anything on your own, it would be great to share it with us. Whatever it is (instrument or genre), professional or not, just a jam at home in low quality audio. It would be great if we had a thread about it. Maybe we could even cooperate and write something together. I play keyboards.

That would be nice!....lots of musicians jam on zoom these days.
There are also simple apps to use to reduce latency so we can have good sync while we play.
Or we can even do the chain thing where I play something, send it to you to add something, sendit back to me and buils that way...
Avalon jam sessions....anytime!

[Olam]

The instrument you linked is the one that I have, a tanpura. There is a LOT more to tuning a tanpura than simply tuning the strings. You tune via the tuning pegs like a regular guitar but you also have to tune down at the bridge to get the over tones correct for your particular raga.

Indian music does not have harmony which you kinda mentioned, instead it has a raga which is like a scale kind of of, but also includes a story that is suppose to be "told" through your improvising of the notes in the Raga.

I usually make music influenced by this concept, where I don't have a "song" but more like a world to explore.

If you were to purchase a tambura you could EASILY learn to play it and then by using a slide on the guitar you could hit all the notes available on a guitar.

This is kinda what the master Derek Trucks does... Y4eSREN3LXs

Yes I have followed Dereck for years, he is about the only player who goes in between the established notes on the fretboard with the slide, micro tonal passages .
He is all alone in his field, just a really great dedicated player.
In fact he is a big influence for me, I hope to do some of that on the sitar.
There are so many instruments I would love to play, including handpans!

On a side but related note, I do Reiki on horses, I have been wanting to bring a hand pan and play that for them as a starter and then move on to the Reiki...
The hand pan is also hypnotic, I'm sure the horses would love it.
They sure would have that lower lip hanging real low!
Thats always a sign that the horse is on another level and has somewhat relaxed their nervous system and instinct of fight or flight.

[Blastolabs]

Here is a little improvisation I did about a month ago, it picks up towards the middle/ end. Planning on doing a bunch more soon.
No sitar but the droning and improvisation is borrowed in part from North Indian music I think...

1BGccme0LsE

[Strat]

Here is a little improvisation I did about a month ago, it picks up towards the middle/ end. Planning on doing a bunch more soon.
No sitar but the droning and improvisation is borrowed in part from North Indian music I think...

1BGccme0LsE

I really like this! Do you have a link to more of your music like a soundcloud page or something similar? If you had a CD with artwork and everything I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I'm like the last person on the planet though who owns and collects CD's unfortunately. I always buy hard copies of media. I take pleasure in pulling out an album and checking out the artwork as I listen to it.

This is sometimes how I pick new albums to try out: by the cover. Don't judge a book by it's cover but if you do this with an album it's great fun. I love digging through albums, finding something that looks neat and trying it out. To date, I think the album Earth and Sun and Moon has the best artwork I've seen yet. I believe it was inspired by south Mexico's indigenous natives:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/81/MidnightOil_EarthSunMoon.jpg

Unrelated to this, Derek Trucks and his wife (who's also a phenomenal musician) lives about 20min from my house. Small world.

[Blastolabs]

Thanks, I really need to work on promoting my music.I'm planning on releasing 2 of my albums on vinyl at some point.

Blasto - Raw
46065

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/blasto1/raw

Blasto - Blasto
46064

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/senorblasto/bOFL

[Strat]

Let me know when you release them, I'll buy them.