Category Archives: Instruments

At Save the Sitar, we have covered many diverse types of instruments, from sarangis to tablas. Continuing this tradition, today we will cover an unusual yet amazing instrument: the matka, an instrument which may appear to the uninitiated as a … pot?! What’s this? We cover instruments, not cooking utensils! Or at least we thinkContinue reading “The Matka”

The fingers dance in a blur of motion, whistling through the air. The audience leans in, intent not to lose a moment. A swift succession of sounds fills the air as the intoxicating rhythm pulls you in. The audience rise to their feet, swaying in time with the beat. In and out of this beautifulContinue reading “The Tabla”

Once, there was an instrument which though beloved in its native home, the subcontinent, was completely unknown elsewhere. Gifted players would rise to the court scene and be showered with wealth and gifts by the king … if he were musically minded that is. The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb completely banned all types of music, forcingContinue reading “The Sitar”

Many will be surprised to learn that the harmonium which we know today has an extremely interesting and intriguing history. The harmonium was invented by the Danish scientist Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein in 1780, a professor of physiology in the University of Copenhagen. Incidentally, his experiments with electricity inspired the famous Gothic horror novel, Mary Shelley’sContinue reading “The Harmonium”

The rubab, also spelled rabab, is a wooden lute originating from Afghanistan, which is mostly played in Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. Its body is traditionally made of a solid block of mulberry wood, with its head being made of goat’s skin and the strings of the intestinal strings of young goats. Its powerfulContinue reading “The Rubab”