The Sitar

Music (in any form) was once known to be natural sounds from nature. It is also known to shape one's mood to be happy or sad.  Music has been around for thousands of years. For example, the sitar is one of the oldest indian instruments played.  

The sitar is beatuifully made by hand, which takes years to build. It has been modified until a perfect sound was heard. 

The sitar orginated in India and still exists as one of the most interesting instruments of the world. 

The sitar contains many features.  It is a long necked shaped instrument with a fragile round bottom. It contains 21-23 strings. Seven on top which are the main strings played, while 3 are played for rhythm and melody. In order to have different notes, theis instruments has frets.  Under the frets exists 10-17 strings at the bottom, which may be used as well. 

The tumba is a round section that is attached, where it gives a rich sound. Without it, the base and sound does not protrude as well.

While an individual plays the sitar, it can be accompanied by a drum called the tabla (2 sets of small drums). 

You can listen to it, by clicking on the audio below. 

The 7 pound instrument is played with two hands. The left hand holding up and stroking the strings, while the right hand moves up and down pressing on different frets to get different sounds.

To stroke the strings, a pick also alled the misrab is used. The misrab is inserted into the pointer finger and is attached to the finger.  It is very differnt from a regular pick that ones holds between the finger to stronk the strings. 

Very similar to Western music, the notes are similar but called differently. Notes such as do-re-me-fa-so-la-ti-do is sa-re-ga-ma-pa-dha-ni-sa.  They are the same sound and can be altered.

However, on the sitar, a melody that is played is called a raga or mood. Five melodic tunes must be played in order to call it a raga. Based on ones mood, a different raga can be payed. For example, if one is in a happy mood, a happy raga might be played.  People tend to listen to sitar music for relaxation or meditation. 

In addition to ragas, there can be fusion or mixed music with this type of music.   

The sitar became popular with the famous Ravi Shankar. He taught Gorge from the band Bettles, where it was played in their music. Since then, in the 1970's, the sitar became popluar. 

Althoughthe band does not exist anymore, there are other popluar sitarist such as Ravi Shankar's daughter, Anushka Shankar. 

She is one of the lead players of today. Her fusion, techniques and style is appreciated and loved. 

The Hindu goddess of music (Sawaswati) is believed to help individuals reach thier goal or exceed in music. 

Music vibrations are univeral in every culture and the superstring theory can help explain that. 

The string thoery discussed by Einstein and many other scienctists suggests that instruments with strings give off a natural vibrations which is vital to our creation. 

The "String theory says that every particle is like a tiny rubber band, each vibrating at different frequencies. Physics can therefore be reduced to harmony. The melodies on these strings can explain chemistry. The universe is a symphony of strings. The “mind of God” that Einstein wrote about can be explained as cosmic music resonating through hyperspace."

This string thoery is very well connected with music.  Although it has not been proven, to some it certainly feels "god like" due to the sounds that it makes and the expereince it creates. 

String Theory taken from: