How Does the Sitar Work

sitar, stringed instrument of the lute family that is popular in northern India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. … They pluck the strings with a wire plectrum worn on the right forefinger while the left hand manipulates the strings with subtle pressure on or between the frets and with sideways pulls of the strings.

How does the sitar produce sound?

As a stringed instrument, a sitar may have as few as 18 or as many as 21 metal strings. There are usually five or six played strings, one or two drone strings, and as many as a dozen sympathetic strings. The drone and sympathetic strings resonate along with the played strings, giving the sitar its characteristic sound.

Does the sitar play the melody?

Its strings are metal; there are usually five melody strings, one or two drone strings used to accentuate the rhythm or pulse, and as many as 13 sympathetic strings beneath the frets in the neck that are tuned to the notes of the raga (melodic framework of the performance).