A South Asian stringed instrument, it consists of a single string, a gourd resonator and a bamboo neck. Though there are regional variations of the instrument, the most common version consists of a bowl-shaped end made from the shell of bottle gourd, wood apple and coconut. This is attached to a bamboo neck, and the string is attached to a knob on the neck, known as kaan. It is played by plucking the string with the index finger of the hand it is held in. The instrument was most popularly used by travelling bards singing devotional and other songs and is a common instrument in Baul music of eastern India.
More Definitions
Dafli
A percussion instrument, it is a smaller version of a Persian instrument known as daf. It consists of a circular…
Chalan
A series of notes in a Hindustani raga that summarise its development by illustrating its musical treatment and melodic context.
Doha
A form of Indian poetry, it is a self-contained rhyming couplet consisting of two lines and formed of twenty-four syllables…
Manjira
An Indian idiophonic instrument whose simplest form consists of a pair of small metal cymbals connected by a string. The…
Ish Sherawat
An artist working with sound and electronic media. His projects include diFfuSed beats and Sound Reasons, a festival of sound…
Raga
A central element within Indian classical music, it is a melodic framework based on a given set of notes appearing…
Dadariya
A form of popular folk or field song from Chhattisgarh that is typically sung by people while harvesting paddy fields.
Harmonium
An Indian stringed instrument shaped like a portable wooden box with keys and bellows, measuring approximately 2 feet by 1…