How to Play a Sitar Major Scale

The sitar is a stringed instrument that is a major part of East Indian music, often used as part of eastern religion ceremonies and traditional culture. The sitar can be an intimidating instrument, since there are a large number of strings and frets. If you learn how to play the instrument slowly and practice often, you can learn the major scale on the sitar.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Start by getting familiar with your Tarb strings. These strings are not played by you, they are resonant strings that are tuned to a certain pitch and when the main strings are playing, they echo the sound creating texture and depth. These strings are all normally 33 or 34 gauge steel.

2. Place the little finger of your right hand under the 7 strings. Use your fingernail to slowly stroke the strings of the Tarb in a downward position. This will give you a traditional sound you hear at the beginning of most Indian songs. You can also play with an upward motion, though this is not often used and will produce quite a different sound.

3. Oil the sitar string with a mixture of olive oil and light mineral oil. Place this in a small tin with cotton to create a pad of oil you can press your fingers onto and use. Avoid getting the oil on the wood portion of the sitar. Use a soft cloth to take off excess oil and wipe your hands. The mix of oil and sweat on your hands can make the strings sticky.

4. Bend the strings. This is the traditional way to achieve different sounds and notes. Use the first string to play a note, then instead of moving to the next fret, try pulling the string further across the current fret. Practice playing the sitar. Do this slowly and lightly. This is not an instrument to be played aggressively. Many Indian sitar players believe the instrument plays itself.