How to Play an Evening Raga for Sitar

The sitar is a classic Indian instrument that has been around for centuries. It is an interesting instrument and takes great care and dedication to learn to play correctly. The sitar has been used for many rituals and ceremonies celebrated by the Indian culture. The evening raga is one of those songs used for such celebrations but only those for end-of-the day, more subdued and serene moments.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Learn how to properly hold the sitar. The sitar is an extremely large, strangely shaped string instrument similar to a guitar. It needs to be played with you sitting on the ground cross-legged and the sitar in front of you, positioned in your lap. One hand will play the strings while the other one will control the neck.

2. Understand the basic chords and sounds of the sitar. The chords are the same as any basic form of guitar playing. The sounds, however, are quite different. The sitar has a high pinging type of sound, different than the reverberating one of a guitar. The strings are tighter and made of different materials than a guitar string, such as the gourd, or body.

3. Notice the tone and timing of the evening raga. A raga is based on a scale, but is less specific than a scale; likewise it is more specific than a song. Ragas can be used in a variety of ways. Khamaj is a romantic evening raga with a melodic and soft sound to it.

4. Pick some different phrases to get different sounds and melodies. The sitar has a whole range of ragas that can be played to obtain different moods and feelings. Evening ragas are all about the end of the day, relaxing and winding down for a peaceful evening.

Tips & Warnings

• Check out "Moods of the Day" produced by Universal for a collection of classic evening ragas.