Chitravina
July 23, 2008 7:21 AM Subscribe
Ever heard a chitravina? It's a 21-stringed musical instrument from India, similar in appearance to the more widely-known veena, but with a sonic character all its own, due in large part to the fact that it's fretless, and it's played with a slide. Here's an NPR feature on the instrument's prime exponent, N. Ravikiran. [NOTE: embedded audio on that last link]
Here's the Wikipedia page for the gottuvadhyam, which is another name for the chitravina (there are several names, actually). You'll note the somewhat irritating promotion (self-promotion?) included in this page, though, of the indefatigable N. Ravikiran. But hey, whaddayugunnado? Ravikiran would appear to have a virtual worldwide monopoly on this 21-stringed beast!
My previous posts on Carnatic music.
Here's the Wikipedia page for the gottuvadhyam, which is another name for the chitravina (there are several names, actually). You'll note the somewhat irritating promotion (self-promotion?) included in this page, though, of the indefatigable N. Ravikiran. But hey, whaddayugunnado? Ravikiran would appear to have a virtual worldwide monopoly on this 21-stringed beast!
My previous posts on Carnatic music.
preparat, they would have used animal intestines. They smelled bad and they don't stay in tune for love nor money.
posted by chuckdarwin at 7:50 AM on July 23, 2008
posted by chuckdarwin at 7:50 AM on July 23, 2008
Killer post. Yet another "guitar-like" instrument that I need to try out!
posted by chuckdarwin at 7:50 AM on July 23, 2008
posted by chuckdarwin at 7:50 AM on July 23, 2008
Another slide guitar with 22 strings was developed by Debashish Bhattacharya. You can see Bob Brozman playing one here.
posted by bonobothegreat at 9:32 AM on July 23, 2008
posted by bonobothegreat at 9:32 AM on July 23, 2008
The wonderful consequence of shifting focus entirely away from harmony to melody is that large numbers of sympathetic strings become a reasonable addition to any instrument. Those gentle swells start to sound like they come from an ocean instead of an instrument...
posted by invitapriore at 11:00 AM on July 23, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by invitapriore at 11:00 AM on July 23, 2008 [1 favorite]
Man, how many string instruments does India have, anyway? Can someone point me to a good list of them all with short descriptions, etc.?
posted by DecemberBoy at 1:17 PM on July 23, 2008
posted by DecemberBoy at 1:17 PM on July 23, 2008
...how many string instruments does India have...
This Wikipedia list might help answer that.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:20 PM on July 23, 2008
This Wikipedia list might help answer that.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:20 PM on July 23, 2008
« Older Dead Funnies | Fowler Museum of Cultural History Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by preparat at 7:42 AM on July 23, 2008