In musical instrument classification, string instruments or chordophones, are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when a performer plays or sounds the strings in some manner.
The sitar is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in 19th-century India. Khusrau Khan, an 18th-century figure of the Mughal Empire has been identified by modern scholarship as the inventor of the sitar. According to most historians, he developed the sitar from the setar, an Iranian instrument of Abbasid or Safavid origin. Another view supported by a minority of scholars is that Khusrau Khan developed it from Veena.
The sārangī is a bowed, short-necked three-stringed instrument played in traditional music from South Asia – Punjabi folk music, Rajasthani folk music, Sindhi folk music and Boro folk music – in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. It is said to most resemble the sound of the human voice through its ability to imitate vocal ornaments such as gamaks (shakes) and meends. The Nepali sarangi is similar but is a folk instrument, unornate and four-stringed.
The fingerboard is an important component of most stringed instruments. It is a thin, long strip of material, usually wood, that is laminated to the front of the neck of an instrument. The strings run over the fingerboard, between the nut and bridge. To play the instrument, a musician presses strings down to the fingerboard to change the vibrating length, changing the pitch. This is called stopping the strings. Depending on the instrument and the style of music, the musician may pluck, strum or bow one or more strings with the hand that is not fretting the notes. On some instruments, notes can be sounded by the fretting hand alone, such as with hammer ons, an electric guitar technique.
The following outline is provides an overview of Sikhism, or Sikhi.
The esraj or esraaj is an Indian stringed instrument found in two forms throughout the Indian subcontinent. It is a relatively recent instrument, being only about 300 years old. It is found in North India and Pakistan, primarily Punjab, where it is used in Sikh music and Hindustani classical compositions and in West Bengal. The esraj is a modern variant of the dilruba, differing slightly in structure.
The Seni rebab, also known as the Seniya rabab is a plucked string instrument used in northern India that is said to have been developed by, and to have taken its name from, the notable musician Tansen in the time of the emperor Akbar the Great. It has "a large hook at the back of its head, making it easier for a musician to sling it over the shoulder and play it even while walking." It has been used in Hindustani classical music and religiously, in Sikh music. The rebab influenced the development of the sarod, another Indian musical instrument.
A Sarinda or Saranda is a stringed folk musical instrument from North and Eastern India and Pakistan, similar to the Sarangi, lutes, and the fiddle.
A setar is a stringed instrument, a type of lute used in Persian traditional music, played solo or accompanying voice. It is a member of the tanbur family of long-necked lutes with a range of more than two and a half octaves. Originally a three stringed instrument, a fourth string was added by Mushtaq Ali Shah by the mid 19th century. It is played with the index finger of the right hand.
Sikh music, also known as Gurbani Sangeet , and as Gurmat Sangeet, or even as Shabad Kirtan, is the classical music style that is practised within Sikhism. It exists in institutional, popular, and folk traditions, forms, and varieties. Three types of Sikh musicians are rababis, ragis, and dhadhis. Sikh music exists in various melodic modes, musical forms, styles, musicians, and performance contexts.
The Tat Khalsa, also romanised as Tatt Khalsa, known as the Akal Purkhias during the 18th century, was a Sikh faction that arose from the schism following the passing of Guru Gobind Singh in 1708, led by his widow Mata Sundari, opposed to the religious innovations of Banda Singh Bahadur and his followers. The roots of the Tat Khalsa lies in the official formalization and sanctification of the Khalsa order by the tenth Guru in 1699.
Rubab, Robab, or Rabab is a lute-like musical instrument.The rubab is the national musical instruments of Afghanistan, is also commonly played in Pakistan and India mostly by Pashtuns and Balochis, Sindhis, Kashmiris and Punjabis. Variants of the rubab include the Kabuli rebab of Afghanistan, the Rawap of Xinjiang, the Pamiri rubab of Tajikistan and the seni rebab of northern India. The instrument and its variants spread throughout West, Central, South and Southeast Asia. The Kabuli rebab from Afghanistan derives its name from the Arabic rebab and is played with a bow while in Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, the instrument is plucked and is distinctly different in construction.
The taus, originally known as the mayuri veena, is a bowed string instrument from North India. It is a form of veena used in North India with a peacock-shaped resonator called a mayuri, and is played with the neck of the instrument on bow. Some versions have Sympathetic Strings that go to the Headstock like a Dilruba so they're known as the Mayuri Dilruba.
A Ragi is a Sikh musician who plays hymns (shabads) in different ragas as prescribed in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
Saidpur is a village in Sultanpur Lodhi Tehsil, Kapurthala district, Punjab, India, situated in the footsteps of Margalla Hills hardly at five minutes drive from the upscale neighbourhoods of the capital.
Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa was a Sikh Hazoori Ragi of Darbar Sahib in Amritsar, Punjab, India.
The veena, also spelled vina, is any of various chordophone instruments from the Indian subcontinent. Ancient musical instruments evolved into many variations, such as lutes, zithers and arched harps. The many regional designs have different names such as the Rudra veena, the Saraswati veena, the Vichitra veena and others.
Rababi is a term used to refer to a player of the rabab instrument.
The history of the Dasam Granth is related to the time of creation and compilation of various writings by Guru Gobind Singh in form of small booklets, some of which are Sikh prayers. The first combined-codex manuscripts of the Dasam Granth were created during the Guru period. It is also said that after 1708, the Dasam Granth was allegedly compiled by Mani Singh Khalsa, contributed by other Khalsa armymen under direct instructions of Mata Sundari and this volume is recognized as Sri Dasam Granth Sahib. The present day Dasam Granth includes Jaap Sahib, Akal Ustat, Bachitar Natak, Chandi Charitar Ukati Bilas, Chandi Charitar II, Chandi di Var, Gyan Prabodh, Chaubis Avtar, Rudra Avtar, 33 Sawaiye, Khalsa Mahima, Shashtar Nam Mala Purana, Ath Pakh-yaan Charitar Likh-yatay and Zafarnamah.
Bhai Baldeep Singh is a Ragi known for his Shabad Kirtan. He is a researcher and revivalist for conventional string instruments like Dhrupadi Rabab, Saranda, Tambura (Tanpura), Dilruba used for Sikh music since Guru's Times. He is an accomplished Pakhawaj Mridang Jori player. He is the founder and chairman of Anad Foundation organisation dedicated to Sikh music. He was an unsuccessful candidate of Aam Aadmi Party in 2014 general elections for Punjab state of India.
