surbahar- raag Des

Surbahar is bass sitar - a plucked string instrument used in the Hindustani classical music of North India. Its pitch is one to four octaves lower than the sitar and the Surbahar is to the sitar, what the cello is to the violin. A large pumpkin fixed to the neck acts as a resonator allowing a deep, sonorous, long-lasting sound. The surbahar has four rhythm strings (cikari), four playing strings and 15 to 17 unplayed sympathetic strings resting on a wide flat bridge giving the musician a great ability to meend (glissando).

The invention of the surbahar, around 1825, is attributed, variously, to Ustad Sahebdad Khan, the father of the legendary Ustad Imdad Khan, and a lesser- known Lucknow-based early 19th century sitarist, Ustad Ghulam Mohammed. The purpose of developing the instrument was to enable sitar-players to present the elaborate dhrupad-style alap traditionally performed on the rudra veena. Until well into the 20th century, leading sitarists habitually presented the dhrupad style alap on the surbahar, followed by post-dhrupad styles of compositions on the sitar.

The difficulty of playing the instrument, the technical developments in the acoustics of the sitar and the decline of the Dhrupad style itself has led to its lack of visibility. However for the true lovers of North Indian classical music Jagdeep Singh Bedi, one of the very few concert performers of the Surbahar in Delhi performs in the traditional style of the alap on the Surbahar and the jor and jhala on the sitar. He combines the unmatched acoustic richness and melodic potential of the surbahar with the versatility of the contemporary sitar.

Jagdeep Singh Bedi is a MPhil in Music from the University of Delhi and a musician who was initiated to the sitar and surbahar by his father. He developed his skills under Shri Anil Dhar in the style of the Senia Gharana and later under the reputed sitarist Debashish Mukherjee. He has performed in the Festival of India in the USSR as well as in many festivals in India . He is an empanelled artist with ICCR and All India Radio. His CD Soft & True was released by Music of the World USA.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Surbahar
• classical
• hindustani

[aboutlifeandmusic]

Some people just try to attract attention by any means fair or unfair.

Dhruv thanks for your answer.Its best to ignore such wild comments.

[shishirth]

Very nice meends

[fromthebody]

This is SO good. Raag Des, beautiful through surbahar.

[fhbie]

Great It is wonderful. please you listen Ustad Ghulam Farid Nizami rag marvi and his singing. He is living in U S A. I love his sitar.

[fhbie]

Great It is wonderful. please you listen Ustad Ghulam Farid Nizami rag marvi and his singing.

[tabaljee]

@ bhageerathi, you obviously don't have ears for good music, you're probably a wannabe who never understood good music. Next time you make a comment give your mouth a chance..........instead of speaking from your rear-end

[designinsight]

Coming through one speaker on my hi-tech system. LOSS. UNFORTUNATE

[kanuz777]

Lovely!

[chizzlemang]

JAI !! LOVELY

[Str8singh]

bhageerathi that is a good description of yourself. I would like to add MOORAKH to that. Which im sure translates to an Idiot. May god bless you with this understanding, I really feel sorry for you. You must really be depressed, i guess musical therapy is not an option for you. How sad.