Lute

India "Sindhi Sarangi"

Langa People of Rajasthan, northwestern India
India

Wood, steel wire strings, parchment
Possibly late 19th century

Height: 60cm (24 inches)

The "sindhi sarangi" is carved out of a single piece of wood. The body is hollow, with the belly being covered with parchment. There are four bowed strings (three originally of gut and one of wire). Underneath the bowed strings and running parallel through the bridge are thirteen sympathetic wire strings. The most difficult demand of this instrument is the tuning of these sympathetic strings to the ragas. The "sarangi" is a generic name for a variety of bowed instruments from India. Originally, the "sarangi" were folk instruments, such as this "sindhi sarangi," of the Langa People in the state of Rajasthan, in northwestern India. The function of the "sindhi sarangi" was to accompany the voice by imitating the nuances of the human voice. Playing the "sindhi sarangi" involved the right hand using a horsehair bow to play the bowed strings, while the left hand finger nails (next to the cuticle) pressed down the strings on the fretless finger board, shortening their vibrating length. The classical "sarangi," often lower pitched than the "sindhi sarangi," was played as a solo melodic instrument in the Hindustani classical ensemble.

Owner:
Catalog#: HWMC

Clark, Mitchell. "Sounds of the Silk Road: Musical Instruments of Asia." MRA Publications, 2005

© Hartenberger World Music Collection