Table Of ContentSitar-making Today:
Problems and Prospects of the Craft
SUVARNALATA RAO
Undoubtedly. the art of instrument-making is as imponant as the art of music
itself. In almost every civilization. the origins of the earliestinstruments have been
connected with myths. Forexample, the sage Swatiis supposed to have beeninspiredto
make a percussion instrument after listening to the sound of raindrops falling on lotus
leaves. Mercury is supposed to have devised the lyre upon finding the drycarcass ofa
tortoiseon the banks ofthe Nile.These myths maysimply representattempts10 accord a
superhuman status to man-made artefacts like musical instruments. What seems certain,
however.isthatsoundsinnaturehavebeenasourceofinspirationinthecreationofmusical
instruments; thus we find sound-producing mechanisms in nature being adapted in the
makingofmusicalinstrumentsindiverse cultures.
Inearly times,the raw materialsusedfor making instrumentswerenaturallysubstances
thatmancouldeasily find aroundhimself.Primarynaturalmateriallikebone,hom,willow
bark.animalgut,hide, aswellassimple artefactssuchasthebowandarrow,claypots,etc.,
wereusedtomakemusicalinstruments.Advancesintechnologyweregraduallyreflectedin
theanofinstrument-making;metalssuch ascopperand iron,alloyslike steelandbronze.
chemicalsubstanceslikegum. vamish,etc.,cametobeusedextensively,andcontinuetobe
used today.
With reference to the music of the Indian subcontinent, evidences such as Bharata's
Natyashastra,thesculpturesoftheSungaperiodatArnaravati,thepaintingsofAjanta.etc.,
suggest that the art of instrumental music and craftsmanship ofinstruments had reached
veryhigh levelsbyabout200B.C.-A.D.200.Boththeartshavebeendiscussedingreatdetail
intheNotyashastra(ChapterXXXIIl).andinthethirteenth-centurytreatisebySharngadeva.
theSangeeta-ramakara (Chapter VI).Sorneshvaradeva's Manasollasa providesdetailsof
craftsmanshipofstringinstrumentsliketheEkatantri Veena(\'crses586--6J]),Kinnariveena
(verses666-701).andMridanga.apercussioninstrument(verses687-701).Thecriteria10be
adoptedfortheselectionofrawmaterials-1A'oOO,hide.etc.-arediscussedintheSangeeta
ratnakara (Chapter VI. verses 1158-1163).Althoughmostof theseinstrumentsarenow
extinct,there isnodoubtthatthey werethepredecessorsofsomeoftheinstrumentsweuse
today.
Traditionally,Indian musical instruments have beenentirelyhand-made.Liketheartof
music. the art ofmaking instruments has been passed onfrom onegeneration tothenext.
Therearewell-knownfamiliesofinstrument-makerslocatedindifferentpartsofthecountry
who are primarily responsiblefor thepreservationofthisspecializedart.Miraj.Calcutta.
Lucknow,andDelhiarethemaincentresaroundwhichthemakersofNorthIndianinstruments
have beenliving and practisingtheircraft. .
Theinformationpresentedinthispaperislargelybasedonanexhaustivesurveyofthese
&1RgUINald Nos. 135-136. WOO
48 SUVARNALATA RAO
instrument-makers,inparticular,makersoftheSitar.Apartoftheinformationcomesfrommy
collaborationwithinstrument-makersinGermany,HollandandSwitzerland.
Someoftheinstrument-makerswhose work isreportedupon herehave beenengagedin
thetradeforseveral generations.ConsideringthattheSitarisabout250 to300yearsold,the
families ofsomeoftheseinstrument-makersmayhave beeninvolvedintheirprofessionover
the last three centuries. During this period, a number of changes have occurred in the
physical aspectof the Sitar, primarily influenced by the stylistic evolution ofits music.It
appearsthat,unliketoday,instrumentalistsinearliertimes haveworkedinclosecollaboration
with instrument-makerstobringaboutthesechangesandhelpinthe processofdevelopment.
ThispaperaimsatreviewinginbriefthecraftofSitar-makingasitispractisedtoday,and
isbased onthesurvey earlier mentioned. However, thefocus isnotonthe actual processof
instrument-makingbutoncertain issues associatedwith it,whichhaveadirectinfluenceon
the process.
A.Raw Materials and their Selection
1.Theraw materialsused tomake the Sitar are: wood(toon or teak for the body); deer
hominplaceofivory(forthebridge);Germansilver(forfrets); gourd-shell(forthetumba
the resonator);shisham-wood (for the pegs); thread (China-moonga to tie the frets); beads
(forfinetuning); forthetailpiece, syntheticgumand celluloid;forpolish,lac and spirit;and
forthestrings, steel (ofvariable thickness) andbronze.
2.Exceptforstringsandcelluloid,whichareimportedfromGermanyandJapanrespectively,
nootherrawmaterial isimported.Althoughstrings are locallyavailable, they do notmatch
thequality oftheirnported varieties.
3.The selectionofraw materials ispurelybasedon experience. The instrument-makers
look forahard,thick, andround gourdwhichis nottoo heavy. Gourdsare classifiedonthe
basis ofshape and size. In Maharashtra, instrument-makers classify them as havingeither
theshapeofaguavaorafig.Gourds ofguava shape are used tomaketheTanpura,whilethe
fig varietyisused formakingtheresonatorofthe Sitar, which iscomparativelysmallerand
notsohigh.Thecurvatureoftheresonatingplankisalsoabasisfor thisclassification:inthe
Tanpurathegourdismore convex while intheSitaritisrelativelyflat.
4.Most instrument-makersmaintainthat toon (Spanishcedar) is the bestwood,quality
wise andmoney-wise. Woods are selectedon the basis oftheirtemperand softness.Wood
withcracksorknotsisavoided. The wood usedforthesound-boardhastohave therequired
tonal quality,andthe necessary strengthand stability.Itshould lenditselfto beingfinished
or hand-polished with fresh shellac for protective and decorative purposes. According to
some instrument-makers,thepatternofgrainson the woodshouldnot bestraight.Itshould
becircular, either convex orconcave,especiallyfor the resonatingplank.
5. The colourof the deer-hom should be bluish grey, so that after filing it turns white.
Instrument-makerspreferhom which has been removedfrom live deer(withouthurtingthe
deer), andnothornthat hasfallenoffdeerandleft todeteriorate;suchhorn isofteninfested
with insects.
SITAR·MAKING TODAY 49
6.Scarcityofdeer-homhasforcedsomeinstrument-makerstouseothermaterialforthe
bridgeof theSitar.Manyhavealso experimented withalternativematerials forthegourd.
Although these instrument-makers have expressed their dissatisfaction over the use of
thesematerials,itwouldbeworthwhiletoknowhowmusiciansreacttothechangesbrought
aboutinthesoundqualityasaresultofusingnon-conventionalmaterials.Fibreglass,steel,
aluminium,andwood-dusthavebeen usedfortheturnba;forthebridge,fibreglass,plastic,
metal,ebony,elephant bone, camel-boneandbonesofotherlargeanimals.Burmateakand
ebony have been substitutedfor toon.
7. Ebony, used for the Sitar-bridge, was found 10 produce a bigger sound bUI not a
sustainedsound.ASitar-makerfromDelhialsoreportsthatAfricanebonyisbetterthanthe
Indianvariety,foundmostlyinMysore,whichisquiteporousandswellsinhumidconditions.
8.Almostallinstrument-makersarewillingtousenon-conventionalmaterialsiftheseare
madeavailabletothemandiftheyare foundtoresultinadesirablesoundqualityapproved
bymusicians.Thereforetheirexperimentsandsuggestionsneedtobeempiricallyverifiedin
thelaboratory so that we canunderstandthequalitativedifferencesbroughtaboutbythe
useofnewmaterials,andcanexplore thepossibilityofusingnon-conventionalorsynthetic
materialsforvariouscomponents.Thisstepwouldgoalongwayinachievingstandardization
ofourinstruments.
B.Making theInstrument: Seasoning,Machines/Tools Used,ProcessingandAssembling
1.Atpresent,seasoning of wood aswell asseasoningof partially made instrumentsis
donebyacompletelynaturalprocessbysomeinstrument-makers,l.e.,bystackingthemfor
monthsoryears.Nochemicaltreatmentorotherartificialmeansofseasoningisemployed.
Someinstrument-makersreportthatamixtureofcowdungandgumisappliedtothesurface
ofthe wood, so thatitdoesn't crack.Every instrument-maker isoftheopinionthathehas
seasonedthewood, buttheextent ofseasoning remainsamystery.Humidweatherdoesnot
helptheprocess.Perhapsforthisreason,placeslikeMumbaiarenotcentresofinstrument
making.Theseasoningstageininstrument-makingissupposedtobecriticalforthequality
ofinstruments,but the length oftime proper seasoningrequiresaddstothefinalcost:the
longerthegestation,thesmallertheoutput,andthehigherthecostoftheinstrument.Here,
aselsewhere,time is money.Storage facilities areoftenlacking with instrument-makers.
addingtotheproblem.
2.Someinstrument-makersareaware that itispossible,thoughnotadvisable,toseason
thewoodrapidlybyresorting10thekiln-dryingtechnique.
3.Gourd-shellsaresuppliedinaseasonedconditionbyplanters.Hov:'ever,i~s.trume.nt
makers are awareoftheadvantagesoffurther seasoning.andthenecessityofdisinfecting
thegourds beforeactualuse.
4.Lackofstoragespaceseemstobeacommonproblem,becauseofwhichra'!'materials
cannotbe procuredin bulk. Given theoverpopulatedlocalitiesinwhichmostInstrument
makers' establishmentsare situated,theremay notbeaneasysolutiontothis.problem.
5.It isobserved thatatpresent instrurnenr-making falls into twocategone~- for(he
Wholesalemarket,andforspecializedcustomers.Someinstrument-makersmakeInstruments
onlyforthewholesalemarket,inwhichcasethenumberofinstrumentsmadedependsupon
50 SUVARNALATA RAO
thecurrentdemandinthemarket.Someotherswithinthesamecategorymakeandstorehalf
madeinstrumentsandfinishthemaccordingtospecificordersasandwhentheyarereceived.
This method has several advantages over mass manufacture: the partially assembled
instrumentsgetfurther seasoned,andanydefectifdetected-craftsmen'serrorslikefaulty
joining,ornatural defects suchaswoodcrackingorwarping- canberectifiedbeforethe
finalproducttakesshape.Ontheotherhand,instrument-makerswhomakeinstrumentsonly
forspecializedcustomersgenerally start andfinish the entire processwithoutanydormant
period forthe seasoning. Instrument-makerswho have thenecessarycapital,and facilities
suchasstorage,optforthemiddlepath(which seems thebest) both tosave time andensure
betterinstruments finished tospecific orders.
6.Thetraditionalinstrument-makersatMirajmake instrumentsout ofavailablegourds,
whateverthedimensions, without giving much thoughttostandardization. An instrument
maker ofDelhi, on the otherhand, has certainstandard measurements for instruments of
specific sizes. He prefers to manipulate the tumba size to bring it closer to his standard
measurementsandthenproceedstomakehisinstrument.This resultsingreateruniformity
intheinstruments made.
7.Thetime taken forseasoningandassemblinginstrumentsvariesfrom fifteen daysto
twoyears.Theminimumtimerequiredformaking aSitarvaries betweenfifteendays tosix
months.
8.Thetoolsemployedtomake instruments arerudimentaryon the whole: screwdriver,
chisel,pliers, cutters, files ofdifferent types, hammer, hand and electricdrill, etc. Thereis
scopeforusingsophisticatedmechanicalgadgets. Atpresent,mechanizationisrestrictedto
themakingofpegsandthebrasstumbaoftheSarod.Itcouldbeextendedtomorecomponents.
Further,thereisaneedtoevolvestandardizedcomponentssuchasfrets, pegs, bridges.etc.,
whichcanbemadeavailableas 'spareparts'.
9.Almost all instrument-makers preferto employ separate craftsmen for eachkindof
instrument, andalso for the specific parts ofeach. Thejob-divisionisroughlyas follows:
woodwork; plastic-setting; engraving; polishing; fitting; jowari adjustment. The labour
costisminimal:mostofthecraftsmenarehiredondaily-wagebasis.
10.Thepractice ofprovidingmatchingaccessories suchas strings,frets, bridges, pegs,
manka (beadforfine tuning), packingcases, etc., along with the finishedproductdoes not
existatpresent.Evenatextracost,instrument-makersshouldbeencouragedtosupply these
items.
C Marketing ofthe Finished Product, GovernmentPolicy, etc.
I.Though variable, dependingupon the instrument-maker. the demandis always more
than the supply.
2.Although tosomeextentthepriceofthefinishedproductmay bebased onthematerial
used, the decoration and design. the tonal quality of the instrument, the time taken for
delivery,andthedemandinthemarket, intheultimateanalysisthepricingseemstobevery
subjective, making allowance for the instrument-maker's goodwill and the customer's
negoriatingability.
3. A large number of instruments are sold from showrooms and shops. A significant
SITAR·MAKINGTODAY 51
numberofspecializedcustom-madeinstrumentsarcalsosolddirectlybyinstrument-makers,
someofwhomenjoyagooddealofpatronagefrommusiciansandteachers.
4. Most instrument-makers do not provide special packing while delivering their
instruments,asmentionedearlier. Thisposesaproblemparticularlywhereout-of-townor
overseas transportation is involved. In many cases, the Customer has to acceptthe
responsibilityoftransportationoftheinstrument.includingpacking.Onlyafewbiginstrument
makerstaketheresponsibilityofdeliveringinstrumentsforexport.Theynonnallyusecheap
materialssuchasplywood,cardboard.thermocolboxes. woodshavings,straw and other
packagingmaterials.Theyneedtobeencouragedtoadoptbetterpackingmethodsforsafe
transportation.
5.Itisreportedthatfourmajorinstrument-makersofCalcuttaareearningrevenuesbetween
fourandfivelakhrupeesayear(onaverage)fromdirectexportofmusicalinstruments.This
showsthepotentialofthisindustryforearningforeignexchange.Onthisgroundalone(ifno
other),thegovernmentshouldbepersuadedtomeetthedemandsofinstrument-makersfor:
(a)specialfacilitiesforinter-statetransportationofrawmaterialsaswellasfinished
products:
(b)assistanceinexportinginstrumentsdirectlywithoutthesupportofintermediaries;
(c)licensesforpurchasingivory,barasinghahomandwhitespirit(- itisreponedby
awell-knowninstrument-makerofLucknowthatthequalityofspiritusedbycraftsmen
atpresenttendstoaffecttheirfingers);
(d)licenses10importitemslikecelluloid,strings,ere,
(e)recognizingtheactivityofinstrument-makingashandicraft.andgrantingthefacility
oflow-interestloansadmissibleforthiscategoryofindustry.
OtherNon-conventional Materials andInnovative Approaches
I.Aninstrument-makerinHollandusescedarwood10finishthetopofthefinger-board
andaspecialsyntheticmaterialknownasdelring(polyacetyl)forthebridge.Healsomakes
useofpegsthatarenormallyusedintheguitarforboththeTanpuraandtheSitar.Theyare
quitegoodforfinetuningandarealsoweather-proof(Fig.I).
TomaketheSitar-resonator,whichiscoupledwiththefinger-board(dand- thecurved
rearpartofthestem)inhismodel. heusesawoodenmothermould.Thisisfurthe~usedto
makeasiliconmouldwhichiskeptreadyforrepeateduse.Ifanychangesare.reqUlred.the
woodenmouldcanbealtered.Fromthesiliconmould.theactualbodyofthemstrumentIS
obtainedby coatinz it withcarbon-reinforcedepoxyresin(Fig.2).Upondrying,thenew
bodyisseparatedf;omthemould.Inthisway.theproblemsassociatedwithjoining.three
components(gourd.neck.andfinger-board)intraditionalSitar-makingareaVOIded(Figs.3.
~). ~ing
Interestingly.(heacousticqualityisnotaffected.Infact.apartfrom sturdy,suchan
mstrurnentmayprovetobemorestablethantheconventionallymadeInstrument. . .
2.Aninstrument-makerinGermanyusesspruceormahoganyforthebodyofhISSitar
(Figs.5,6).Hehasmadeseveralexperimentswiththebridgematerial,usingebonyforthe
Sitar,andwoodknownasIettem,snake-wood.eIC.,fortheTanpura.llehasalsoexperimented
~. 'oS!
S2 SUVARNALATA RAO
byintroducingametallicupper bridge.lIisinstrumentshaveverygoodtonalquality.
Thisinstrument-makerusesaribbedbowlmadefromatypicalmouldtoconstructthe
resonator oftheTanpura, Sitar and Surbahar.The various Sitars made by him uselocally
available woods suchasbubinga,mahoganyandspruce forthe resonator.The acoustic
qualityoftheseinstrumentsisasgood.ifnotbetter,thanthosewiththetraditionalgourd
Boththeseinstrument-makersusereamerstomakepegsandpeg-holes.Thereamerisa
simplesharpener-likedeviceused forcarving out pegs ofdesired diameter,andperfectly
matchingpeg-holes.\Viththis gadget.oneofthemostnaggingproblems associatedwith
Indian instrumentshasbeenovercome.
Conclusions
I.WiththeincreasingpopularityofIndianmusic,OUfinstrumentsarenotonlyingreat
demandathomebutare alsobeing exported infairlylargenumbers.This has resultedina
situationwherethedemandexceedsthesupply.Itisinterestingto notethatacenturyago
thescenewasjustthereverse(videDay,1891,p.IO).Hence, today,notonlythequalitybut
alsothequantityofinstrumentsmadeneedsseriousattention.
2.Themusicfraternityisconcernedabout:(a)theunpredictablequalityofinstruments:
(b)non-standardizedproductsofinferiorquality;(c)shortsupply;(d)longwaitingperiods;
(e)increasingcosts; and(f)arbitrarypricing.
3.Whiletherearemanymeritsinthetraditionalsystemofinstrument-making,itsuffers
fromalackofinnovativeness;thereisanin-builtresistancewithinthetradeagainstadopting
newmethodsandmaterials.Ourpresent-dayinstrument-makersseemtobeunquestioningly
using conventional materials and established manufacturing methods, ratherthan
manipulatingtheindividualcomponentstocreateinstrumentsofpredeterminedtonalquality.
Inmostcases,thesoundqualitycannotbepredicted.Hence,atthebuyer'send,thereis
noguaranteeofaninstrumentofdesiredtonalqualityevenwhentheinstrumentisspecially
ordered.Thusthereisaneedfordevelopingnewmethodsofinstrument-makingconducing
tomorepredictableresults.Also,inordertosupportthistraditionalcraftthroughscientiflc
methods, some practical difficulties relating to the industry need to be solved by the
concernedgovemmentauthorities.
4.Eventhetoolsusedbyourinstrument-makersarethesameasthoseemployedbytheir
predecessors.Instrument-makersshowagreatdealofresistancetoanykindofmechanization.
Hencethey havenotbeenabletotakeadvantageofmodemtechnicaladvancesinanyway.
Asaresult.theiranseemstobelaggingfarbehindtherequirementsofourtimes.
5. Furthermore.the apprebensions expressed by some of the leading Indian craftsmen
about thesurvivaloftheiranindicatethatitmaywellbeadying an.Unlesssomestepsare
takeninright earnest,instrument-making mightindeednot survive inIndia. Duringthe
surveyreferredtoearlier,noinformationcouldbeobtainedaboutSurbahar-making.Craftsmen
lamented not having the chance to make aSurbahar because of its dwindling popularity.
Interestingly,theinstrument-makerfromGermany(mentionedearlier)hassuccessfullymade
Surbaharsofexcellentlonalquality,usingnon-conventionalmaterialsandmethods(Figs.7,
8).TheprocessissummarizedinFig.7.
6.The results of isolated efforts reponed by instrument-makers regarding the useof
