Sarod music

The sarod (or sarode) (सरोद) is a stringed instrument of India, used mainly in Indian classical music. Along with the sitar, it is among the most popular and prominent instruments in Hindustani classical music. The sarod is known for a deep, weighty, introspective sound, in contrast with the sweet, overtone-rich texture of the sitar, with sympathetic strings that give it a resonant, reverberant quality. It is a fretless instrument able to produce the continuous slides between notes known as meend (glissandi), which are important in Indian music.

The sarod is widely believed to have descended from the Afghan rubab, a similar instrument originating in Central Asia and Afghanistan. Many scholars of Indian classical music believe that sarod is a combination of the ancient Chitra veena, the medieval Rabab and modern Sursingar. Some scholars even contend that a similar instrument may have existed about two thousand years ago in ancient India during the ages of the Gupta kings. In fact, a Gupta period coin depicts the great king Samudragupta playing a Veena, which many believe to be the precursor of the Sarod.The origin of most of the present Indian classical instruments along with the Sitar, Sarod and others lie in the ancient Indian instruments. They had the practice of adding the word Veena to every instrument like the Rudra Veena, Gayatri Veena, Saraswati Veena, Chitra Veena, Sarda Veena etc.The shape and appearance of the present Indian musical Instruments like the Sitar and Sarode with the decorated domes are exactly like the ancient musical instruments the Veenas. The Sarod originated from Sarda Veena, modified with time.There is a small Indian musical instrument also like a small sarod named Dotara which is quite ancient.As in the case of everything the present is only related to the ancient period, the origin of the present Indian musical instruments are related to the musical instruments of the past, the several Veenas..(Pg 6, Indian musical Instruments written by Sarodia Abanindra Maitra) .The present Indian Traces of similar Rabab style instruments can also be found in southern India, especially in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, where it is known as the Swarbat. The folk Rabab, an instrument popular in north India, had a wooden fingerboard, its strings were made of silk, cotton or gut, and it was played with a wooden pick. In history, reference is also made to a Sharadiya Veena from which the name Sarod may have been derived.

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