Ross Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 How difficult is it to play the sitar anyone? I've been looking at getting one as I'm really into my ragas and sitar music in general at the moment. And looking on ebay I can pick up a cheap one for a couple of hundred. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Buy a Variax instead it does a very nice sitar sound and no steep learning curve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Quite difficult I believe, the late great George Harrison had one back in the 60's but he didnt know how to play it, so he tuned it like a guitar and played it on Norwegian Wood. He later had lessons from Ravi Shankar and became quite proficient on it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirky Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Great instrument - I'd love to have a go. Tried the tablas recently - unbelievably difficult to play properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 The basic technique is not too difficult, except for the note bends and quarter tones. But be prepared for your fingers to hurt like a bastard! You'd start by learning the basic raga structures and scales up and down, they are usually different. It's a lifetime's study and you need a GOOD teacher. Stringing and tuning them is a pain. You buy wire string on a spool and cut off what you need. I'd locate a teacher first and get advice on buying. A cheap sitar is usually not far off junk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 [quote name='Kirky' post='1310619' date='Jul 20 2011, 06:01 PM']Great instrument - I'd love to have a go. Tried the tablas recently - unbelievably difficult to play properly.[/quote] Yes! They certainly are! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 It's not too tough to get a sound out of any instrument and I should imagine as a stringed instrument getting a tune out of it would be fairly straight forward... I should imagine the difficulty would come with playing it properly/traditionally and being outside the comfort zone that western music offers. I'd really love to learn the Sitar actually! If you get unstuck, just buy one of the old Danelectro sitars. It's what can be heard at the start of 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered' by Stevie and the solo of 'Do It Again' by Steely Dan. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dZj7greeiE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dZj7greeiE[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted July 20, 2011 Author Share Posted July 20, 2011 [quote name='Hobbayne' post='1310608' date='Jul 20 2011, 05:52 PM']Quite difficult I believe, the late great George Harrison had one back in the 60's but he didnt know how to play it, so he tuned it like a guitar and played it on Norwegian Wood. He later had lessons from Ravi Shankar and became quite proficient on it! [/quote] Indeed he did, I was listening to Ravi Shankar recently and looking at the cover "produced by George Harrison" I thought, that doesn't surprise me. It's a real pity teachers are notoriously difficult to find, I've managed to find one which teaches out of my university. I had a feeling it isn't the sort of instrument you can learn properly without a good teacher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 [quote name='Ross' post='1310697' date='Jul 20 2011, 07:11 PM']Indeed he did, I was listening to Ravi Shankar recently and looking at the cover "produced by George Harrison" I thought, that doesn't surprise me. It's a real pity teachers are notoriously difficult to find, I've managed to find one which teaches out of my university. [b]I had a feeling it isn't the sort of instrument you can learn properly without a good teacher.[/b][/quote] 'fraid so. At least you found one though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 [quote name='Kirky' post='1310619' date='Jul 20 2011, 06:01 PM']Great instrument - I'd love to have a go. Tried the tablas recently - unbelievably difficult to play properly.[/quote] I would love to be able to play tablas, amazing sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 (edited) [quote name='risingson' post='1310665' date='Jul 20 2011, 06:47 PM']It's not too tough to get a sound out of any instrument and I should imagine as a stringed instrument getting a tune out of it would be fairly straight forward... I should imagine the difficulty would come with playing it properly/traditionally and being outside the comfort zone that western music offers. I'd really love to learn the Sitar actually! If you get unstuck, just buy one of the old Danelectro sitars. It's what can be heard at the start of 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered' by Stevie and the solo of 'Do It Again' by Steely Dan.[/quote] Can't speak for the Stevie Wonder track, but it was a Coral Sitar that was used on "Do it again", not a Danelectro. [url="http://www.jerryjonesguitars.com/Master_Sitar.htm"]http://www.jerryjonesguitars.com/Master_Sitar.htm[/url] Edited July 20, 2011 by RhysP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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