At times, it is also used as a duet (called jugalbandi) with other instruments, mainly the bansuri. The santoor is primarily played by a solo artiste, with accompaniment from the tabla and from the stringed drone instrument tanpura. Tuning is done through pegs located on the musician’s right. The broader side is placed close to the musician, and he strikes the strings with a pair of mallets or hammers.ĭifferent strings produce different sounds and a typical santoor has two sets of bridges, with a three-octave range.
How the santoor is played: In any concert, the musician sits with the instrument on his lap. The santoor is considered to be part of the dulcimer family, other similar instruments including the hammered dulcimer (as known in the UK, US and Canada), hackbrett (played in mainland Europe) and cimbalom (played in eastern Europe and Russia).Japan, Korea and China have their own types of dulcimers. With Sharma’s efforts, it achieved the status of a solo instrument in Hindustani classical music, and is now recognised internationally. In India, it was primarily played in Kashmiri music and Sufiana music as an accompanying instrument. In ancient Sanskrit texts, the santoor has been called the ‘shata-tantri veena’ or hundred-stringed instrument. Origins: An ancestral archetype of the santoor was believed to have been invented in Mesopotamia before 900 BC, and much later used in different forms in Iraq and India. Here, we shall look at the instrument’s origins, how it is played, major players and its use in other kinds of music. It has a distinct look too, trapezoid in shape, and is played by striking it with a pair of mallets. Yet, it remains hugely popular among classical music fans, mainly because of the serene and captivating music it produces. Earlier, it was played primarily in lighter forms of music, but under the guidance of his father and guru Pandit Uma Dutt Sharma, he began playing classical compositions.Ĭompared to the sitar, sarod and bansuri (bamboo flute), the santoor has relatively fewer practitioners. Sharma, in fact, is singularly credited with the adaptation and popularisation of the santoor in Hindustani classical music. From the ’60s, he has ruled the stage with hundreds of live concerts and released numerous albums, making him the undisputed monarch of the instrument. This month, we feature the santoor.ĮVERYONE immediately identifies the santoor with Pandit Shivkumar Sharma.
The earlier parts of the series talked about the violin, sitar, bansuri, sarangi, different types of veena and the sarod. In all parts of the series, I shall use a similar format to maintain uniformity, and some portions on the concert structure may be repeated verbatim if needed. However, while I have tried to name all the main musicians, the lists mentioned are by no means exhaustive or complete.
I shall focus on how the instrument is used in different genres, and mention the leading performers in each style. In this series, I shall not go into too many technicalities and playing styles. The aim was two-fold: one, to make Indian readers aware of certain artistes they might not have heard before, and secondly, to expose relatively new audiences, mainly from the West, to the melodic or rhythmic beauty that various Indian instruments offer. IN September 2012, I had begun a monthly series on Indian musical instruments.