Re: droning questions

[Stephen <dakshah@yahoo.com>]

Sitars don't actually have any drone strings.  The
drone is provided in Indian music by another
instrument - the tamboura or maybe a sruti box.

The sitar has 3 or 4 main playing strings, 2 or 3
chikari or rhythm strings, and then 15 or so
sympathetic strings underneath the main playing
strings.  The main purpose of the sympathetic strings
is to resonate (sympathetically :-) with the notes
being played on the main strings, thereby providing
that 'shimmering' sound, and a very quiet slight echo.

Occassionally a sitarist will use the grown-out
fingernail of the pinky on the right hand to reach
underneath the main playing strings and strum the
sympathetic strings once or twice for effect, but this
is done quite sparingly.

John Mclaughlin used a custom acoustic guitar with a
scalloped fingerboard and accompaniment strings
something like a cross between the sympathetic and
chikari strings.  He talks more about it here:
http://www.cs.cf.ac.uk/Dave/mclaughlin/art/return.html#gib

Stephen



--- WKlein8318@aol.com wrote:
> In the spirit of the Tueffel and Glisstar thread, is
> anyone out
> there aware of a manufacturer of electric sitars or
> guitars with 
> additional drone strings? 
> 
> I've never seen an actual sitar, but from photos it
> appears
> the drones run under very large D shaped frets, with
> the melody 
> strings passing over the top of the metal arc of the
> D.  
> Is that accurate?  Any DIYers ever try this?
> 
> Bill
> 


=====
Stephen

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