The New Instrument :"SurTarang"

The word 'Surtarang' is a combination of three distinct words, mainly 'Sur', 'Tar' and 'Ang'. 'Sur' means music, 'Tar' is the string strummed and 'Ang' means the body. Hence, Surtarang derives its name. Incidentally, 'Tarang' also means waves.

Yet, another meaning has it, is an instrument with "colorful musical tones on strings" ('Taaropar suro ka rang'). This instrument is basically a 'Sarod' with a wooden-base (tabli) under its bridge instead of the conventional skin parchment, thus giving it a different "Expression" in sound quality.

The sound is significantly sharp with ample resonance akin to the 'Veena'.Instead of the Sarod bridge, we have installed a 'Jawari' bridge under the main strings to add to the resonance.

The playing technique is akin to the Sarod technique. This instrument is also played with a 'Jawa' (A coconut shell plectrum). The use of the left- hand nails play an important role in its execution as in Sarod playing.

The right-hand side of the instrument resembles the Sur-bahar and the rest of the body is that of the Sarod with a fretless finger-board as usual. This instrument also resembles a smaller version of the "Sur-singar" (An instrument devised by the late legendary maestro of the Maihar-Gharana, Ustad Allauddin Khan).

The position of playing this instrument is near to playing the Spanish-guitar with its distinctive quality of sounds produced, chiefly by overtones through my observations over the years. I have noticed that every prevalent performing instrument has a 'Consort' each among themselves, well, except the Sarod.

Although this new instrument is also ideally suited for fusing with other instruments, the main aspect and its true identity would thus lie in its introduction as a solo-medium.