# Any Interest in Indian Music?



## Kit H. Ruppell (May 21, 2020)

I've been listening to various forms of Indian music for years now, and I'm wondering if any other fuzzbutts were at least curious about it. Currently I am studying sitar under a teacher in India by video call. He can teach a variety of instruments, but specializes in classical vocals, harmonium (reed organ), and esraj (bowed instrument with fretted neck like sitar). He's currently looking for new students to supplement his income since the COVID-19 pandemic left him out of his regular job, so anyone curious can DM me for his contact info.


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## Outlander (May 24, 2020)

Post some examples of the music you've been listening to and I'll tell you if it's interesting.

How are you finding the sitar? I'd be interested in hearing how the approach to the instrument may differ from Western stringed instruments.


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## Kit H. Ruppell (May 24, 2020)

Outlander said:


> Post some examples of the music you've been listening to and I'll tell you if it's interesting.
> 
> How are you finding the sitar? I'd be interested in hearing how the approach to the instrument may differ from Western stringed instruments.


Examples of instruments my guru can teach:

Vocal




Sitar




Esraj




Harmonium




****************************
The sitar differs quite a bit in approach from, say, a guitar. There are no chords, and only 2 or 4 of the 17-21  strings are are fingered. There are also a few drone strings plucked in the open position, and the rest are sympathetic strings that run under the frets which resonate when the notes they are tuned to are plucked on the upper strings. There's a lot of pitch-bending and other ornamentation.
And finally, an explanation by the late Pandit Ravi Shankar ji that served as my introduction to Indian classical music:


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## Kuuro (May 30, 2020)

I've been interested in playing sitar, dilruba and tabla for a few years, initially inspired by_ Within You Without You_ by The Beatles (George).

But I wanted to learn charango when I first heard that in Last of Us too. And shamisen. And hurdy gurdy, and theromin, and viola, and cello, and sax, and... Jew's harp?

For now I'm stuck with guitar, piano, and drums (;


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## Punkedsolar (May 30, 2020)

I listened to Goa (I just dated myself) while clubbing.  I haven't had much exposure beyond some blend pieces, like Bill Bailey doing Dueling Sitars during Tinselworm with someone I have been told is a master player, but that one's worth it because it's so much delightful fun.

Dueling Sitars:


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## Frank Gulotta (May 30, 2020)

I only know Daler Mehndi's meme hit where he replicated himself 4 times to prove that his success didn't rely solely on pretty women in his music videos.
The only other song I know is the "loud Indian music" but Panjabi MC is not Indian

So yeah my knowledge of Indian music is limited to memes


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## redhusky (May 30, 2020)

I'm not sure of the specific culture Erutan comes from but I do like it when people do covers of songs in "traditional" like so.


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## Kit H. Ruppell (Jul 23, 2020)

^Celtic^



Punkedsolar said:


> I listened to Goa (I just dated myself) while clubbing.  I haven't had much exposure beyond some blend pieces, like Bill Bailey doing Dueling Sitars during Tinselworm with someone I have been told is a master player, but that one's worth it because it's so much delightful fun.
> 
> Dueling Sitars:


That's a Coral Electric Sitar, which is actually an electric guitar with a buzz bridge meant to imitate the sitar, and a Sarod, a North Indian classical instrument developed from the Rabab. I have the former in addition to my real sitar. I'm sort of in a relationship with a sarod player now. Hope to meet him in person in a month UwU


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## Fallowfox (Jul 24, 2020)

Punkedsolar said:


> I listened to Goa (I just dated myself) while clubbing.  I haven't had much exposure beyond some blend pieces, like Bill Bailey doing Dueling Sitars during Tinselworm with someone I have been told is a master player, but that one's worth it because it's so much delightful fun.
> 
> Dueling Sitars:



This is really good.


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## Zerzehn (Jul 24, 2020)

Does this count?


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## Kit H. Ruppell (Jul 24, 2020)

Zerzehn said:


> Does this count?


*sigh* _Yes_, but I'm looking for afficionados/prospective learners of classical or other more traditional forms.


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## Kit H. Ruppell (Jul 25, 2020)

TheCynicalViet said:


> Unfortunately, I lack musical talent but I am interested in something.
> 
> Most of my minor studies involving the Indian subcontinent mostly consists of looking into Vaishnavism and Shaivism but only because Hinduism has pretty big connection with Buddhism. I'd be curious to see if you have any recorded music that would be played in a Mansir? Perhaps, most likely actually, I'm guessing some the instruments you linked above may appear. I'm interested in giving it a listen.


This is actually sort of tricky to find

South Indian nagaswaram (left) and thavil (right).




Vedic chanting


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## Kit H. Ruppell (Jul 25, 2020)

TheCynicalViet said:


> Thank you!
> 
> Hey, hope your guru can get some new students. With COVID bringing everyone's morale down, it'd be nice to learn some new instruments. Songs to take your mind off of the world that's currently burning, eh?


Yeah. Having something positive to look forward to each week has been helpful on my end.


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## DariusTheLoony (Jul 25, 2020)

I love world music.


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## Simo (Oct 14, 2020)

Definitely! From Bollywood, to this UK band, perhaps a bit tangential:

"Staging The Plaguing Of The Raised Platform"


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## Vinfang (Oct 14, 2020)

I listened to Bloodywood. Love their flutes / folk elements.


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