Instruments
Sarod
The sarod is, next to the sitar, the most important stringed instrument in the tradition of north Indian classical music. It is a large wooden lute with a wide neck ending in a long pegbox, and is held crosswise across the lap of a cross-legged, seated player. The sarod, an instrument of comparatively modern origin, has metal strings, typically from six to eight, of which two are usually sympathetic. The instrument favored by the sarod's greatest exponent, Allauddin Khan, has eight strings. Its resonant tone is produced by its distinctive dual resonating chamber, with lower and upper compartments; the upper is attached to the instrument's neck. Like the sitar, the sarod is used in full-blown performances Indian classical ragas -- multi-sectional elaborations upon collections of tones, melodic patterns, and small formulas evocative of specific moods or ideas; again like the sitar, the sarod is often accompanied by the tabla drum in performance.