The Amazing Sitar!

         The sitar is plucked string instrument. It derives its resonance from sympathetic strings, a long hallow neck, and a gourd resonating chamber. The word sitar is derived from the Persian word "Seh-Tar". "Seh" meaning three, and "Tar" meaning strings. As one might be able to guess, the sitar usually has three strings. However, five, seven, nine, and 33 stringed versions are also fairly common. Sitar strings fall into one of these three groups of sound: Chikari strings, which contains the highest sounds. Kharaj strings, the lower of the medium strings. And Jod or Baaj strings, being the deepest souding.

         The sitar is believed to have been derived from an ancient Indian instrument called the veena. It was believed to be modified by a Mughal court musician to conform with the tastes of his Persian patrons. Since then, it has undergone many changes. The modern sitar evolved in the 18th century India. Used widely throughout the Indian subcontinent, the sitar became known to the western world though the work Ravi Shanker, beginning in the late 1950s and early 1960s after The Kinks' top 10 single "See My Friends" featured a low tuned drone guitar which was widely mistaken for a sitar. The sitar saw further use in 60's pop music when the Beatles and Rolling stones both featured the instrument in more than one of their songs.

        The sitar is most commonly used in Ipop (Indian popular music, not an Apple cereal). It was also used in many different Euro-pop bands in the 60's. It also commonly appears in rock and electric music.
It has also shown up in classical, metal, and progressive music. A person who plays a sitar is known as a "sitarist", as one might have guessed.

   HEY! Here's a video for ya': Amazing Sitar Player Prasanna 
   AND some pictures. Yea baby yea!