How An Indian Makes Slash Look Silly
As you may know, I’m of Indian origin. That said, I would like to share some Indian music with you this time around, and show you an instrument that seems to be a variation of what Westerners would describe to be a guitar: The Sarod.
The instrument is highly interesting because in comparison to the guitar, the fretboard is made of steel and the left hand needs to have healthy nails to play. You actually play by pressing the edge of your nail to the string, not your finger! This allows bottleneck-style slides (try sliding a nail edge on your guitar).
I think the best way to share with you the magic of the Sarod is by showing you another video:
Notice how the “drummer” (correctly speaking a Tabla player) and Amjad Ali Khan, the most prominent living proponent of the Sarod, play synchronised at certain passages. Most of these pieces are improvised, only the key, rhythm and certain rules that apply to the scale played are given, everything else is pure improv.
Kind of like an early form of Jam session. Have ou ever heard a Sord live? I can boast to having seen Amjad Khan himself live just two years ago. A brilliant concert it sure was.
1 Comment
hi arjun,
its an awesome video. indian music is so destressing.
I m a blogger too working in california.
This is a good upcoming blog. How re you doing in terms of viewership. I see that you are part of b5media. I am a regular at problogger thats how i heard about it.