The Ravanahatha is one of the oldest bowed string instruments in the world. It is made from a coconut shell resonator, a bamboo neck, and a horsehair bow. This combination produces a raw, haunting ...

Since the first of our ancestors discovered that banging a stick on a hollow log makes a jolly sound, we hominids have been finding new and unusual ways to make music. We haven’t come close to tapping ...

India is a country rich in tradition and skill. Be it the ancient dance forms that entertain and inform people even today, to the forms of ‘nataks’ and ‘jatras’ that show society a mirror, Indian art ...

At the heart of many of the world’s musical instruments is the same, simple component—a string stretched tight between two points. Plucked, bowed, or struck, each of an instrument’s strings creates ...

Stringed instruments make noise from the vibrations of tuned strings, using acoustic or electronic means to amplify those vibrations to the point where they’re loud enough to hear. The strings are ...

The violin, viola, cello and double bass are among the most recognisable orchestral and solo instruments. But there is a particular set known as the "Golden Age" instruments which are arguably the ...

India’s rich cultural heritage has given us some of the most amazing yet unique musical instruments. It is often said that ...

Sitar player Ravi Shankar died Tuesday at the age of 92. Brian Q. Silver, a sitar player with over 40 years of experience, talks about playing the unique instrument and how Shankar popularized the ...