The sitar is a plucked string instrument from India of the family of the long neck lutes. It is the best known and most widespread instrument of the North-Indian classical music. Compared to Western plucked instruments, it is relatively difficult to play.
The instrument uses a dry gourd (calabash) with a wooden cover as a resonance chamber and a long, hollow neck with adjustable curved frets made of brass. The sitar normally features between 19 and 21 strings. Up to 7 strings run above the frets and are used for providing a drone and melody playing, while the others run below the frets and provide harmonic resonance. The strings are played with a wire plectrum (Mizrab) which is put on the forefinger of the right hand. For special effects the lower strings may be touched with the fingernails.
The history of the sitar is controversial. During the period of the Moghul Empire in India, Persian lutes were used to entertain the rulers at court and may have supplied the hsitorical basis for the development of the sitar by the end of the Moghul period. It is often stated that in the 13th century Amer Khusrau developped the sitar from an instrument called tritantri veena (from the zither family) and named it after the Persian setar. By the mid 1700s, Indian tanburs were referred to as sitars.
Famous sitar players are Nikhil Banerjee, Imrat Khan, Ravi Shankar and Vilayat Khan. Shankar attained international fame through his partnerships with the Beatles and the violinist Yehudi Menuhin. Vilayat Khan , who deveopped his own melodic style and modified the instrument according to his needs, enjoys a huge popularity in India. The current generation is lead by Budhaditya Mukherjee, Shujaat Khan (Vilayat Khans son) and Irshat Khan (Imrat Khans son).