Vichitra veena
Encyclopedia
The vichitra veena is a plucked string instrument
used in Hindustani music. It is similar to the Carnatic
gottuvadhyam
(chitra vina). It has no fret
s and is played with a slide.
.
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s (mizrab
) identical to those used for sitar
are worn on the middle and index fingers of the right hand to pluck the strings, and a glass ball (batta) is moved with the left across the main strings to create melody (there can be a distance of up to two inches between notes). Coconut oil is put on the strings to minimize the friction of the sliding hand holding the batta.
The veena was often used to accompany the Dhrupad
style of singing and this did not allow for much intricacy or embellishment around the notes. It was rescued from oblivion by Lalmani Misra
who developed technique of playing and created Misrabani compositions; his son Gopal Shankar Misra
made the repertoire universal.
popular today. The others include Saraswati veena
and rudra veena
. Out of these the rudra and vichitra Veena are used in northern Indian classical music. There are just a handful of people playing the same Vichitra Veena with a minor change in structure in the South with names differing as Chitra Veena, Vichitra Veena, Gotu Vadyam etc. Ravi Kiran, Vijay Venkateshwar, Durga Prasad, Ganesh, are the most popular of them playing Vichitra Veena. But the most popular Veena in the South is Saraswati veena and is used in Carnatic music
, the classical music of South India
. Dr. Lalmani Misra
in his Bharatiya Sangeet Vadya
mentions that there are forty nine types of Veena-s mentioned in ancient literature about which little besides the name is known. Vichitra Veena, along with Rudra Veena, Tanjauri or Saraswati Veena and Gottu Vadhyam has been nominated as Indian entry for inscription in UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Plucked string instrument
Plucked string instruments are a subcategory of string instruments that are played by plucking the strings. Plucking is a way of pulling and releasing the string in such as way as to give it an impulse that causes the string to vibrate...
used in Hindustani music. It is similar to the Carnatic
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
gottuvadhyam
Gottuvadhyam
The chitravina The chitravina The chitravina (also known as chitra veena, chitraveena, chitra vina, hanumad vina, or mahanataka vina, is a 20 or 21-string fretless lute Carnatic music played mainly in South India today, though its origins can be traced back to Bharata's Natya Shastra, where it is...
(chitra vina). It has no fret
Fret
A fret is a raised portion on the neck of a stringed instrument, that extends generally across the full width of the neck. On most modern western instruments, frets are metal strips inserted into the fingerboard...
s and is played with a slide.
The structure
The Vichitra Veena is the modern form of ancient Ektantri Veena. It is made of a broad, fretless, horizontal arm or crossbar (dand) around three feet long and six inches wide, with two large resonating gourds (tumba), which are inlaid with ivory and attached underneath at either end. The narrow ends of the instrument are fashioned into peacock heads, the national bird of IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
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The strings
There are four main playing strings and five secondary strings (chikaris), which are played openly with the little finger for a drone effect. Underneath them are 13 sympathetic strings tuned to the notes of the appropriate raag. The veena has a five-octave range. Two plectrumPlectrum
A plectrum is a small flat tool used to pluck or strum a stringed instrument. For hand-held instruments such as guitars and mandolins, the plectrum is often called a pick, and is a separate tool held in the player's hand...
s (mizrab
Mezrab
A Mezrāb or zakhmeh is a plectrum which is used for several Iranian and Indian string instruments.For Sitar, a mezrab is worn on the finger of a Sitar player. It is a plectrum made by hand from a continuous strand of iron used to strike the strings of the sitar. Although it is generally worn on...
) identical to those used for sitar
Sitar
The 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
are worn on the middle and index fingers of the right hand to pluck the strings, and a glass ball (batta) is moved with the left across the main strings to create melody (there can be a distance of up to two inches between notes). Coconut oil is put on the strings to minimize the friction of the sliding hand holding the batta.
The veena was often used to accompany the Dhrupad
Dhrupad
Dhrupad is a vocal genre in Hindustani classical music, said to be the oldest still in use in that musical tradition. Its name is derived from the words "dhruva" and "pada"...
style of singing and this did not allow for much intricacy or embellishment around the notes. It was rescued from oblivion by Lalmani Misra
Lalmani Misra
Lalmani Misra , M.A., Ph.D., D. Mus. , M.Mus. , B.Mus. , Dean & Head, Faculty of Music and Fine Arts, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, was an eminent Indian classical musician known as much for his art as for his scholarship.-Initiation into music:Lalmani learnt Dhruvapada Dhamar in the...
who developed technique of playing and created Misrabani compositions; his son Gopal Shankar Misra
Gopal Shankar Misra
Gopal Shankar Misra was an Indian musician and music teacher, who played the vichitra veena.-Inheriting music:...
made the repertoire universal.
- Shri Brahm Sarup Singh son of Late Shri Harnam Singh , the renowned player of vichitra veena , was born in Amritsar on 18th august 1940. In his early age he was trained by his father in music who was the disciple of Ustad Abdul Aziz Khan of patiala.Shri Brahm Sarup Singh has participated in several music conferences in the North and has been broadcasting from All India Radio since 1958.'Khayal Ang' is the main feature of his playing of Vichitra Veena Recital.
- Shri Anurag Singh son of Late Shri Brahm Sarup Singh was born in Amritsar on 2nd september 1966 . In his early age he was trained by his father in music who was the famous vichitra veena player. His grand father Late Shri Harnam Singh was also a vichitra veena player and disciple of Ustad Abdul Aziz Khan of patiala.
- Pt. Gopal Krishan Sharma, disciple of Pt.Nand Kishore Sharma. A deep understanding of the raga and a depth presentation by weaving of various intricate musical patterns and its rythemic synchronisation is his speciality.
- Pt. Shri Krishan Sharma One of the leading Vichitra Veena player and leading Guitar Player of India , Son & Diciple of Pandit Gopal Krishan Sharma. He is known for his Gayaki ang and Laykari.
- Lalmani MisraLalmani MisraLalmani Misra , M.A., Ph.D., D. Mus. , M.Mus. , B.Mus. , Dean & Head, Faculty of Music and Fine Arts, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, was an eminent Indian classical musician known as much for his art as for his scholarship.-Initiation into music:Lalmani learnt Dhruvapada Dhamar in the...
A perfectionist, he modified the instrument for better quality of renditions of Khayals and Thumris. He even played Dadras on the Veena. He created numerous Ragas, MadhukaliMadhukali'Madhukali' is a Hindustani classical raga.-Theory:Writing about the musical theory of Indian classical music is fraught with complications. First of all, there have been no set, formal methods of written notation. Indian music is an aural tradition taught seena-ba-seena , hence written notations...
being the most famous. He was inspired by Ustad Abdul Aziz Khan. - Gopal Shankar MisraGopal Shankar MisraGopal Shankar Misra was an Indian musician and music teacher, who played the vichitra veena.-Inheriting music:...
Son and student of Lalmani Mishra. - Dr.Radhika umdekar Budhkar (The First ever Lady Vichitra veena player)
- Fateh Ali KhanFateh Ali KhanFateh Ali Khan may refer to:* Bade Fateh Ali Khan * Fateh Ali Khan * Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan * Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan * Fateh Ali Khan Umrani, leader of the Umrani tribe of Pakistan...
Qawwal
Other types
It is one of the three other major types of veenaVeena
Veena may refer to one of several Indian plucked instruments:With frets*Rudra veena, plucked string instrument used in Hindustani music*Saraswati veena, plucked string instrument used in Carnatic musicFretless...
popular today. The others include Saraswati veena
Saraswati veena
The Saraswati veena is an Indian plucked string instrument. It is named after the Hindu goddess Saraswati, who is usually depicted holding or playing the instrument. Also known as raghunatha veena is used mostly in Carnatic Indian classical music...
and rudra veena
Rudra veena
See also veenaThe rudra veena is a large plucked string instrument used in Hindustani classical music. It is an ancient instrument rarely played today...
. Out of these the rudra and vichitra Veena are used in northern Indian classical music. There are just a handful of people playing the same Vichitra Veena with a minor change in structure in the South with names differing as Chitra Veena, Vichitra Veena, Gotu Vadyam etc. Ravi Kiran, Vijay Venkateshwar, Durga Prasad, Ganesh, are the most popular of them playing Vichitra Veena. But the most popular Veena in the South is Saraswati veena and is used in Carnatic music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
, the classical music of South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. Dr. Lalmani Misra
Lalmani Misra
Lalmani Misra , M.A., Ph.D., D. Mus. , M.Mus. , B.Mus. , Dean & Head, Faculty of Music and Fine Arts, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, was an eminent Indian classical musician known as much for his art as for his scholarship.-Initiation into music:Lalmani learnt Dhruvapada Dhamar in the...
in his Bharatiya Sangeet Vadya
Bharatiya Sangeet Vadya
Bharatiya Sangeet Vadya is a book written by Dr. Lalmani Misra. It was published under the Lokodya Granthmala series of Bharatiya Jnanpith, New Delhi. The first edition was published in 1973, the second in 2002...
mentions that there are forty nine types of Veena-s mentioned in ancient literature about which little besides the name is known. Vichitra Veena, along with Rudra Veena, Tanjauri or Saraswati Veena and Gottu Vadhyam has been nominated as Indian entry for inscription in UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.