Listen to the sarod
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
How the sarod makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the sarod belongs to the lutes: strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck – the family of the guitar, violin, sitar and oud.
More broadly it is one of the chordophones (string instruments), where sound comes from vibrating strings, amplified by a resonating body.
Players shape its sound through technique and materials; the resonating body filters the raw vibration, boosting some harmonics and damping others.
From Wikipedia
The sarod is a stringed instrument, used in Hindustani music on the Indian subcontinent. Along with the sitar, it is among the most popular and prominent instruments. It is known for a deep, weighty, introspective sound, in contrast with the sweet, overtone-rich timbre of the sitar, with sympathetic strings that give it a resonant, reverberant quality. A fretless instrument, it can produce the continuous slides between notes known as meend (glissandi), which are important in Indian music.
Historically known by the alternative name Sardiya Veena, it's origin is unclear with scholars tracing it to Indian Saradiya Veena, Swaravat or Rabab.
Other lutes
More instruments from India
Frequently asked questions
What does a sarod sound like?
Listen to 1 recording on this page. As one of the lutes, its sound comes from the way strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck.
What type of instrument is the sarod?
It is classified as lutes (Hornbostel–Sachs 321.321-6).
Where does the sarod come from?
The sarod originates from India.
Sources & credits
- Sarod And Roll (Antti Luode) by Antti Luode – CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q687406 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Sarod – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Allauddin – CC BY-SA 3.0