1. Sitar
A Presentation by Sarah Thompson

2. What Are You Made Of?
Indian Squash is dried and used for the resonant gourds
The neck is made from Mahogany or Teak
The tuning pegs are made from Indian Rosewood
Frets are made from silk
Scrimshawed bone is used for its aesthetics

3. Where Are You From?
The Sitar evolved from the Tanbur, which is the Sumerian term for “long necked Lute” and has been present in Mesopotamia since the Akkadian era, or the 3rd millennium BCE
The sitar is often said to have been developed in the thirteenth century CE by Amir Khusrau from a member of the veena family of Indian musical instruments called the tritantri veena and to have been named by him after the Persian setar

4. Finding A Purpose In Life
Music and dancing were a part of daily celebration and temple rites-music was played for marriages and births in the royal families. Music was also used to back up the recitation of poetry
Goddess Inanna
Music in Sumer was a utilitarian art. It was played at occasions but probably not played simply for enjoyment
Currently used in popular music as well as classical Hindustani Music

5. Bringing You Up To Scale
Sitar is played in an Indian music scale
The 7 notes of the scale are shadja, rishabh, gandhar, madhyam, pancham, dhaivat and nishad, usually shortened to Sa, Ri (Carnatic) or Re (Hindustani), Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, and Ni and written S, R, G, M, P, D, N. Collectively these notes are known as the sargam
Sargam is the Indian equivalent to Solfege
Carnatic style=Southern, and Hindustani=Northern
Played in C major scale and tuned to ¼ below C
Played in Octaves or 1/3rds

6. Rāga (Sanskrit, lit. "colour" or "mood"; or rāgam in Carnatic music) refers to melodic modes used in Indian classical music. It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made. In the Indian musical tradition, rāgas are associated with different times of the day, or with seasons. Indian classical music is always set in a rāga.

7. On A Whole Other Level
Each shuddha swara (i.e., Sa, Re/Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha/Da, and Ni) is traditionally held to have originated in the sound of a different animal, and some have additional meanings of their own
Each swara is associated with one of the seven chakras of the body. Just as the swaras ascend through the saptak, so they are mapped onto the chakras in the body in ascending order
Ragas, therefore, have more or less of an effect on a given chakra depending on the notes they contain

8. Show Me What You Got!
: George Harrison’s lesson with Ravi Shankar
: Sitar and Tablas
Norwegian Wood
: Across The Universe
: Something Funky
: Indian Vibes; Sitar Jam