derives from Sanskrit “sau rangi” which means 100 colours.
whereas sitar derives from the Persian
(farsi - an Indo-Aryan and not a Semitic language)
“setar” (pronounced: setaar) meaning 3 strings.
In previous centuries the sarangi was the only melodic accompaniment
allowed for heavy classical vocals
and it continues its dominant position to this day
as the preferred accompaniment to high end classical vocal
in North India.
I do wonder if this may be somehow related to the name of the gee-tar.
I’m going to PM you about something Indian music related.
In Hindi “geet” means song and, of course, “taar” means string (wire).
Of course this isn’t kosher etymology for guitar - just fooling about …
There seems to be quite a lot of sarangi CDs on Amazon. Any recommendations? I also priced a student model sarangi at $600 … no … no … can’t afford … not another instrument … no time … life’s too short … I won’t … I won’t …
djm
djm,
I don’t internet shop so I haven’t checked out Amazon with a view to buy.
If you’re after a good sarangi CD I reckon you can’t go wrong with
Pandit (i.e. “Maestro”) Ram Narayan
If you don’t know which raag performance to choose send me a PM and I’ll give you some background to the raag you have in mind.
I was watching a trad tv program last night and Nicholas Carolan introduced a clip from 1977 of a mr.Pauric O’Connor playing an irish piece on a plucked Sitar ! I actually thought he was saying a “pucked Sliotaire” 
anyway it was an interesting sound!
Seriously though (if you look into it) the Persian etymology for the Indian sitar
is analogous to the Greek etymology for the guitar and the cittern
( a Euorpean lute popular from about 1500 to 1750 or so).
And both the the Greek cithara/kithara and the Persian setar/setara are linked.
Don’t forget to check out Four Shillings Short. Christy plays a mean sitar having studied classical raga playing under an student of Ravi Shankar.
Here is a pic of her playing in my living room look in the album Chiff. There are some other music pics there you can see too.
Thanks for that link Wormwood!
For soemone like me, the outstanding feature of the sitaar is not its “buzzzing” which is optional and incidental but the great potential it gives the musician for glissandi - to bend or slide notes. It is one of the largest and most versatile “SLIDE” LUTE in world traditional instrument armentarium from a living tradition.
This glissandi is called “meend” in the indic trad. and its importance in sitar is well understood by sitar players such as this American lady here who describes it as the “soul of sitar”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru_Boi4r9G8
She has done a lot of other videos about the sitar which are very clear and well presented.
This is a great thread.
I have seen many sitar players locally, and occasionally idly considered learning it. I am now thoroughly scared off that idea for life, but it is a brilliant instrument and the info and links here make fine reading.
Even the bouzouki can achieve a lot of the effects that most players would want from a sitar without having to go full on into the indo trad. Its also amazing what open string tuned guitars are capable of.
Rogue makes a copy of the old Danelectro “electric sitar,” really an electric guitar with sympathetic strings and a buzzing bridge. I’d love to get one sometime.