Two instruments, whose origins, structures and timbres are markedly different, have found a way to complement each other onstage. We look at the charismatic relationship between the sarod and the sitar which shines through in call-and-response jugalbandi performances.

By Aishwarya Sahasrabudhe

Embedded in the enduring legacy of Hindustani art music is a coupling that bears testament to the place and possibilities of instrumental music within the genre. The union of the sitar and the sarod—each a solo concert instrument with its own playing technique—has been the cornerstone of duet performances for the sonorous complementary music that emanates from it. Over several decades, sitar and sarod maestros have engaged in artistic collaborations by experimenting with the timbre and octaves of these two complex lutes to create memorable performances.

In June 2025, a duo of young musicians will take the NCPA stage to explore Hindustani classical music in a jugalbandi of the sitar and sarod. The recital promises to be an inspired one, echoing a performance style cemented by legendary sitar-sarod duets.

Coordination amidst distinction

The sitar and the sarod, both string-plucked and relatively modern instruments, are different in many aspects. The sitar, a fretted lute, has origins that can be traced back to the closely guarded techniques of playing the rudraveena. The latter instrument, once popular, was taught strictly to those within the family of hereditary players while ‘outsiders’ were trained on the sitar. “Often believed to be the invention of the Sufi poet-saint Amir Khusrau, scholars now agree that the sitar was most likely developed in the 18th century by Khusro Khan, brother of the famous musician composer Sadarang,” explains Dr. Suvarnalata Rao, Programming HeadIndian Music & Research Scientist, NCPA.

The sarod, on the other hand, is a short, fretless lute-like instrument which is said to have evolved from the prototype of the rabab or Afghan rabab, which has been mentioned in Persian and Sufi texts and is popular in several parts of Asia, particularly West Asia. Also popular in India, “the rabab was the instrument of choice for Bhai Mardana, a devoted companion of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion. The sarod, it is said, was first introduced in Bengal by Asadulla Khan. Today, several styles of playing the sarod exist, the most popular ones being the Maihar-Senia style played by Ali Akbar Khan and the Senia-Bangash style played by Amjad Ali Khan,” elaborates Dr. Rao.

The sarod has six strings, which are strummed with a triangular plectrum (java) made of coconut shell, held in the right hand, while the left-hand fingers (the region adjoining the tip of the nails) are used to stop the strings. The sitar has six to seven metallic strings complete with moveable frets which allow the player to achieve desired intervals of the scale. The strings are plucked with a metallic plectrum (mizrab) worn around the index finger of the right hand, while the left hand fingers (the tips of the index and middle fingers) are used to stop the strings on the frets. Both instruments have about 12 sympathetic strings which enhance the volume and timbre, she adds.

In spite of these differences in the structure and form of the two instruments, there are certain commonalities in their performance practice and repertoires. Both sitar and sarod recitals begin with a slow-paced alap, move to medium-paced melodic patterns with a definite pulse called the jod and later, a swift interplay of notes called the jhala, produced simultaneously on multiple strings. The jhala then progresses to compositions in slow (Masitkhani gat) as well as medium to fast tempo (Razakhani gat) which are played to the rhythmic accompaniment of the tabla, in a specially created repertoire that is distinct from the Hindustani vocal tradition replicated on other instruments.

An iconic duet

Besides a shared repertoire, the complementarity of the two instruments was brought to the fore and celebrated, thanks to the jugalbandi between the sitar of Ravi Shankar and the sarod of Ali Akbar Khan. In fact, the iconic pair not only took this performance style to great heights but also extricated Hindustani classical music from limiting linguistic barriers, unravelling it for the world to experience. The individual careers of both exponents reached new heights in the West, and Shankar and Khan became renowned figures whose instrumental practice was easier to appreciate for an audience unfamiliar with Indian languages. Eventually, their jugalbandis, which began to gain ground in the late 1950s and ’60s, became exemplary of a bond that went beyond their craft of knowing how to expertly play their respective instruments.

Commonalities between performers, it is believed, have a key role to play in a harmonious musical exchange. Khan and Shankar both received tutelage from the same guru, Khan’s father, Allauddin Khan of the Maihar gharana, who was a remarkable sarod artiste in his own right. They also trained and practised together for decades before translating this companionship into an instrumental duo that produced what connoisseurs consider to be a vital element of a duet performance: a complementary sound over a competitive one. So much so that although the sitar and sarod approach elements, such as the emotionality of the meend or the intensity of the tan, in differing styles, Shankar and Khan nonetheless managed to create a unified musical language within those structured forms.

This confluence was featured in numerous recitals including the live album In Concert 1972 performed at the Philharmonic Hall in New York City. Accompanied by the masterful rhythms of Ustad Allarakha on the tabla, this tribute concert to their guru has endured as one of the glittering illustrations of the sitar-sarod interaction. Shankar’s collaboration with The Beatles further popularised the instrument and over time, the sitar has influenced musical genres ranging from pop to jazz to rock, finding for itself a firm place on the world stage.

Inspiring generations

Thus, a trend which began with the virtuosity of the Shankar-Khan duet has inspired generations of sitarists and sarod players to come together in an earnest desire to carry forward this performance practice. For sarod artiste Pratik Shrivastava and sitar player Soumitra Thakur, who will present a jugalbandi at the NCPA this month, the pair is a constant inspiration along with other exponents who went on to present similar sitar-sarod duets over the last few decades. Thakur received advanced instruction from Kushal Das and Shrivastava trained under Tejendra Majumdar, both belonging to the Maihar gharana. The duo, in effect, are also following in the footsteps of their respective gurus who have themselves performed sitar-sarod duets together.

Through their concerts, what these young artistes try to achieve, according to Thakur, is a “combination and culmination of both instruments, where the music sounds like one, rather than two different instruments.” Drawing on his friendship with Thakur, Shrivastava remarks that a shared camaraderie and mutual respect both on and off stage then become significant factors in performing the jugalbandi. This partnership goes beyond just playing in turns. “Jugalbandi also teaches an artiste to be a good accompanist,” he says.

Playing together, then, is about being co-travellers on a musical voyage. If the latter strikes a tune, the former highlights it by joining in with similar notes, albeit with subtle differences. With varying ranges of the two instruments, a bandish played on the sitar and the sarod could become a joyous, playful rendition in different octaves. The ultimate aim, in every jugalbandi, remains the same—to produce a strikingly distinct yet harmonious sound.

This article was originally published in the June 2025 issue of ON Stage.