Esraj

Dilruba, also delroba, delrubā in Urdu; Persian دلربا, is a North Indian, with the sarangi comparable stringed instrument and closely related to the esraj.

Design and style of play

The dilruba is likely to have originated in the Mughal period, possibly as a slimmer version of the mayuri vina ( toff ) with its characteristic body in the form of peacocks, the esraj probably in the 19th century. The resonant body of the dilruba is slightly wider and less waisted at the sides, this creates a fuller sound. The instrument laterally along the fingerboard about 15 fixings for sympathetic strings which run over the web usually four main strings, of which only one is deleted as melody string, the other three are drone strings. It dilrubas be customized with up to 20 resonance and five melody strings that are all made ​​of metal.

The fretboard with metal temples as frets matches that of the sitar, the skin-covered body is similar to the sarangi. Some of the frets can be moved to the to-play Raga adjust the pitch accordingly. Hide cover and number of strings, the dilruba with the Afghan Rubab plucked together.

The pitch is determined by the index finger of the left hand, with the middle finger, the game can be accelerated. In contrast to the sitar strings must not be pushed down to the federal government, but only touched. This makes it possible to play overtones in places without collar. The arc ( gaz ) is similar as in the deleted sarangi. The musician sits cross-legged on the ground and allows the instrument to rest vertically on the left knee, or it is on the ground and is leaning on the left shoulder.

Dissemination

The dilruba is one of the musical instruments of light classical and khyal direction (Persian خيال ), the most commonly played the style of North Indian classical music. It is particularly common in the north- west of the country, the esraj more in the eastern region of Bengal.

In the Pashtun music of Afghanistan, the folk music instrument was from the mid-20th century Sarinda under growing Indian influence often by the dilruba or replaced sarangi. In professional bands in the Afghan cities, the dilruba was an additional accompanying instrument next to the singer and harmonium player, the Rubab, Dutar and tabla. Two or three dilrubas could also accompany a Rubab player.

The Kabul artists' quarter kharabat was a center of Afghan music. In the orchestra of Ghulam Hossein, which began in the 1940s to play popular music in the newly established Radio Kabul, the well-known musician Ustad Nazar Dilruba was a member. Nazar also played in the orchestra of Ustad Qasem.

In European pop music, she found, among other input through their use in George Harrison's composition Within You Without You 1967, along with other Indian instruments.