Sitarist

The famous Saxophonist John Coltrane went to India in order to add depths to his inspirations for Jazz.

There, he met Ravi Shankar, and was so deeply inspired by him that even named one of his childrens "Ravi Coltrane".

Sitar has a very special instrument, predecessor of modern E-Guitar, with movable frets and with a set of resonance chords.

While efforts have been made to formalise Sitar music, it is by large shared through oral tradition and is typically learned through

long years of discipleship.

Personally, I am ascinated by the tones generated through the resonance chords, largely uncontrollable while focussing on the Ma

string and on the rhythmic improvisation.

My initial public performances with the Sitar has been for playing Norvegian Woods (This bird has flown). However beyond that

song it turned out the only appropriate string instrument to jam with my friends playing  oriental instruments and singing in oriental

languages.

While I do  not consider myself a Sitarist in the terms of "expert of traditional indian sitar music", I love this instrument for the

manyfold of sounds it generates, and particularly the quietness and relaxing that it shares in the air with its various resonances.

With the Mizraab ( plectrum) on my right hands pointing finger, and my left hand pointing finger sliding on the Ma string I only

give some impulse to the Sitar - and then I usually step back trying to listening and react at what the Sitar is telling us.