Veena

Question 1

When did veena obtain its present form and in what reign?

Answer 1

17th century during the reign of King Ranganatha

Question 2

What category does veena belong to and up to how many octaves can it be played?

Answer 2

• Plucked instruments
• 3 1/2 octaves

Question 3

How many strings are used for regular playing and how many are used for shruthi and talam?

Answer 3

• Regular playing: 4
• Shruthi + Tala: 3

Question 4

How many bridges are there, where are each fixed and what do they do?

Answer 4

• 2
• One on top of kudam holding 4 playing strings
• On side holding tala strings

Question 5

What is veena made out of and what is the name of one made w/ a specific material (what is this)?

Answer 5

• Wood
• Ekanda veena ( single piece of jack wood)

Question 6

What is the long stem called, what is there on both sides of it, which side is broader and what is the name of the secondary resonator close to one of these sides (which one)?

Answer 6

• Dandi
• ‘Kudam’ on one side, which is broader
• Yalimukham
• Surakkai, close to Yalimukham

Question 7

What is placed over the waxy ledge, what is it made of and how many Sthayis does it cover?

Answer 7

• 24 frets
• Made of either bronze/steel
• 2 sthayis

Question 8

What are all the strings attached to, what are these connected to and where is it on the veena?

Answer 8

• 7 small rings
• Connected to portion called Nagapasam
• At top end of Kudam

Question 9

What are langars known as?

Answer 9

Soul of veena

Question 10

Where do the strings start and end?

Answer 10

• Start from small rings
• Over bridges
• Over frets
• Connected to pegs

Question 11

What are there over the langars, what are they helpful for and how should they be used?

Answer 11

• Small moveable circular pieces of metal
• Helpful for adjusting minor details of shruthi
• Shruthi will increase if it is pushed towards Nagapasam
• Shruthi will decrease if pushed in opposite direction

Question 12

Names of regular strings:

Answer 12

1. Mandram (Mandra Sa)
2. Panchamam (Mandra Pa)
3. Sarani (Matya Sa)
4. Anumandram (Matya Pa)

Question 13

Names of other 3 strings:

Answer 13

1. Pakka Sarani (Matya Sa)
2. Pakka Panchamam (Matya Pa)
3. Hechu Sarani ( Thaara Sa)

Question 14

How many curved lines are cut on the top part of the Kudam w/ small holes in a circular manner, what are the names of these and where are they on the veena?

Answer 14

• More than 20
• Nadarandirams
• On outer part of Kudam

Question 15

What are the index + middle finger of right hand, those for the left hand and the little finger of right hand used for?

Answer 15

• Right hand: Used for plucking strings
• Left hand: Used for playing
• Right hand little finger: Used for plucking tala strings

Question 16

What else is sometimes used to pluck strings and what is this called?

Answer 16

• Clips over the fingers
• Neli/Meeti