esraj and dilruba

[tSingh]

Gurfateh,

I've read the difference which sounds nominal. Has anyone got hands-on experience of the difference. Is there perhaps less resonance from an esraj due to less sustain strings?

thanks

[tSingh]

it's alright I worked it out...here's something;

The similarities and differences in both the instrumentsare as follows:

Similarities:

Both the instruments emerged after combining the features of sarangi and sitar. Both have a long fingerboard with frets and parched skin soundbox, and are played with the bow. Strings are made of metal instead of gut and sound is produced with the help of the left hand fingertips like the sitar.

The wood used for making the structure is tun or sagwan. The body is divided into two parts, i.e. the fingerboard called dand, and the soundbox called kundi or pyala. The portion where the two pieces are joined is called 'gulu', which is an important joint and has to be done very carefully. The soundbox is covered with parched goat skin and the bridge is fixed in the middle of this skin. The bridge is thin like that of the sarangi. The main strings rest on the grooves made on the bridge, while the sympathetic strings pass through the holes drilled in the bridge. An extra belt of leather is fixed tightly under the bridge and nailed on the corners of the soundbox to give extra support to the leather under the bridge. In the esraj this belt is put on the skin, whereas in the dilruba the belt is often fixed on the inside of the skin, and is not visible.

The number of frets in both the instruments is the same, which varies from seventeen to nineteen. These eliptical frets are made of metal, and like the sitar, they can be moved up and down as and when required.

The techniques of playing both the instruments are the same. The bowing is done with the right hand and the left hand's fore and middle fingers slide upon the strings and frets longitudinally. The frets are only to give the player an idea about the positioning of the note. The strings are never pulled like sitar. Almost all the finer nuances of the sarangi can be played upon this instrument, while the presence of frets facilitate some of the sitar-like techniques such as cut notes in this Instrument. Thus, both the styles, gayaki (vocal) and tantra (instrumental), can be played upon it.

The holding position of the esraj and dilruba is almost the same. The instrument is placed either on the lap or in front of the player and the fingerboard rests on the left shoulder.

An extra wooden strip is added to the side of the fingerboard to accommodate the tuning pegs of the sympathetic strings in both the Instruments.

Differences:

The main difference between the esraj and dilruba is the shape of their soundbox. The dilruba has a broad rectangular or rather trapzoid sarangi-like sound box, whereas the esraj has a roundish, oval- shaped sound box which is cut from the sides to facilitate bowing.

The fingerboard of the dilruba is broader than that of the esraj in order to accomodate more sympathetic strings.

Though most of the dilrubas have four main playing strings like the esraj, but in some dilrubas we find six main playing strings. The number of sympathetic strings also varies. In the esraj we get fifteen sympathetic strings, whereas in dilruba we have twenty to twenty-two sympathetic strings, because of which it has more resonance than the esraj. The arrangement and tuning of sympathetic strings in the dilruba is more or less like the sarangi.

The shape of the bow of the esraj is quite different from that of the dilruba. As discussed earlier, the dilruba is more popular in western India, but the esraj is popular in the eastern regions like Bihar, Bengal, Orrisa, and Assam.

[Pheena]

well first i had to google what the instruments looked like to know what you were talkign about....so if u r like me here is what they look like.

this is esraj

Dilruba

[ssinghuk]

Next step- what do they sound like!!,

although can probably find somewhere to hear the dirluba but never even heard of the esraj nevermind the sound it makes!!

I remember vaguely a sakhi i heard from somewhere that Maharaaj Dasam Paatshah made an instrument (think its called taus) smaller so that Singhs could carry it easier on hourseback... im assuming this was the dirluba?

n e way it would be great if someone could post a link / media so that we can hear these instruments.

BTW, a final query What instrument do Bhai Baljeet Singh Naamdhari play?

[tSingh]

the taus is bigger, the dilruba according to what I've read supposedly dates from the 19th century (like the esraj which is eastern india, bengal etc) so that middle class ladies could make the sound of the sarangi without having to play an instrument linked to dancing girls and low castes!

[cybersingh]

Next step- what do they sound like!!,

although can probably find somewhere to hear the dirluba but never even heard of the esraj nevermind the sound it makes!!

I remember vaguely a sakhi i heard from somewhere that Maharaaj Dasam Paatshah made an instrument (think its called taus) smaller so that Singhs could carry it easier on hourseback... im assuming this was the dirluba?

n e way it would be great if someone could post a link / media so that we can hear these instruments.

BTW, a final query What instrument do Bhai Baljeet Singh Naamdhari play?

Singh ji,

Vahiguru ji ka khalsa Vahiguru ji ki Fateh,

Baljeet plays dilruba, taus, and tar-shenahi (which I believe is variant of the esraj looking from the pic but has a small amplified mike on the front).

[ssinghuk]

Thanks very much cybersingh!