Traditional Sikh Musical Instruments and Their Structure
What this domain tests
This domain tests identification, structure and historical association of instruments used in Sikh kirtan. Questions may ask which Guru or exponent is linked to an instrument, how it is played, or why the harmonium is not traditional.
Core instruments
- Rabab: plucked string instrument associated with Bhai Mardana; it has a hollow body, parchment soundboard, strings and frets, and provided the early accompaniment to Guru Nanak's bani.
- Sarangi: bowed, fretless instrument with three main playing strings and many sympathetic strings; central to the rababi kirtan tradition.
- Taus: peacock-shaped bowed instrument traditionally associated with Guru Hargobind Sahib; it has a large body and many strings.
- Dilruba: bowed, fretted instrument smaller than the taus, associated with the Guru period and later kirtan practice.
- Jori: pair of drums used in Sikh kirtan, traditionally attributed to Guru Arjan Dev ji; it has a treble and a bass drum and is played with the hands.
- Pakhawaj: barrel-shaped drum used for Chautaal, Dhamar and related cycles.
- Kartal and chimta: hand percussion used in devotional singing.
- Harmonium: a 19th-century European import; it is widely used but not a traditional Sikh instrument, and SGPC-oriented maryada encourages traditional instruments.
Worked example
Question: Which instrument is most closely linked to Bhai Mardana? Answer: the rabab. Reasoning: Bhai Mardana accompanied Guru Nanak on the udasis with the rabab; the sarangi became prominent later in the rababi lineage, while the taus is linked to Guru Hargobind. Matching the person to the instrument, not merely to string type, earns the mark.
Traps
Do not call the jori a tabla. Do not describe the taus as a wind instrument. Do not say the sarangi is plucked. Do not present the harmonium as traditional. Do not confuse the dilruba with the taus.