Sitar

Sitar is one of the most popular classical instruments. It played a significant role in introducing western audiences to Indian classical music. It is categorized as a chordophone in the lute family. The sound of Sitar evokes thoughts and feelings of the sub-continent. It is a plucked string instrument predominantly used in Hindustani Classical Music. The word "Sitar" has an Iranian origin and refers to three strings, despite of it being a multi-stringed instrument. Nowadays, Sitar has become the most popular melody instrument in classical northern Indian music today and is, together with the Surbahar and the Tanpura, part of the family of long-neck lutes. Despite of it being a popular instrument, its origin is not clear and revolves around a number of theories. It is believed to have evolved into its present form in the 1700's, during the collapse of the Moghul Empire, as a marriage between the Persian Setar and the South-Indian Vina, while using the characteristically resonant bridge of the Tampura.

History
The roots of Sitar can be traced to an instrument first built under Medieval Muslim influence from the tanbur, a Middle Eastern lute with a distinctive long neck as well as from the vina, a narrow, intricately crafted Indian Zither. Although images similar to the Sitar date back to 1800, the more well-known form of the Sitar had become prominent by the mid nineteenth century. The long heavy neck and gourd body produce a rich resonance and harmony, and is the dominant instrument used in Hindustani classical music and is played as an accompaniment to dance throughout India and Pakistan. Sitar music is universal in these and other Middle Eastern countries. More intricately added design innovations made during the mid-twentieth century have given form to the standard Sitar made popular by musicians such as Ravi Shankar who is the utmost popular Sitar player, and rock acts such as The Beatles, looking to infuse their music with the exotic sound that emanates from the intricately crafted instrument.

Types Of Sitar

Ravi Shankar Sitar
It has been named after the musical legend as well as an extremely talented sitarist Pandit Ravi Shankar. RV sitars feature 12-14 sympathetic strings and are equipped with bass melody strings. This type of sitar also boasts of a second small pumpkin that is attached near the top of its neck. The Ravi Shankar Sitar is constructed with two extra bass strings. As a result, these types of sitars produce a deep, bass-filled sound. Often, RV sitars serve as works of art and music. These sitars are usually decorated with a good deal of extra carving and penwork.

Vilayat Khan Sitar
It is slightly smaller than the RV style and features just one gourd, and is equipped with fewer sympathetic strings and features absolutely no bass strings. This kind of Sitar is constructed with an additional rhythmic accompaniment string, known as a "chickaree." This additional feature enables the Vilayat Khan version of the instrument to produce a fuller and more chordal sound quality. This particular Sitar is played by those who belong to the "Etawa Gharana" and the performers embrace a minimalist approach to decoration.

The Bass Sitar
Besides the two main types of Sitars, there's another option for music lovers. The "Surbahar," or bass sitar, is a larger type of sitar that typically employs very thick strings and a much wider neck. The surbahar sports a broader fret-board, as well. This type of sitar offers a deeper tonal quality, as well. Among sitar enthusiasts, this type of sitar is considered much more difficult to play than other types.

Occasions
Sitar is generally played during music festivals for Hindustani Classical Music, in renowned temples for the "raga" and "dhwani".

Famous Sitar Players
The eminent sitar players who contributed in the last 80 years are Mustaque Ali Khan, Lakhan Bhattacharya, Ustad Inayat Khan, Bhagwan Das, Gokul Nag, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Ustad Halim Jaffar Khan, Ustad Imrat Khan, Balaram Pathak, Nikhil Banerjee, Rais Khan, Manilal Nag, Kartick Kumar and Raj Bhan Singh. The famous sitar players of the present day are Sujat Khan, Budhaditya Mukherjee, Sahid Pervez, Irshad Khan, Nishat Khan, Niladri Kumar, Purbayan Chatterjee, Kushal Das, Anuska Shankar, Nayan Ghosh, Partho Das, Sunil Kumar Das, Soumitra Lahiri, Kartik Seshadri, and others.

TABALA

Tabla

Tabla is an Indian percussion instrument, which dates back to the times of Persian Muslims. Actually, Tabla forms a major instrument of Indian music. The instrument used to be the part of Classical and Hindustani music, but today is adding to the flavor of every kind of music, especially jazz. Beats of the Tabla drums can be heard notably in Indian music. The Tabla comprises of two drums, which possibly can be the reason for it to be known as Indian Drums. The drum that is kept on the right hand is called "dayan", while the left-hand drum is known as "bayan". Dayan is smaller than the left-hand drum and is generally made from solid piece of hardwood. The left-hand drum on the other hand is made from metal, terracotta or ceramic. The pitch of the Tabla mainly depends on the diameter of the drums, bigger the diameter, lower would be the pitch. The method of playing Tabla drum requires maximum exercise of the fingers and movements of palm. The synchronization of both drums produces various sound effects. The right hand drum "dayan" can itself make 12 different types of sounds.

History
The origin of table has been long debated. There have been many researchers trying to trace out the Tabla's roots. One of the many theories suggests that it might have come out as a hybrid form of other drums like 'Dholal', 'Naqqara' and others. Another claim of its origin is that it was invented by Amir Khusrau, a 13th century poet who was said to have split the mridangam drum into two. However, Indian musicians claim that Tabla is a recent addition to Indian musical instruments and was not present in ancient times but there are inscriptions found in many temples of India that have shown people playing drums. The theoreticians and researchers are yet to come to a conclusion on Tabla's origin but the fact remains that Indian music has a special touch to it due to Tabla and its rhythmic beats.

Types
Tabla has two parts to it: the 'bayan' and the 'dayan'. There are five star bayan table and five star dayan. The 'bayan' can make 2 different sounds, but on applying a little pressure to 'bayan', the pitch gets changed. The skin of the drum shells is fabricated from goat. The drum shell also bears a thick black disc, which is known as 'shiai'. The 'shiai' is prepared out of flour, ferric oxide powder and starch. It is fixed in the centre of the shell to allow the emanation of sounds. The tuning of Tabla is done by striking the 'guli' or 'ghittak' (wedge). For fine tuning, the braided part of the 'pagri' (head) is thumped by a metal hammer. To ensure consistency while playing, 'bida' or 'chutta' (cushion) is placed below both the drums.

Occasions
Tabla was originally associated with the music on which courtesans of various gharana's used to dance. Today, Tabla is played during most of the classical musicals and also in Tabla concerts. One of the major usages of Tabla is during dance performances. All major classical dances of India uses Tabla beats in their performances. Kathak is one such dance that uses Tabla's beat extensively.

Famous Tabla Players
Ustad Alla Rakha, Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, Pandit Anindo Chatterjee Ghosh, Pandit Nayan Ghosh, Ustad Rashid Mustafa Thirakwa, Pandit Kishen Maharaj, Ustad Tari Khan, Pandit Kumar Bose, Pandit Sankha Chatterjee, Pandit Sharda Sahai and Ustad Tafo Khan are some of the famous Tabla players of India. Out of them Pandit Zakir Hussain is the most renowned as he attained international recognition and pushed Indian music to a higher pedestal worldwide.

Violin

The violin was first a part of the western classical music before it became essential to traditional classical music in India. This small four string instrument is much smaller when compared to viola and the cello which are shaped in the same fashion but are much larger and heavier than the violin. Although the violin is considered to be a western instrument, it has a dominating impact on Indian music. The position and tuning of the music device is believed to be much different from the European style. The violin is one of the most versatile instruments and can be played in different genres of music. Some of them are Indian classical, jazz, folk, Arabic and the Baroque form of music. In India classical music, violin has a religious theme attached to it, unlike in the western countries. Classical violin music is usually a solo performance but music directors like Ilaiyaraaja often use violin as a background score in many of his movies. Take a look at the article to know more on violin.

History of Violin
Violin traces back its origins to the Turkic, Kazakh and Mongolian horsemen who played the "morin khuur" and "Kobyz" instruments that were similar to the violin. It is been believed that through the trade routes, a group of nomadic spread their musical components to the Middle East, China and India. Soon they developed into different forms and came to be known as a new instrument found in their respective regions. In India, it was named as "esraj", in the Middle East it was referred to as "rebab" and the Chinese called it "erhu". But it was not until the 16th century in Italy that the violin emerge in its present form. In the following years, the fiddle took a dramatic change with respect to its physical components and was inspired by the Middle East, before it came to be known as a bowed-stringed musical device. By the 18th century, the fiddle witnessed further changes with regard to its shape and size in order to support a good grip of the instrument.

Types
History tells us that there were different variants of the fiddle that evolved from across the globe before it emerged in its present state. However, today modern violins can be classified under three different categories such size, genres and period. Violins come in different sizes that are suitable for young violinist as well as professional adults. Fiddles in the size of 1/10 are ideal for children aged between three and five, while violins in 4/4 can be used by both children aged nine and adults. Before you invest your money on a fiddle make sure to consult a luthier as violins come in seven different sizes and are generally chosen depending on the length of your arm. Apart from this, there are acoustic and electric violins which are different with respect to its components used in its construction. For example the strings used in an electric violin are usually made from nylon, steel or synthetic. Violins that are classified under the basis of period are of three kinds such as baroque, classical and modern violins.

Occasion
Violin is a popular instrument around the globe and there are innumerable musical festivals that are held each year dedicated to the instrument. From classical to folk style of music, a large variety can be witnessed under a single roof. The fiddle is more popular in the west as compared to India. The BBC National Orchestra of Wale and the Red Violin Music Festival in the UK showcase some of the best violinist across Europe. Although violin is not commonly played in India there are many shows that are held to promote and encourage its youth to take up the violin and retain classical Indian music. The Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival is the best place to witness some great piece of music created by eminent violinist.

Famous Violin Players
L. Subramaniam, L. Shankar, T. N. Krishnan, Evaristo Felice Dall'Abaco, Matthew Dubourg , Johnny Frigo etc are some of best violinist that have made a lasting impact with their contributions in different styles of music.

Veena

If there is any instrument that has earned the status close to godliness and managed to mesmerize the audience with its soothing melodies, it has to be the Veena. Veena is a popular Carnatic music instrument that is said to be many centuries old. Western music scholars believe that the instrument has many characteristics that belong to European style lute. The Veena has many discrepancies in sound and shape it has been customized and improvised over the decades to create a unique style from the lute. This 1.5 meter long instrument has two drones on both the side to give it an even balance and is connected with four different strings along with frets that give different harmonics than any other music device. Veena being an age old musical instrument holds religious importance and also symbolizes ancient culture and heritage in southern India. Today, this art form is almost on the verge of being extinct, despite efforts to revive it. Read the article below to know more about veena.

History of Instrument
The history of Veena dates back to the Vedic period which is about 1500BCE. The legend states that it all began when a hunter first discovered a different sound from his bow when it began to vibrate. The curious hunter tried various grass roots and animal fiber to create music, which in turn gave birth to the formation of Veena. Once the basic structure of the Veena was formed, further changes took place to bring about a distinctive sound. In the olden days this instrument had very few frets but today the Sarswathi Veena is said to have 24 frets on it. Besides this, the instrument also has religious association, as it has been described in many sacred texts that as goddess Sarawati playing this instrument. She is also represented as the Goddess of Knowledge. One who masters the art of playing this musical device is said to attain deliverance from the cycle of birth.

Types
It's a known fact that the Veena is an ancient instrument that has undergone several changes. There have been many versions of the Veena. To begin with, most of us are familiar with the Saraswati Veena which is commonly played in many events even today. Rudra Veena which is said to be an instrument played by Lord Shiva according to scholars is now completely declined. Vichitra Veena like the name suggests is a distinctive kind of veena that does not have any frets and looks similar to the Gottuvadhyam. Kolkata craftsmen have been well known for creating the best Saraswati Veena and Thanjavur artisans are famous for producing some of the finest Rudra Veena and Vichitra Veena in the world. However, until date, Veena continues to undergo various changes. There are many modern day versions to it such as Ranjan Veena and Mohan Veena. While the former looks similar to the sitar, the latter has a close resemblance to the guitar.

Occasion
The Veena performance in the ancient times used to be accompanied during the chants of the Yagya as a way to please to the gods and goddess. It soon became an important source of entertainment as many musicians where seen playing them in royal courts and in temples. With growing globalization, the influences of western music diminished its importance in the country. Today however you can find several musical festivals such as the National Veena Festival in India and the Thayagraja Concert in Chicago and in Thanjavur to promote and encourage aspiring musicians. The music concert does not only help retain an ancient culture but also cater to a global audience.

Famous Veena Players
The list of Veena players in our country is exceptionally long, but the list below has a few renowned names that have not only earned a reputation for being one of the best players, but those who have given a difference to this art form. Veenai Ranganayaki Rajagopalan, Veenai Dhanammal, Rugmini Gopalakrishnan, Doraiswamy Iyengar, Veene Sheshanna, Veena Venkatagiriappa, Emani Sankara Sastry, Chitti Babu, Rajhesh Vaidhya and so on.

 

TAMBURA

The tambura, tanpura, tamboura or taanpura or tanipurani is a long-necked plucked lute (a stringed instrument found in different forms and in many places). The body shape of the tambura somewhat resembles that of the sitar, but it has no frets – and the strings are played open. One or more tamburas may accompany other musicians or vocalists. It has four or five (rarely six) wire strings, which are plucked one after another in a regular pattern to create a harmonic resonance on the basic note (bourdon or drone function). An electronic tanpura is often substituted in contemporary Indian classical music performance.

Tamburas come in different sizes and pitches: larger "males", smaller "females" for vocalists, and a yet smaller version is used for accompanying sitar or sarod, called tamburi or tanpuri. Male vocalists pitch their tonic note (Sa), often to about C♯; female singers usually a fifth higher, though the tonic may be any note, as there is no absolute pitch in the Indian classical music systems. The male instrument has an open string length of approximately one metre; the female is three-fourths of the male. The standard tuning is 5-8-8-1 (sol do' do' do) or, in Indian sargam, PA-sa-sa-SA. For ragas that omit the fifth, the first string is tuned down to the natural fourth: 4-8-8-1 or Ma-sa-sa-Sa. Some ragas require a less common tuning with shuddh NI (one semitone below octave sa), NI-sa-sa-SA. With a five-string instrument, the seventh or NI (natural minor or major 7th) is added: PA-NI-sa-sa-SA (5-7-8-8-1)or MA-NI-sa-sa-SA (4-7-8-8-1).



A Lady Playing the Tanpura, ca. 1735   
                                                   




















North Indian tambura (left) used as a drone to accompany a sarod recital.

Tamburas are designed in three different styles:

• Miraj style: 

  the favourite form of tanpura for Hindustani performers. It is usually between three to five feet in length, with a well-rounded resonator plate (tabli) and a long, hollow straight neck. The round lower chamber to which the tabli, the connecting heel-piece and the neck (dandh) are fixed is actually a selected and dried gourd (tumba). Wood used is either tun or teak; bridges are usually cut from one piece of bone.

• Tanjore style:

   this is a south Indian style of tambura, used widely by Carnatic music performers. It has a somewhat different shape and style of decoration from that of the miraj, but is otherwise much the same size. Typically, no gourd is used, but the spherical part is gouged out of a solid block of wood. The neck is somewhat smaller in diameter. Jackwood is used throughout; bridges are usually cut from one piece of rosewood. Often, two rosettes are drilled out and ornamented with inlaywork.

• Tamburi: 

  small-scale instruments, used for accompanying instrumental soloists. It is two to three feet long, with a flat bed-pan type wooden body with a slightly curved tabli. It may have from four to six strings. Tamburi are tuned to the higher octave and are the preferred instruments for accompanying solo performances by string-playing artists, as the lighter, more transparent sound does not drown out the lower register of a sitar, sarod, or sarangi.
  

  Famous Tambura Players

  Gowrishankar Gurusawmy
  , Soman Pillai, Prasanna Athele, Nellai Krishnan, Indira Sheshadri and Helen Francis are some of the famous tambura players that have given the instrument a worldwide recognition.

FLUTE

The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening. According to the instrument classification of Hornbostel-Sachs, flutes are categorized as edge-blown aerophones.
A musician who plays the flute can be referred to as a flute player, a flautist, a flutist, or, less commonly, a flute

Categories of flute: 

In flute there are several type ther are:

like below

Western concert flutes

An illustration of a Western concert flute

The Western concert flute, a descendant of the 19th-century German flute, is a transverse flute that is closed at the top. An embouchure hole is positioned near the top, across and into which the player blows. The flute has circular tone holes, larger than the finger holes of its baroque predecessors. The size and placement of tone holes, the key mechanism, and the fingering system used to produce the notes in the flute's range were evolved from 1832 to 1847 by Theobald Boehm, and greatly improved the instrument's dynamic range and intonation over those of its predecessors. With some refinements (and the rare exception of the Kingma system and other custom adapted fingering systems), Western concert flutes typically conform to Boehm's design, known as the Boehm system. Beginner's flutes are normally made of nickel, silver or brass that is silver plated, while professionals use solid silver, gold, and sometimes platinum instruments. There are also modern wooden bodies instruments usually with silver or gold keywork. The wood is usually African Blackwood

Indian flutes

A Carnatic eight-holed bamboo flute

An eight-holed classical Indian bamboo flute mainly used for Carnatic music

The bamboo flute is an important instrument in Indian classical music, and developed independently of the Western flute. The Hindu God Krishna is traditionally considered a master of the bamboo flute. The Indian flutes are very simple compared to the Western counterparts; they are made of bamboo and are keyless.
Pandit Raghunath Prasanna developed various techniques in the realm of flute playing so as to faithfully reproduce the subtleties and nuances of Indian classical music. He was responsible for training his own family members. Disciples of the family like Pt. Bhola nath Prasanna, Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia, and Rajendra Prasanna Pt. Rajendra Prasanna are known for their music.
Two main varieties of Indian flutes are currently used. The first, the Bansuri, has six finger holes and one embouchure hole, and is used predominantly in the Hindustani music of Northern India. The second, the Venu or Pullanguzhal, has eight finger holes, and is played predominantly in the Carnatic music of Southern India. Presently, the eight-holed flute with cross-fingering technique is common among many Carnatic flutists. Prior to this, the South Indian flute had only seven finger holes, with the fingering standard developed by Sharaba Shastri, of the Palladam school, at the beginning of the 20th century.

Temple car carving of Krishna playing flute, suchindram, Tamil Nadu, India

The quality of the flute's sound depends somewhat on the specific bamboo used to make it, and it is generally agreed that the best bamboo grows in the Nagercoil area in South India.^[31]

Chinese flutes

In China there are many varieties of dizi (笛子), or Chinese flute, with different sizes, structures (with or without a resonance membrane) and number of holes (from 6 to 11) and intonations (different keys). Most are made of bamboo, but can come in wood, jade, bone, and iron. One peculiar feature of the Chinese flute is the use of a resonance membrane mounted on one of the holes that vibrates with the air column inside the tube. It gives the flute a bright sound.
Commonly seen flutes in the modern Chinese orchestra are the bangdi (梆笛), qudi (曲笛), xindi (新笛), and dadi (大笛). The bamboo flute played vertically is called the xiao (簫), which is a different category of wind instrument in China.

Japanese flutes

The Japanese flute, called the fue, 笛 (hiragana: ふえ), encompasses a large number of musical flutes from Japan, both of the end-blown and transverse varieties

famous flute players

The prime focus of this page is to offer information regarding some of the world famous flute players. The world is full of renowned flute players known to not only master this instrument, but also take it into the classical genre of music shows their great skills.
Listed below are a few of the most well known flute players:
Julius Baker As famous flute player, he graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music and is known for producing world famous flute players from his studios.

Jeanne BaxtresserShe is best known for being the solo/principal flute player for the New York Philharmonic. Her book "Orchestral Excerpts for the Flute" has become a must-have for aspiring orchestral flute players.

Lori BellWell known among the celebrated flute players, he is an adjunct professor of flute at San Diego State University.

William Bennett He has been the principal and famous flute player with the London Symphony and also received the National Flute Association's "Lifetime Achievement Award" in 2002.

Michel DebostA professor of flute at Oberlin Conservatory of Music, this world famous flute player graduated in 1954 and has been the most important flutist with the Orchestre de Paris among others.

Sir James Galway With over 50 albums in circulation, Galway began his musical career as a young boy playing the pennywhistle. Embarking on a highly successful solo career as a famous flute player, he has a wide variety of music performances under his belt.

Geoffrey GilbertGilbert began playing the pennywhistle at age 6 and went on to become well respected and widely known both as a performer and teacher. He won the principal spot in the London Philharmonic Orchestra at age 19 and later became principal of the Royal Philhamonic, among other orchestras.

Marcel Moyse Moyse's name is one of the well known well known flute players for his method books and teaching practices. He turned out many great flute players who went on to make their own mark.
There are many more world renowned flute players, but to cover them all would not be possible within the scope of this page. However just to name a few more of these celebrated flute players, William Kincaid, Rhonda Larson, Bill McBirnie, Mary Karen Clardy, Tadeu Coelho , Susan Milan, Aurele Nicolet, Emmanuel Pahud, James Pellerite, Johann Joachim Quantz, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Paula Robison, Gary Schocker, Elaine Shaffer, David Shostac, Renee Siebert, Fenwick Smith and many more..

indian famous Flutist:

HARIPRASAD CHAURASIA

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, the internationally renowned exponent of the bansuri or bamboo flute, surprisingly does not come from a long lineage of flautists. His father was a famous wrestler who had aspirations of his son following in his footsteps.

The younger Chaurasia had an early love of music, however, and by the age of 15 was taking his first steps toward a lifetime as a performer by studying classical vocal with Pandit Raja Ram of Benares.
Soon after, he heard a flute recital by Pandit Bholanath and was so impressed he changed his focus to studying the flute. When he was just 19, he got a job playing for All India Radio, Cuttack, Orissa, and within five years he was transferred to their headquarters in Bombay. There he got the additional exposure of performing in one of India's cultural centers and also studied with Shrimati Annapurna Devi, daughter of Ustaad Allauddin Khan of the Maihar School of Music.
There he established the creative peak of his career, developing a style that was respectful of tradition, yet full of innovation. Over a lifetime of performances, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia has become one of India's most-respected classical musicians, earning several awards, including the National Award of the Sangeet Natak Academy, which he won in 1984.
In 1992, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan and the Konarak Samman. In 1994, he was bestowed the Yash Bharati Sanman and in 2000, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan. In the year 2000, he also received the Hafiz Ali Khan Award and the Dinanath Mangeshkar Award. He has collaborated with several western musicians, including John McLaughlin and Jan Gabarek, and has also composed music for a number of Indian films. He has performed throughout the world winning acclaim from varied audiences and fellow musicians including Yehudi Menuhin and Jean Pierre Rampal.

On 1 July, 2008 on the occasion of his 70th Birthday, his official biography "Woodwinds of Change" by Shri Surjit Singh was released by none other than Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. Soon after, Panditji was honoured by the Dutch Royal family at a glittering ceremony at Amsterdam. He was conferred the title OFFICER IN THE ORDER OF ORANGE-NASSAU( “officier in de Orde van Oranje-Nassau”) and was honored by Princess Maxima herself.  Pt. Chaurasia has been teaching Indian music at the Rotterdam Music Conservatory for the past 15 years. He is the Artistic Director of the Indian Music department.

This year shortly after his 71st Birthday he was honored by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of France.  He has been appointed as KNIGHT IN THE ORDER OF ARTS AND LETTER (“Ordres des Arts et Lettres”) in appreciation for the significant contribution he has made to spread culture in France and the rest of the World.

In August this year, Pt. Chaurasia was awarded the National Eminence award, NADA VIDYA BHARTI by Visakha Music and Dance Academy, Vizag.

On 14 September he was bestowed the Honorary Doctorate by the North Orissa University for his unparelleled role and contribution to the world of Indian Classical Music. 
He heads the World Music Department at the Rotterdam Music Conservatory.
He is one of the busiest and most sought-after contemporary musicians in the world today.
He is also a dedicated teacher with several devoted art music students world-wide, many of whom are beginning to make their mark on the concert stage

BAPU PADMANABHA

Little did any one realize that a young lad from tinsel town in Karnataka, whose younger sister bought him a small flute from a village fair, will reach to the heights of one of the favourite disciples of Pt.Hariprasad Chaurasia.Padmanabha Bapu, affectionately known as “Bapu” was studying tool engineering in Hospet(Karnataka). His knowledge of music was limited to the notes of harmonium taught by his grand father. He became so much obsessed with the flute that he started treating his idol Pt.Hariprasad Chaurasia,as his Guru in absentia. He purchased all audio cassettes of Hariji and started imitating his style, he use to practice for hours together and side by side he was continuously searching for a formal flute teacher within Karnataka.The search however brought no results because he  was actually fated to become a disciple of his idol Hariji.

G S SACHDEV

Sachdev performs the classical music of India, a culture with a two thousand year musical tradition. Western listeners accustomed to harmony initially may be deceived by the apparent simplicity of this melodic music. The complexities lie in the subtle variations on the theme, ornamentation of notes, modal coloring, and in the interplay between flute and drums. Since each note stands alone, special care is given to the purity of intonation. The basis of North Indian music is raga, the melodic form, and tala, the time measure. Thousands of ragas exist, each based on one of ten parent scales. Variousragas are associated with morning, afternoon, and evening, as well as with difference seasons. Beyond the melodic form, each raga encompasses a particular mood and synthesis of emotions which a skillful musician like Sachdev evokes. Improvisation plays an essential part, but always within the established framework of the ragawhich is being expressed..

MUSIC is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch (which governs melody and harmony), rhythm (and its associated concepts tempo, meter, and articulation), dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture. The word derives from Greek(mousike)
Music is mainley based  on the musical instruments

   Musical Instruments

Every human being gets affiliated to music as music describes the expression of heart. Music instruments are used to generate music and are moderated by a musician so as to get desired audio effects. They play an extremely important role in the field of music and it's always a different experience to play any musical instrument. Most of these instruments are used in Hindustani classical music that belongs to the North, while some are used in Carnatic music that belongs to the South India. The Indian musical instruments are of various types like stringed instruments, percussion instruments and wind-blown instruments. The music created by the instruments when played is unconditionally harmonious and musical. It relaxes the mind and the senses to a large extent. Read below to learn more about the various Indian musical instruments that are used by famous singers and performers.

Flute

Belonging to the woodwind family, flute is a wind instrument that produces sound from the flow of air across an opening. The person who plays the flute is known as a flautist or a flutist. To be louder, a flute must use a larger resonator, a larger air stream, or increased air stream velocity. A flute's volume can generally be increased by making its resonator and tone holes larger.we are call the flute persons called flautist.in world wise very famous flute players there some them are 
 Andras Adorjan

DonBailey

Robert Dick  Bill McBirnie

Tambura

It is a long necked stringed instrument and resembles Sitar when it comes to body shape. It is known as the Tanpura in North India and has four or five wire strings which are plucked one after another in a regular pattern to create a harmonic resonance on the basic note. The name tambura is probably derived from tana, referring to a musical phrase, and pura which means "full" or "complete". Both in its musical function and how it works, the tambura is unique in many ways.

Veena

It is the most popular musical instrument of South India, popularly known as the Saraswati Veena. It is a plucked string instrument that is designed and used to accompany Carnatic music. There are several variations of the veena, which in its South Indian form is a member of the lute family. One who plays the veena is referred to as a vainika.

Violin

The history of violin does not originate in India as it emerged in its current form in Italy during the 16th century. It was imported from the West and was used with south Indian classical music for the first time during the 18th century.

Tabla 

It is an extremely popular Indian percussion instrument which is used in Hindustani Classical Music along with popular and devotional music. An Indian drumming instrument, the tabla dates back to the times of Persian Muslims.

Sitar

Sitar played a significant role in introducing western audiences to Indian classical music. It is categorized as a chordophone in the lute family. The sound of Sitar evokes thoughts and feelings of the sub-continent. It is a plucked string instrument predominantly used in Hindustani Classical Music.

Shehnai

Shehnai comes in the category of aero phonic instruments and is an extremely popular musical instrument in India. Shehnai is believed to bring good luck which makes it an important instrument to be played in the North Indian marriages and procession. It is a tube-like instrument that gradually widens towards its lower end.

Nagaswaram

Nagaswaram, also known as Nadaswaram, is considered to be one of the most ancient and unique musical instruments of Tamil Nadu. It is extremely appropriate to call this instrument a rare combination of music and divinity, because of its consideration as a very auspicious instrument and is found at temples and at weddings.

Sarod

The Sarod is amongst the famous Indian classical musical instruments. It is a stringed musical instrument. It is said that the main foundation of the Sarod seems to be the Rebab, a similar instrument that is said to have invented in Afghanistan and Kashmir. It is also assumed that the Sarod is truly like a bass Rebab.

Sarangi

Sarangi is a bowed stringed instrument and representative of India. The word 'Sarangi' has been derived from two Hindi words, 'Sau', which means hundred and 'Rang', which means color. It is called as Sarangi because the sound of this musical instrument is very pleasing and communicative. It also indicates a varied range of musical forms.

Santoor

The santoor is a trapezoid-shaped musical instrument. Santoor is usually made of walnut, with numerous strings and is said to be related to the shata-tantri veena of earlier times. A lightweight wooden hammer, used to play the santoor, is known as Mezrab. To play the Santoor, these mallets (mezrab) are held between the index and middle fingers.

                                         Mridanga 

It is one of the most important instruments in South India that provides rhythm to Carnatic music performances. Mridangam is a classical percussion instrument and is also known by the name of mridanga, mridangam, mrudangam and mrithangam.

 Gettuvadyam

Gottuvadhyam is also known as gottuvadyam, chitra veena, chitraveena, chitra vina, chitravina, or mahanataka vina. It is a very rare instrument which is played in Southern part of India. Gottuvadhyam is 2-3 feet long and is like a hammered lute. Much like tambura, it is supported at the neck and has four strings. Sometimes, it is used as the secondary instrument accompanying Mridangam.

Chenda

Cylindrical in shape,Chenda is an extremely popular instrument in Kerala and some parts of Karnataka as well. It is a percussion instrument and is also called Chende in Karnataka. It usually accompanies Hindu religious art forms of Kerala. Chenda is used as accompaniment for Kathakali and Koodiyattam dances and rituals in Kerala.