The sarod is an important plucked lute of the classical music of North India. Its hallmarks are a deep, full, somewhat “heavy” sound, a smooth metal fingerboard (instead of frets), and sympathetic strings that ring in resonance. The sarod is played with a plectrum of coconut shell.
The absence of frets allows the performer to achieve inimitable smooth glissandos (meend) — slides from note to note that imitate the inflections of the human voice and are the heart of the Indian raga. Together with the sitar, the sarod is a leading solo instrument of the Hindustani tradition, and its masters (notably the Khan family) made the instrument famous throughout the world. The sarod's rich, meditative yet virtuosic voice opens the depths of Indian classical music.
