The sitar took shape in India in the 18th century (first mentioned in 1739) on the basis of the Persian setar; legend attributes it to Amir Khusrow (13th century), but scholars reject this. The modern construction: a large gourd resonator at the bottom, a long hollow neck (1 meter), 6–7 main strings + 11–13 sympathetic strings (taraf) running beneath the main ones.
Its main feature is the signature “floating” sound, created by the unique fret (parda) design: each fret is arched, allowing the performer to “pull” the string sideways, changing pitch by quarter-tones and more — this is the hallmark Indian microtonal style. The sympathetic strings, never touched by the fingers, create an ever-present overtone cloud that “colors” every note.
The peak of classical sitar is Ravi Shankar (1920–2012), who introduced Indian classical music to the Western world. George Harrison (The Beatles) first used the sitar on Norwegian Wood (1965) and, after meeting Ravi Shankar in 1966 and studying with him, on Within You Without You. Ravi Shankar's daughter Anoushka Shankar continues the tradition. In Ukraine the sitar can be heard at Indian cultural concerts and in East–West fusion projects.
