Surbahar

The surbahar, often called the "bass sitar," is a classical Indian string instrument similar to the sitar but designed to produce deeper, lower-pitched sounds. It features a large, hollow wooden body with a long neck, allowing for extended bass notes. The surbahar is played with a plectrum and used primarily for rehearsing and performing slow, expressive alap sections in Indian classical music. Its deep, resonant tone adds richness and depth to performances, serving as a bridge between the melody and rhythm in traditional compositions.