Sarod
Sarods from Hemen & Co and our own workshop. Fretless, metal fingerboarded, and one of the most demanding instruments in Hindustani classical music.
Choosing yours
A sarod has no frets and a polished metal fingerboard, so the note is found by the fingernail sliding on the string. That is what gives the instrument its continuous glide, and it is also why it takes longer to learn than a sitar.
Student and concert instruments differ in wood, skin quality on the resonator, and the precision of the fingerboard. A student sarod is a real instrument; the concert instruments reward technique you do not yet have when you start.
The resonator is covered in goatskin, which affects tone and responds to climate more than wood does.
Care and climate
The skin head is the sensitive part. Keep the instrument away from dry heat and direct sun, and out of a sealed case in humid weather.
Slacken the strings for storage. Wipe the fingerboard after playing, since it is metal and will mark.
Questions we get asked
Is the sarod harder than the sitar?
Generally yes. There are no frets, so intonation is entirely in the left hand, and the metal fingerboard is played with the nail rather than the fingertip.
What is the resonator made of?
Wood covered with goatskin, which shapes the tone and responds to humidity more than the body does.
Can a beginner start on a sarod?
Yes, with a teacher. It is unforgiving of guesswork in a way a fretted instrument is not, so guidance matters more than usual.