An electric sitar is a type of electric string instrument designed to mimic the sound of the

sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in 19th-century India. Khusrau K ...

, a traditional

musical instrument A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make Music, musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be considered a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. A person ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. Depending on the manufacturer and model, these instruments bear varying degrees of resemblance to the traditional sitar. Most resemble the

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external electric Guitar amplifier, sound amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar. It uses one or more pickup (music technology), pickups ...

in the style of the

body Body may refer to: In science * Physical body, an object in physics that represents a large amount, has mass or takes up space * Body (biology), the physical material of an organism * Body plan, the physical features shared by a group of anim ...

and

headstock A headstock or peghead is part of a guitar or similar stringed instruments such as a lute, mandolin, banjo, ukulele and others of the lute lineage. The main function of a headstock is to house the tuning pegs or other mechanism that holds the s ...

, though some have a body shaped to resemble that of the sitar (such as a model made by

Danelectro Danelectro is a brand of musical instruments and accessories that was founded in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 1947. The company is known primarily for its string instruments that employed unique designs and manufacturing processes. The Danelectro com ...

History

The instrument was developed in the early 1960s by session guitarist Vinnie Bell in partnership with

and released under the brandname Coral™ in 1967. At the time, many

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

musical groups had begun using the sitar, which is generally considered a difficult instrument to learn. By contrast, the electric sitar, with its standard guitar fretboard and tuning, is a more familiar fret arrangement for a guitarist to play. The twangy sitar-like tone comes from a carefully designed and contoured bridge surface adding the necessary buzz to the guitar strings.

Configuration

In addition to the six playing strings, most electric sitars have

sympathetic string Sympathetic strings or resonance strings are auxiliary strings found on many Indian musical instruments, as well as some Western Baroque instruments and a variety of folk instruments. They are typically not played directly by the performer (ex ...

s, typically located on the left side of the instrument (though some do not have these). These strings have their own pickups (typically

lipstick pickup A lipstick guitar pickup is a form of single-coil magnetic guitar pickup, having its electronics totally encased in a chrome-plated metal tube. The lipstick-tube pickup was first introduced by Danelectro on their line of electric guitars. The o ...

s are used for both sets of strings), and are usually tuned with a harp wrench (a difficult process). A unique type of

bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

, a "buzz bridge", developed by Vinnie Bell, helps give the instrument its distinctive

sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the br ...

. Some electric sitars have drone strings in lieu of sympathetic strings. A few models, such as the Jerry Jones "Baby" sitar, lack both sympathetic and drone strings, while still retaining the distinctive buzz bridge. The "sympathetic" strings on most electric sitars do not resonate strongly enough to match the effect of an acoustic sitar. There are resonant chambers in the solid-body instruments that have Masonite tops, however it is not enough to excite the 13 strings into true sympathy. The strings are tensioned over two rosewood bridges with fret material as saddles so the sound is more like an

autoharp An autoharp or chord zither is a string instrument belonging to the zither family. It uses a series of bars individually configured to mute all strings other than those needed for the intended chord. The term ''autoharp'' was once a trademark of t ...

than a sitar. Versions of the electric sitar were also developed mainly in India. These are smaller-sized sitars that resemble a traditional sitar, and are tuned the same way.

Usage

Because the tonal quality and playing technique differ significantly from that of the sitar, the electric sitar is typically used in rock, jazz, and fusion styles. Notable early hit singles featuring electric sitar include Eric Burdon and the Animals' "

Monterey Monterey ( ; ) is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, the city occupies a land area of and recorded a population of 30,218 in the 2020 census. The city was fou ...

Joe South Joe South (born Joseph Alfred Souter; February 28, 1940 – September 5, 2012) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Best known for his songwriting, South won the Grammy Award for Grammy Award for Song of the Year, ...

's " Games People Play",

the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...

' " No Matter What Sign You Are" (on which the electric sitar was played by Eddie Willis),

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

's " Signed, Sealed, Delivered", B. J. Thomas' " Hooked on a Feeling" (played by

Reggie Young Reggie Grimes Young Jr. (December 12, 1936 – January 17, 2019) was an American musician who was lead guitarist in the American Sound Studio house band, The Memphis Boys, and was a leading session musician. He played on various recordings with ...

), the Spinners' " It's a Shame", and

the Box Tops The Box Tops is an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1967. They are best known for the hits " The Letter", "Cry Like a Baby", and " Soul Deep" and are considered a major blue-eyed soul group of the period. They performed a mi ...

' "

Cry Like a Baby Crying is the dropping of tears (or welling of tears in the eyes) in response to an emotional state or physical pain. Emotions that can lead to crying include sadness, anger, joy, and fear. Crying can also be caused by relief from a perio ...

", as well as some sides by

the Stylistics The Stylistics are an American Philadelphia soul group that achieved their greatest chart success in the 1970s. They formed in 1968, with a lineup of singers Russell Thompkins Jr., Herb Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. All ...

and

the Delfonics The Delfonics were an American R&B/soul vocal group from Philadelphia. The Delfonics were most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their most notable hits include " La-La (Means I Love You)", " Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)", "Bre ...

. Other artists who have featured the electric sitar in their recordings include: *

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

, in his 1969 American Sound recording sessions ("Stranger In My Hometown", "You'll Think Of Me", "Gentle on My Mind", and "I’m Movin' On"), played by

; and 1970

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

recording sessions ("Snowbird"), played by

Harold Bradley Harold Bradley may refer to: Others * Harold Bradley (guitarist) (1926–2019), American country and pop guitarist * Harold Bradley (pianist) (1906–1984), Canadian pianist * Harold Bradley (trade unionist) (1895–1979), British trade union leade ...

. * Steppenwolf ("Snowblind Friend", played by producer Richard Podolor) * Mandrake Memorial *

Kronos Quartet The Kronos Quartet is an American string quartet based in San Francisco. It has been in existence with a rotating membership of musicians for 50 years. The quartet covers a very broad range of musical genres, including contemporary classical musi ...

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Religion * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...

(in " I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)", "

Dancing with the Moonlit Knight "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" is a song by the progressive rock band Genesis. It was released on their 1973 album ''Selling England by the Pound''. The song was originally going to be titled "Disney." The later Phil Collins-era Genesis song " ...

") Steve Hackett plays live. *

Yes Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * Young Eisner Scholars, in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Appalachia, US * Young Ep ...

(in "

Close To The Edge ''Close to the Edge'' is the fifth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released in the UK on 8 September 1972 and in the US on 13 September 1972, by Atlantic Records. It is their last album until '' Union'' (1991) to feature ori ...

", " Siberian Khatru", " Tales From Topographic Oceans", "To Be Over", " Into The Lens");

Steve Howe Stephen James Howe (born 8 April 1947) is an English musician, best known as the guitarist and backing vocalist in the progressive rock band Yes (band), Yes across three stints since 1970. Born in Holloway, London, Holloway, North London, Howe d ...

plays it and also on his solo albums * Gary Wilson (musician) Played it, most notably on his 1977 album, ''You Think You Really Know Me''. *

Mike Oldfield Michael Gordon Oldfield (born 15 May 1953) is an English retired musician, songwriter and producer best known for his debut studio album ''Tubular Bells'' (1973), which became an unexpected critical and commercial success. Though primarily a gu ...

used it on "Flying Start" (on ''

Islands This is a list of the lists of islands in the world grouped by country, by continent, by body of water, and by other classifications. For rank-order lists, see the #Other lists of islands, other lists of islands below. Lists of islands by count ...

'') *

The Clash The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...

(in " Armagideon Time" and " Charlie Don't Surf") *

Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the bands Nazz and Utopia. He is known for his sophistica ...

(on the album ''

Initiation Initiation is a rite of passage marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components. In an extended sense, it can also signify a transformatio ...

'') * Redbone (" Come and Get Your Love") *

Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods are an American pop music group, known mainly for their 1970s hit singles, "Billy Don't Be a Hero" and "Who Do You Think You Are". History The band was formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1965 by their leader, Robert W ...

("Who Do You Think You Are?") * The Grass Roots "Glory Bound" *

Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 as a merger of local bands L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band's "classic" line-up consisted of vocalist Axl R ...

(in " Pretty Tied Up") *

Lenny Kravitz Leonard Albert Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American singer, musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. His debut album ''Let Love Rule (Lenny Kravitz album), Let Love Rule'' (1989) was characterized by a blend of Rock music, rock ...

It Ain't Over 'til It's Over "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over" is a song written, produced, and performed by American musician Lenny Kravitz for his second studio album, '' Mama Said'' (1991). Released as the album's second single in June 1991 by Virgin, the song is a mid-tem ...

" and " Again") * Robbie Dupree (" Steal Away") *

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentDinosaur Jr. (in " The Wagon") *

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the fir ...

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

(in "

Wherever I May Roam "Wherever I May Roam" is a song by American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Metallica. It was released in October 1992 as the fourth single from their eponymous fifth album, ''Metallica (album), Metallica''. It reached number 82 on the US ''Bi ...

") *

Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band formed in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, in 1971 by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Originally having a traditional band lineup, Becker and Fagen cho ...

(in " Do It Again") *

Paul Young Paul Antony Young (born 17 January 1956) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. Formerly the frontman of the short-lived bands Kat Kool & the Kool Cats, Streetband and Q-Tips, he became a teen idol with his solo success in the 1980s. H ...

(in " Everytime You Go Away") *

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the leader and frontman of the Rock music, rock bands Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch and a member of the late 1980s sup ...

(in "

Don't Come Around Here No More "Don't Come Around Here No More" is a song written by Tom Petty of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Dave Stewart of Eurythmics. It was released in February 1985 as the lead single from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' ''Southern Accents'' albu ...

") *

Dan Fogelberg Daniel Grayling Fogelberg (August 13, 1951 – December 16, 2007) was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist widely known for his 1970s and 1980s soft rock hits, including " Longer" (1979), " Same Old Lang Syne" (1981), and " ...

(in "Nexus") *

George Duke George Martin Duke (January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013) was an American keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He worked with numerous artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and as ...

and

Stanley Clarke Stanley Clarke (born June 30, 1951) is an American bassist, composer and founding member of Return to Forever, one of the first jazz fusion bands. Clarke gave the bass guitar a prominence it lacked in jazz-related music. He is the first jazz-fus ...

in (" Sweet Baby") *

Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer * Sailboat designs by W. D. Schock Corp ** Santana 20 ** Santan ...

Roy Wood Roy Wood (born 8 November 1946) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He was particularly successful in the 1960s and 1970s as member and co-founder of the Move, Electric Light Orchestra and Wizzard. Wood formed the Move in 1965, and ...

(on the songs "Open up said the World at the Door" by

The Move The Move were a British Rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1965. They scored nine Top 40, top 20 UK singles in five years, but were among the most popular British bands not to find any real success in the United States. For most of ...

and Wizzard's "Carlsberg Special"). * Eric Johnson *

Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. One of the key bands in the grunge, grunge movement of the early 1990s, Pearl Jam has outsold and outlasted many of its contemporaries from the early 1990s, ...

(in "Who You Are") *

Screaming Trees Screaming Trees were an American rock band formed in Ellensburg, Washington, in 1984 by vocalist Mark Lanegan, guitarist Gary Lee Conner, bassist Van Conner, and drummer Mark Pickerel. Pickerel was replaced by Barrett Martin in 1991. Screami ...

in "Halo of Ashes" *

Redd Kross Redd Kross is an American Rock music, rock band from Hawthorne, California, who had their roots in 1978 in a punk rock band called the Tourists, which was started by brothers Jeff and Steven Shane McDonald, Steve McDonald while Steve was still i ...

(in "Play My Song") *

Alice in Chains Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AiC) is an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1987. Since 2006, the band's lineup has comprised vocalist/guitarists Jerry Cantrell and William DuVall, bassist Mike Inez, and drummer Sean Kinney. Voca ...

(in " What the Hell Have I") * Ugly Kid Joe (in " Cats in the Cradle") * The All-American Rejects (in "Night Drive") * Torsten de Winkel * Flower Travellin' Band *

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

The Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) and Lol Tolhurst (drums). The band's current line-up comprises Smith, Perry Bamonte (guitar and keyboards), Reev ...

(1963 Coral sitar on "If Only Tonight We Could Sleep" and "Where the Birds Always Sing") *

Manic Street Preachers Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Wales, Welsh Rock music, rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, in 1986. The band consists of Nicky Wire (bass guitar, lyrics) and cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, le ...

(in "

Tsunami A tsunami ( ; from , ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and underwater explosions (including detonations, ...

" and "I'm Not Working") * The Mission (on "Beyond The Pale", "Hymn (For America)", "Sea Of Love", and "Deliverance") * Hiroshi Takano *

Miyavi , better known by his stage name MIYAVI (雅, ''Miyabi'', stylized in all caps), is a Japanese guitarist, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor known for his finger- slapping style of playing a guitar. He has been active since 1999, f ...

Sugizo , born and better known by his stage name Sugizo, is a Japanese musician, songwriter, composer and record producer. He is best known as the lead guitarist and violinist of the Rock music, rock band Luna Sea since 1989. Sugizo started his solo ...

* hide * Clarence White *

Ronnie Wood Ronald David Wood (born 1 June 1947) is an English rock musician, best known as a member of the Rolling Stones since 1975, and a member of Faces and the Jeff Beck Group. Wood began his career in 1964, playing lead guitar with several Brit ...

(mainly on

Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

live performances of songs where

Brian Jones Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969) was an English musician and founder of the Rolling Stones. Initially a slide guitarist, he went on to sing backing vocals and played a wide variety of instruments on Rolling Stones r ...

played an actual sitar). * Kaoru of

Dir En Grey Dir En Grey (stylized as DIR EN GREY and previously as Dir en grey) is a Japanese Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in February 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. With a consistent lineup of guitari ...

Pat Metheny Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer. He was the leader of the Pat Metheny Group (1977–2010) and continues to work in various small-combo, duet, and solo settings, as well as other side pr ...

Scott Henderson Scott Henderson (born August 26, 1954) is an American jazz fusion and blues guitarist best known for his work with the band Tribal Tech. He was born in West Palm Beach and raised in Lake Worth Beach. Biography Scott Henderson is a highly reg ...

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...

(on " Ten Years Gone") * Sigh *

Steve Vai Steven Siro Vai ( ; born June 6, 1960) is an American guitarist, songwriter, and producer. A three-time Grammy Award winner and fifteen-time nominee, Vai started his music career in 1978 at the age of eighteen as a Transcription (music), transc ...

(notably on " For the Love of God" and also the Frank Zappa composition " Sinister Footwear II") *

Rory Gallagher William Rory Gallagher ( ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995) was an Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as "Ireland's first rock star", he is known for his virtuosic style of guitar playing and live performances. He has sometim ...

(in "Philby") *

Mint Royale Mint Royale is the alias of electronic music producer Neil Claxton and, until 2004, a duo consisting of himself and Chris Baker, originating from Manchester, England. It was founded by Claxton and Baker in 1997. Baker left the band in 2004, bu ...

* Steve Miller (musician), Steve Miller * Eddie Van Halen (on "Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love" and "Van Halen III, Primary") * Tony Hicks of The Hollies * Blasted Mechanism * Ruban Nielson of Unknown Mortal Orchestra * Cliff Richard ("Summer Rain", played by Alan Tarney) * The Beach Boys (in "All I Wanna Do (Beach Boys song), All I Wanna Do") * Peggy Scott and Jo Jo Benson ("Soulshake") * The Cyrkle on "Turn-Down Day" * Ween (on "Flutes of Chi", "Transdermal Celebration", "Tried and True" and "Sweetheart in the Summer") * MonoNeon, Mononeon * Tatsuro Yamashita (on "Rainy Day", "Your Eyes" and "Blue Midnight") * Harry Styles (on Sunflower, Vol. 6) Although George Harrison is generally credited with introducing the sitar into popular Western music, there is no evidence that he ever played an electric sitar. On his award-winning 1969 instrumental rendition of the

tune " Games People Play", saxophonist King Curtis teamed with guitarist Duane Allman on the electric sitar (Allman also played slide guitar). This recording was included on the Allman compilation ''An Anthology (Duane Allman album), An Anthology''. The 1971 album ''Somethin' Else'' recorded by Danny Davis (country musician), Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass prominently featured an electric sitar, a first for the country music industry. The instrument provided accompaniment on such songs as "Snowbird", "Rose Garden", "Are You from Dixie?", and others. Harry Chapin's original version of "Cat's in the Cradle" features the electric sitar. On ABBA's 1979 recording of "I Have a Dream (song), I Have A Dream" the refrain is played on an electric sitar. However the recording for the 2008 Mamma Mia! (film), movie version of "Mamma Mia (ABBA song), Mamma Mia" featured a bouzouki. The 1992 album ''Bloody Kisses'' by Type O Negative used a J.K. Sengupta concert sitar in the song "Can't Lose You" played by Paul Bento from the band Carnivore (band), Carnivore. Brian Wilson's ''Imagination (Brian Wilson album), Imagination'' features electric sitar on "Sunshine" and "Happy Days" and played by Brent Rowan. Glass Hammer guitarist Kamran Alan Shikoh performed electric sitar in the band's song from 2009 to his departure in 2018. In 2010, MGMT released their album ''Congratulations (album), Congratulations'', where the electric sitar was played on many tracks by lead singer and guitarist Andrew VanWyngarden. Blues musician Buddy Guy played, among other guitars, a Coral electric sitar in shows on his 2010 tour. He used an electric sitar on two songs off his 2008 album ''Skin Deep (Buddy Guy album), Skin Deep'', the Playing for Change re-recording of the title track and the Beatles cover "I've Got a Feeling" from his 2022 studio album ''The Blues Don't Lie''. The 2014 album ''Black Messiah (album), Black Messiah'' by American neo-soul singer D'Angelo and backing band The Vanguard, features use of the electric sitar on tracks such as "Another Life" and "The Charade". The 2015 song "Multi-Love" by Unknown Mortal Orchestra makes use of the electric sitar.

References

External links

Article about the Coral sitar
{{DEFAULTSORT:Electric Sitar Amplified instruments Sitars Indian musical instruments Electric guitars American inventions Rhythm section

History

Configuration

Usage

See also

References

External links