Question

Briefly explain the construction and playing techniques of your opted instrument

Hint:

Pick your instrument. Describe its parts first, then how it is held and played.

Answer 1

Step 1: Violin: construction:
The violin has a hollow wooden body with a belly and a back, f-holes, a bridge, four strings, a neck with a fingerboard that has no frets, pegs and a scroll. It is played with a bow made of a wooden stick and horse hair.
The four strings are tuned to Sa and Pa (a Sa-Pa-Sa-Pa tuning), to suit the pitch of the singer.

Step 2: Violin: playing technique:
In Carnatic music the player sits cross-legged on the floor and rests the scroll on the ankle. The bow is held in the right hand and the left hand fingers press the strings on the fingerboard. Gamakas are made by sliding and shaking the fingers of the left hand. The bow gives long and short strokes.

Step 3: Veena: construction:
The Saraswati veena has a large resonator (kudam) cut from jackfruit wood, a hollow neck (dandi) with 24 frets set in wax, and a yali (dragon head) at the end of the tuning box. It has 7 steel strings: 4 main strings tuned to Sa and Pa, and 3 side strings for rhythm and drone. The small gourd sits on the left thigh.

Step 4: Veena: playing technique:
The player sits cross-legged. The left hand presses and pulls the strings on the frets to make gamakas. The right hand plucks with the index and middle fingers, and the little finger plays the side strings.

Step 5: Flute (venu): construction and technique:
The venu is a keyless side-blown bamboo flute with one blowing hole and eight finger holes. Its length decides its pitch. The player controls the breath and the angle of the lips, and slides the fingers on and off the holes to make gamakas.

Final Answer:
Construction and playing technique of the Violin, Veena and Flute, as above. \[ \boxed{\text{Violin, Veena, Flute: construction and playing techniques}} \]