Santoor

The santoor is essentially a stringed instrument, having its origin in the Vedic times, during which it was referred to as a veena of the forests. However, with the passage of time, it got lost in the tumults and tribulations. Yet, it had a gained a lasting inpression in human mind, with its rhythmic tonal quality sustained in various countries in various names. 

Extensively associated with Kashmir and its heavenly valleys, the origins of santoor also lie in Kashmir, with the override of the Muslim invaders into Shaivism. Thus, Sufi santoor came into use; but, it vastly differs with the santoor of today, precisely played by Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma. The santoors of the Soofiana Qalam and Shiv Kumar Sharma ensemble differ in terms of number of strings, number of bridges, the way in which it is played and the material with which it is manufactured. The lilting sound, the tingling tone of the strings, lithely strummed brings out the musical wonder in every listener. Yet, with all these fascinating features, the santoor does have some shortcomings, that need to be bettered by the playing geniuses. 

No other Indian instrument can capture the cool luxuriance and mist-laden beauty of the Himalayan valley as the santoor, which has become synonymous today with Kashmir. The modern day santoor hypothetically traces its origins to the shata-tantri veena of Vedic times. This instrument was made of strings of the munja grass, and was called the vana veena, or the veena of the forests in ancient times and was played using strikers. Though this veena got lost in the flow of time, the vernal splendour of the forests it encapsulated in its strings, echoes in its successor, the 100-stringed santoor of today. Musicologists hold that variants of the santoor exist in countries as diverse as China, where it is called the yang chin, Greece, where it is called the santoori, as also Iran, where a 72 string version of the instrument is used. The folk instrument called the hammered dulcimer, found in certain parts of Europe, also bears a close resemblance to the santoor. 

While the instrument is said to have existed in Kashmir, after a series of Islamic invasions during the medieval times, during which the original Shaivite inhabitants of the valley were mercilessly slaughtered or forcibly converted, it underwent many modifications. After the living religious practices of the land were desecrated by pillaging armies, the culture of the region too underwent sweeping changes. Sufism took the place of the predominant Shaivism. The Sufis adopted the santoor as part of their musical ensemble called the Soofiana Qalam, where it was played along with instruments like the rabab and the sitar to the accompaniment of religious singing. Yet the raaga-based mode of playing remained largely intact because the Sufis adopted the Persian musical scale, muqqam, which resembles the Indian raaga system. The santoor used in the Soofiana Qalam had 100 strings stretched over 25 bridges, with each bridge possessing four strings. Each set of four strings, two tuned to the upper and two to the lower octaves, produced a distinct musical note. The strikers were made of kashta wood, which is peculiar to Kashmir. 

The santoor as one understands today is largely the result of the innovations and changes of brought about in the Soofiana instrument by Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma. Yet there are other players like Bhajan Sopori who still use the Soofiana instrument consisting of 100 strings. The santoor used by Shiv Kumar Sharma has only 86 strings and is tuned differently. There are other differences as well between the modernized santoor used by Shiv Kumar Sharma and those who follow his style, and the traditional Soofiana instrument. In any event, being an instrument that has been elevated to the level of a classical instrument since 1960s, its design and technical features have not been standardized as yet. Variations exist with regard to the number of strings, their arrangement and thickness, the number of bridges as also the modes of playing adopted by different players. 

The sound box of the santoor, which acts as a resonance chamber, is made of the wood of mulberry or, in some instances, walnut. The bridges are made of rosewood, and their upper portion is covered usually with ivory to obtain a fine tone. The strings, which are approximately 86 to 100 in number, are tuned differently. The ones made of steel are tuned to the higher octave, while the thicker strings made of copper or bronze are tuned to the lower octave. The strings are hooked to metallic pins on one side and, on the other, tied to tapering tuning pegs through a hollow drilled in them. The player tunes the instrument by using a tuning key with which he tightens or loosens the strings. The number of strings passing through each bridge is usually three or four. Shiv Kumar Sharma used only three strings tuned to the middle and upper octave per bridge, while the Soofiana santoor uses four. The number of bridges varies from 25 to 29. The player usually places the instrument on his lap and strikes the strings with a pair of strikers, resembling the upper body of a snake, made of rosewood or walnut. The strikers used by Shiv Kumar Sharma are heavier than the ones used by the Soofiana players, because heavier strikers give a more sustained tone. 

Notes are produced by striking the set of strings that produce the notes of the raaga using both the strikers. The left hand strikes have to be complemented by the right hand strikes to produce the desired notes. The volume of each note would depend on the strength of each stroke. Players get the desired tonalities and pitches by shifting the angle of the striker, as also the stress given to the strikes. Stylistic variations are numerous in this regard. 

Though a very popular concert instrument in contemporary times, as an instrument, it possesses certain inherent limitations. For instance, since each set of strings can produce only certain notes, the instrument offers little scope for producing subtler tones or the shrutis so characteristic of Indian classical music. Importantly, the struck sound decays no sooner than it is produced, given that the strings cannot give a continuous and sustained sound, as in the case of the sitar or the sarod. Therefore, this instrument cannot produce complex musical graces such as meends and gamaks. Numerous techniques have been adopted by major players to overcome this serious deficiency, yet most measures have only proved to be partially successful in overcoming this constraint. While many highly accomplished players like Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma and Bhajan Sopori have attempted to render many of the solemn raagas using a variety of techniques and effects, the results have not left one convinced of the range and possibilities of the existing santoor. Yet such attempts themselves are not pointless, for they may lead to radical modifications to rectify such inherent limitations in the future. However, despite its limitations, the santoor possesses the most refreshing tone of all the instruments that achieved classical status in the 20th century.