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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{About|the modern Indian lute|the 7-string Indian arched harp|Ancient veena}}<br />
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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}}<br />
{{Infobox Instrument<br />
|name=Chitraveena<br />
|names=gotuvadyam, chitravina, chitra veena, chitraveena<br />
<br />
|image=Ravikiran 25 A.jpg<br />
|image_capt= [[N. Ravikiran]] (center) playing the navachitravina.<br />
|background=string<br />
|classification=<br />
*[[String instruments]]<br />
|developed=<br />
|range=<br />
|midi=104/105<br />
|related=<br />
*[[Vichitra veena]]<br />
*[[Sagar Veena]]<br />
*[[Surbahar]]<br />
*[[Rudra veena]]<br />
*[[Saraswati veena]]<br />
*[[Sarod]]<br />
*[[Sursingar]]<br />
*[[Tanpura|Tambura]]<br />
}}<br />
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'''The''' '''chitravina''' (also known as '''chitra veena''', '''chitraveena''', '''chitra vina''', '''hanumad vina''', or '''mahanataka vina''') is a 20 or 21-string fretless lute-style [[veena]] in [[Carnatic music]]. Around the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it started to be known by another name, '''Gotuvadyam''' (often mis-spelt as '''gottuvadyam''', and '''kottuvadyam''' etc.), which was bestowed upon it by [[Sakha Rama Rao]]<ref>Gotuvadyam Narayana Iyengar's Memoires & Article, "Why the name Gotuvadyam" in 1950s</ref> from [[Tiruvidaimarudur]], who was responsible for bringing it back to the concert scene.<br />
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Today it is played mainly in South India, though its origins can be traced back to Bharata's [[Natya Shastra]] (200 BCE-200 CE), where it is mentioned as a seven string fretless instrument. Sarangadeva (1210–47) also made a similar reference to the chitravina in his work, Sangita Ratnakara.<br />
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==Recent history==<br />
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The ''chitravina'' was popularised in South India by [[Sakha Rama Rao]] before his disciple [[Narayan Iyengar|Gotuvadyam Narayana Iyengar]] (1903 - 1959), who was a palace musician of the erstwhile [[States of Travancore and Mysore|states of Travancore & Mysore]] took it to great heights. Iyengar's son, [[Chitravina Narasimhan]] (b. 1941) was instrumental in spreading his father's stringing and tuning methods as well as playing style.<br />
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==Construction and tuning==<br />
Since its first reference in the Natya Shastra, The Chitravina has undergone numerous developments and is today shaped like the South Indian Veena.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}<br />
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There are six main strings used for melody that pass over the top of the instrument, three [[drone (music)|drone]] strings and 11 or 12 [[sympathetic string]]s running parallel to and below the main strings. Among the more prominent solo instruments in Carnatic music, it is also seen in collaborative world music concerts and north-south Indian [[jugalbandi]]s.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}<br />
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The chitravina is generally tuned to G sharp (5 and 1/2) and played with a slide like a [[Hawaiian steel guitar]] and the north Indian [[vichitra veena]]. The approach to tuning is similar to the [[sitar]] in the context of the 11-12 sympathetic resonance strings (from the low Pa to high Sa), similar to the Saraswati veena in the context of the three drone (tala) strings (Sa-Pa-Sa), but is unique in terms of the top-layer main playing six strings, which are configured as 3 tonic strings (sa), 2 fifth strings (pa) and 1 base tonic string (sa). The 3 and 2 include an octave string which gives the instrument a unique tone.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}<br />
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The fretless nature of the instrument, Narayana Iyengar's stringing methods have made its tone 'reminiscent of the human voice.'<ref>The New York Times, 27 Nov 1988</ref><br />
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==Playing technique==<br />
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The first two fingers on the right hand are usually used with plectra to pluck the metal melody strings while a cylindrical block made out of [[hardwood]] (often [[ebony]]), [[African Buffalo|buffalo]] horn, glass, steel, or [[teflon]] held by the left hand is used to slide along the strings to vary the pitch.<br />
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==Contemporary use==<br />
Narayana Iyengar's grandson [[Chitravina]] [[N. Ravikiran]] (b. 1967) plays the instrument and is the inventor of a variant, the ''navachitravina'' (which is typically tuned to B or C).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ravikiranmusic.com/chitravina.htm|title=CHITRAVINA|website=Ravikiranmusic.com|access-date=21 April 2021}}</ref><br />
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Other exponents of the instrument include [[Budaloor Krishnamurthy Shastri]] (1894 - 1978), [[A Narayana Iyer]], [[Mannargudi Savithri Ammal]], [[Allam Koteeshwara Rao]] (1933 -), [[M V Varahaswami]], [[Allam Durgaprasad]], [[Chitravina P Ganesh]] (b. 1976), [[Madhavachar]], [[Kiranavali (Chitravina)]], [[Shashikiran]], [[Gayatri Kassabaum]], [[Lalitha Krishna]], [[Vishaal Sapuram]] and [[Bhargavi Balasubramanian]] , [[Anahita Ravindran]], [[Apoorva Ravindran]]. [[Seetha Doraiswamy]], known more as a [[jala tarangam]] exponent, used to play the Balakokila, a smaller version of the Chitravina.<br />
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==See also==<br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
* Natya Shastra, Bharata (2nd century BC-2nd century AD)<br />
* Sangita Ratnakara, Sarangadeva<br />
* Chitravina N Ravikiran website<br />
* Journals of The Music Academy, Madras<br />
* South Indian Music, Prof Sambamurthy<br />
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==External links==<br />
*[http://www.ravikiranmusic.com/chitravina.htm Chitravina page] from N. Ravikiran site<br />
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{{Indian musical instruments}}<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
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[[Category:Carnatic music instruments]]<br />
[[Category:String instruments with sympathetic strings]]</div>CleanupBot II