--- url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-ca/faq/instruments-artforms/what-is-a-surbahar' title: 'What is a surbahar?' author: name: rajeevk url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-ca/user/4add8741a490747f' date: '2026-10-19T15:02:12+00:00' type: website summary: 'The surbahar is a larger, lower-pitched relative of the sitar, played mainly for alap, jor and jhala in the dhrupad-derived style.' tags: - 'Instruments & artforms' image: 'https://kalasudha.com/themes/custom/music_agency/assets/icon/logo.svg' published: true og: site_name: KalaSudha 'image:url': 'https://kalasudha.com/themes/custom/music_agency/assets/icon/logo.svg' 'image:secure_url': 'https://kalasudha.com/themes/custom/music_agency/assets/icon/logo.svg' 'image:type': image/svg+xml 'image:alt': KalaSudha --- FAQ · Instruments & artforms # What is a surbahar? Updated 19 October 2026 The **[surbahar](/en-ca/instrument/surbahar)** is a plucked, fretted, long-necked lute of Hindustani music, built as a larger, lower-pitched version of the sitar and often called the bass sitar. Museums class it as a necked bowl lute. Its core repertoire is alap, jor and jhala in the dhrupad-derived style, sometimes followed by a slow dhrupad composition with pakhawaj. Was this answer helpful? [ ](/en-ca/user/login?flag_anon=faq_helpful-867&destination=/en-ca/faq/instruments-artforms/what-is-a-surbahar) [ ](/en-ca/user/login?flag_anon=faq_not_helpful-867&destination=/en-ca/faq/instruments-artforms/what-is-a-surbahar) Thanks for your feedback! ## Related pages 1 page mentions this question ### Instruments (1) - [ Surbahar A large bass sitar from 19th-century Lucknow, the surbahar specialises in dhrupad-style alap, with deep, sustained tones from a flat-cut gourd, wide frets and… ](/en-ca/instrument/surbahar) [ Previous question What is a soundpost, and why is it not glued? ](/en-ca/faq/instruments-artforms/what-is-a-soundpost-and-why-is-it-not-glued) [ Next question What is a sursingar made of? ](/en-ca/faq/instruments-artforms/what-is-a-sursingar-made-of)