FAQ · Instruments & artforms

How many frets does a veena have?

Updated

The Saraswati veena has 24 fixed frets of brass or bell-metal, set into a ridge of beeswax mixed with charcoal or lamp-black on the neck. The fixed 24-fret form evolved at Thanjavur during Raghunatha Nayak's reign, and Sambamurthy credits the design to Govinda Dikshita; earlier veenas had fewer, movable frets. Because the frets sit in wax, they can shift and need resetting by a maker.

Was this answer helpful?