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title: 'How many strings does a chitraveena have?'
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date: '2026-10-19T15:11:22+00:00'
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summary: 'A modern chitraveena usually has 21 strings: six melody, three drone-rhythm and 11 or 12 sympathetic strings.'
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# How many strings does a chitraveena have?

 Updated 19 October 2026

 A typical modern **[chitraveena](/instrument/chitraveena)** carries 21 strings: six melody strings, three drone-rhythm strings and 11 or 12 sympathetic strings, though some sources give 20 in all. N. Ravikiran's smaller navachitravina is usually tuned to B or C. Budalur Krishnamurthy Shastri kept the Saraswati veena's tuning and string layout and did not favour sympathetic strings, and many of his disciples follow him.



 

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- [   Chitraveena The chitraveena (gottuvadyam) is a fretless Carnatic slide veena with 21 strings: a cylindrical slide gives continuous pitch and gamaka across the full…     ](/en-gb/instrument/chitraveena)
 
  

 

 

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