FAQ · Instruments & artforms

How many strings does a chitraveena have?

Updated

A typical modern 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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