Sarod

The sarod has 19 metal strings, 4 carry the melody, 4 are tuned to vibrate the basic notes and the 11 lower strings are tuned to the notes of the Raga. The instrument is hollowed out from a single piece of teakwood. The larger end is covered with a stretched skin, while the fingerboard has a metal plate. 

 

The sarod is one of the most difficult instrument to play, demanding a perfect sense of pitch, because unlike the Sitar, it has no frets to help the player.  The word Sarod is literally a derivation from Sarood meaning melody in Persian.