Virtual Sitar with Sargam Frets
This virtual sitar gives you the main playing string, the baaj tar, tuned to Ma as on a real sitar. It has 19 positions: the open string (low Ma) plus frets set in thaat Bilawal, the scale of the seven shuddha swaras, up to Sa two octaves above. Each fret shows its sargam name, with a dot below for mandra and above for taar, and the Western note. Sa is fixed at C3; many real sitars have Sa on C♯ or D.
How to use it
- Tap the frets with one or more fingers, or click them; with a mouse, each fret shows its laptop key.
- On a laptop, Z to / play positions 1–10, A to L positions 11–19, Q the chikari and W the jod. Esc or Stop all silences everything.
- Press Record session, play, press it again, then Replay. The recording stays in this tab only.
- For ear training, choose a fret in Target, press Start practice and Hear target, then find it; the page tells you if you got it.
Help and explanations
Chikari rings the high Sa drone strings and Jod plays low Sa and Pa. The sound is recorded sitar samples, with the jawari buzz already in the tone, downloaded on your first touch. It is a simplified sitar: the frets do not move and there is no meend (pulling the string).
Frets, swaras and keys
Positions 1–4 are mandra Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni (F2–B2, keys Z X C V); 5–11 madhya Sa to Ni (C3–B3, B N M , . / A); 12–18 taar Sa to Ni (C4–B4, S D F G H J K); 19 is the Sa above (C5, L).
Only shuddha swaras exist here: komal Re, Ga, Dha, Ni and tivra Ma are missing, so Yaman, Kafi or Bhairav cannot be played correctly. Ragas built on shuddha swaras fit: Bilawal, Bhupali (Sa Re Ga Pa Dha) and Durga (Sa Re Ma Pa Dha).
Alankars and raag Bilawal for riyaz
Start with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa and back down (keys B N M , . / A S, then S A / . , M N B). Then play pairs, SaRe ReGa GaMa…, and groups of three, SaReGa ReGaMa GaMaPa…, with an even pulse from the metronome.
Raag Bilawal uses all seven shuddha swaras and is traditionally a morning raga; Alhaiya Bilawal, the form most often taught, also uses komal Ni when descending, which these frets lack. Strike the chikari between phrases and on empty beats, as sitar players do. In jhala, the fast closing section, main-string notes alternate quickly with chikari strokes: try one note, then a few chikari strokes, slowly.
Tips
- Playing with a real sitar or singer? Check their Sa: on C♯ or D, this page sounds a semitone or a tone lower. Tune a real sitar with the sitar tuner.
- Play each alankar slowly until every swara is clean; speed comes later.
Frequently asked questions
Can I play sitar online for free?
Yes. It runs in the browser on phones, tablets and computers, with no download or sign-up.
Why can't I play Yaman, Kafi or Bhairav?
The frets are fixed in Bilawal, without komal swaras or tivra Ma. Real players move frets or use meend to reach them; this simplified sitar does neither.
What do Chikari and Jod do?
Chikari plays the thin high strings tuned to Sa, used for rhythm and drone. Jod plays low Sa and Pa together. Sympathetic strings (tarab) are not played separately.
Is my playing uploaded?
No. The page does not use the microphone; Record session keeps the frets you played in this tab until you close or reload it.