Dotara
Encyclopedia
The dotara is a two or four or some times five stringed
musical instrument
resembling more to mandolin
than a guitar
. It is commonly used in Bangladesh
and West Bengal
& Bihar
, and dates from the 15th-16th century when it was adopted by the ascetic cults of Bauls and Fakirs.
The equivalent as a traditional long-necked two-stringed lute
is found in Central Asia
as dutar
(also doutar).
The dotara is the singlemost important folk instrument used in various genres of folk music
throughout the land of Bengal. It has two main forms, the Bangla and the Bhhawaiya. The Bangla form originated in "Rahr Bangla"
where it is still predominantly played. It has metal strings, which give it a brighter tone than other instruments played in the area.
Although a dotara can have 4-5 string , but every song you can play with the help of two main string ( other string are used to give more variation). That is why it's name is dotara (do = two , tar = string).
The Bhhawaiya form dotara is almost extinct in contemporary times and has a more primeval beginning than its Bangla cousin. Again the strings are its striking feature, being either made of thick cotton strings or more popularly of catgut, giving it a more bass timbre. This instrument is widely used in the Bhhawaiya, Jaalpariya and Mahishali forms of folk music prevailing in and around the Bengal Province (which makes this instrument transregional, as this includes areas in Assam and East Bihar).
The dotara is a stringed, pluck instrument, played in an open note combination, widely accompanying the beat and rhythm structure of folk percussions such as Dhhol, Khhol or Mandira
. It is made out of neem
or other species of hardwood, with an elongated, roundish belly for a sound box, tapering to a narrowish neck culminating in a peg box which is elaborately carved in the shape of peacock-head, swan-head or other animal motif. The narrow neck serves as the finger-board (albeit without frets)—this is made of brass or steel (as in a sarod
) and particularly lends the liquid form to the tonal quality (as opposed to the discrete quality of a fretted instruments). The sound box of the instrument is covered with a tightly stretched kid-skin or lizard-skin, as in a rabaab or a sarod. In fact, the dotara is a simpler version of sarod.
The name of the instrument itself suggests two-strings—Bengali “Do”=Two, Bengali “Tar”=String—which suffices both as an octave for a complete set of notes in a scale as well as the bass and treble of the percussion (the low strung string serving as bass and the higher one as treble). However, the contemporary instrument can have as many as four strings or more (which gives a little more than two and a half octaves) and increases the versatility of the instrument in terms of both music and rhythm. With four strings, the tuning structure is as follows (from top to bottom)—Do(lower)-Soh(lower)-Do-Fah In Bangla the notes are: Komol Ma - Komol Sa - Ma - Ni, with Do being the dominant/root note of the song.
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
musical instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
resembling more to mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
than a guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
. It is commonly used in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
and West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
& Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, and dates from the 15th-16th century when it was adopted by the ascetic cults of Bauls and Fakirs.
The equivalent as a traditional long-necked two-stringed lute
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
is found in Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
as dutar
Dutar
The dutar is a traditional long-necked two-stringed lute found in Iran, Central Asia and South Asia...
(also doutar).
The dotara is the singlemost important folk instrument used in various genres of folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
throughout the land of Bengal. It has two main forms, the Bangla and the Bhhawaiya. The Bangla form originated in "Rahr Bangla"
Rarh region
Rarh region of West Bengal is the region that lies between the Western plateau and high lands and the Ganges Delta...
where it is still predominantly played. It has metal strings, which give it a brighter tone than other instruments played in the area.
Although a dotara can have 4-5 string , but every song you can play with the help of two main string ( other string are used to give more variation). That is why it's name is dotara (do = two , tar = string).
The Bhhawaiya form dotara is almost extinct in contemporary times and has a more primeval beginning than its Bangla cousin. Again the strings are its striking feature, being either made of thick cotton strings or more popularly of catgut, giving it a more bass timbre. This instrument is widely used in the Bhhawaiya, Jaalpariya and Mahishali forms of folk music prevailing in and around the Bengal Province (which makes this instrument transregional, as this includes areas in Assam and East Bihar).
The dotara is a stringed, pluck instrument, played in an open note combination, widely accompanying the beat and rhythm structure of folk percussions such as Dhhol, Khhol or Mandira
Mandira
Mandira may refer to:* a transliteration of the Hindi/Marathi/Gujarati word मंदिर meaning Hindu temple, Mandir* Mandira Bedi, an Indian actress* Mandira Dam, a dam in Orissa state, India...
. It is made out of neem
Neem
Azadirachta indica is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of two species in the genus Azadirachta, and is native to India growing in tropical and semi-tropical regions. Its fruits and seeds are the source of neem oil...
or other species of hardwood, with an elongated, roundish belly for a sound box, tapering to a narrowish neck culminating in a peg box which is elaborately carved in the shape of peacock-head, swan-head or other animal motif. The narrow neck serves as the finger-board (albeit without frets)—this is made of brass or steel (as in a sarod
Sarod
The sarod is a stringed musical instrument, used mainly in Indian classical music. Along with the sitar, it is the most popular and prominent instrument in the classical music of Hindustan...
) and particularly lends the liquid form to the tonal quality (as opposed to the discrete quality of a fretted instruments). The sound box of the instrument is covered with a tightly stretched kid-skin or lizard-skin, as in a rabaab or a sarod. In fact, the dotara is a simpler version of sarod.
The name of the instrument itself suggests two-strings—Bengali “Do”=Two, Bengali “Tar”=String—which suffices both as an octave for a complete set of notes in a scale as well as the bass and treble of the percussion (the low strung string serving as bass and the higher one as treble). However, the contemporary instrument can have as many as four strings or more (which gives a little more than two and a half octaves) and increases the versatility of the instrument in terms of both music and rhythm. With four strings, the tuning structure is as follows (from top to bottom)—Do(lower)-Soh(lower)-Do-Fah In Bangla the notes are: Komol Ma - Komol Sa - Ma - Ni, with Do being the dominant/root note of the song.
External links
- Article on Dotara, BanglapediaBanglapediaBanglapedia, or the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh, is the first Bangladeshi encyclopedia. It is available in print, CD-ROM format and online, in both Bangla and English. The print version comprises ten 500-page volumes...
- Article at Chandrakantha.com