The Music and Musical Instruments of Southern India and the Deccan c11.198

c11.198

T HE Quanūn, or Indian Dulcimer, is an instrument seldom met with, and is to be seen mostly in the hands of Punjâbi musicians. There are usually twenty-one strings, some of brass and the rest of steel, and tuned to the intervals of any of the Indian scales as required by the râga played. Occasionally gut or silk strings are found. The kind of quanūn here drawn is called Svaramándala, and is generally larger and better finished than the ordinary instrument of this name. It is played with two wire plectra, worn upon the finger-tips of the performer. The capability of the instrument is much greater than might be supposed at first sight. The performer holds in his left hand an iron ring somewhat like a quoit, which he applies to the strings, so that it acts like a nut and thus enables him to produce all sorts of grace and embellishments. There is, of course, only one string to a note. The tone is sweet, soft, and reminds one rather of that of the clavichord, though it is louder and possibly more nasal in quality. The Svaramándala is rarely heard, both on account of its great difficulty and very high cost, and therefore good execution upon it is rarely met with.