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"Saraswati Veena"
It is the last survivor of many types of veenas created in
South India.
Its form has been fixed definitely at the end of XIXth century
and it has progressively replaced all the other veenas.
The neck and the main resonator of the instrument are made of the jackfruit
tree, a hard wood, as well as the resonance table.
The neck is hollow, and
on it 24 straight frets are stuck with a glue made of bee's wax.
The bridge
is flat and is made of copper, which gives it a recognizable metallic
colour.
Four playing strings are, as in the other veenas or beens (in the North)
tuned to PA SA SA PA; those strings are played with the forefinger and second
finger of the right hand. Three rhythm strings tuned SA PA SA are struck
together by the little finger of the right hand.
The strings are stopped by
the forefinger and second finger of the left hand.
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