Biblioteca de la Guitarra y Cuerda Pulsada

In the present scenario of Hindustani Classical Music there are several stroke instruments which are being used widely in classical music concerts all over India and abroad. Most of the instruments we know are from a very long and traditional lineage. The instrument like the Veena for instance has a very long lineage  of  more  than  a  few  thousand  years.  This  is  closely  followed  by  the Sitar,  also  a  very  popular  as  well  as  traditional  instrument,  which  has  gone through interesting developments in design as well as techniques in playing. In contrast, the Tanjore Veena and Rudra Veena have until now maintained their traditional approach of playing. The Sitar has carved a niche for itself in the  Classical  Music  world  because  of  various  world  famous  Indian  artistes who have formed and shaped their own individual style of playing.
Slide or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. Guitars played in this style are referred to as Steel Guitar, Bottleneck Guitar, Lap Steel Guitar, or simply, Hawaiian Guitar. The term slide refers to the  motion  of  the  slide  against  the  strings, while  bottleneck  refers  to  the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles. Instead of altering the pitch of the strings in the normal manner (by pressing the string against frets), a slide is placed upon the string to vary its vibrating length, and pitch. This slide can then be moved along the string without lifting, creating  continuous transitions in pitch, and achieving a glissando effect.A very interesting outcome of this playing style is that the musician is never in contact with the instrument at any time! Placed flat on a surface, the guitar is not held by the musician, who only uses the slide and fingerpicks on the strings.  This  makes  it  considerably  harder  to  extract  nuances  from  the instrument,  while  compared  to  other  instruments  which  can  provide  a reference to the player.

The Role of Hawaiian Guitar in the Present Context of Hindustani Classical Music