dotara
{{Short description|Stringed musical instrument}}
{{for multi|the two-stringed Persian and Central Asian instrument|Dutar|Indian drone-lute|Ektara}}
{{Italic title}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2021}}
File:Bangladesh dotara.JPG, Bangladesh]]
The dotara or dotar
({{langx|as|দোতোৰা}} dütüra, দোতৰা dütora, {{langx|bn|দোতারা}}; {{langx|rkt|দোতোৰা/দোতোরা}} dotora), (literally, “Of [or ‘having’] two strings”) is a two-stringed, plucked musical instrument from South Asia, with most contemporary models having four playing strings (similar to the sarod). Comparatively, the sarod is a slightly larger and more elaborate instrument, being built with an additional set of resonant sympathetic strings. However, the dotara is still quite resonant and projective of its own sound, due to its rounded shape and overall construction. It is commonly played in Bangladesh (where it is known as the national instrument){{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/world/onyourstreet/msrumena.shtml|access-date=2023-02-06|work=World on Your Street|title=Musicians Stories|publisher=BBC|last=Begum|first=Rumena Mohima|quote=The dotara is the national instrument of Bangladesh.}} and the Indian states of Assam, West Bengal and Bihar. It was mentioned in a 14th-century Saptakanda Ramayana. Later, it was adopted by the ascetic cults of Bauls and Fakirs.{{Cite web|title = The Stringed Instrument Database: Index|url = http://www.stringedinstrumentdatabase.comoj.com/|website=Stringedinstrumentdatabase.comoj.com|access-date = 2015-12-05}} Today, it is also used to play Hindustani Classical Ragas.
Etymology
The word is from Eastern Indo-Aryan (do târ), literally "two strings", or “double-stringed”, with the suffix “-a” indicating “having, -ed”. The instrument is known as dotara or dütara ({{langx|bn|দোতারা}}, {{langx|as|দোতাৰা}}) and dütüra ({{langx|as|দোতোৰা}}). Additionally, it was believed to have been called dotara due to the strings being of equal pitch in tuning.
History
Madhava Kandali, 14th century Assamese poet and writer of Saptakanda Ramayana, lists several instruments in his version of "Ramayana", such as Dotara, mardala, tabal, jhajhar etc.{{cite book|author1=Suresh Kant Sharma |author2=Usha Sharma |year=2015 |title=Discovery of North-East India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ffe4dMu4p_gC&pg=PA288 |publisher=Mittal Publications |page=288}}
Construction
The dotara is a plucked stringed instrument, played in an open note combination, often played alongside folk percussive instruments such as Dhol, Khhol or Mandira. It is made out of neem or other hardwood, with an elongated, roundish belly for a soundbox, which tapers to a narrow neck culminating in a peg box which is often elaborately carved in the shape of a peacock-head, swan-head or other animal motifs. The fingerboard is fretless and made of brass or steel, as in a sarod. The soundbox of the instrument is covered with a tightly stretched kidskin or lizard-skin, as in a rabaab or a sarod.
Tuning
With four strings, the dotara is tuned as follows (from top to bottom)—Soh (lower)-Do-Do-Fah. The Indian notation would read: Pa - Sa - Sa - Ma with Do/Sa being the tonic/root note of the song.
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{cite book |last=Ahmed |first=Wakil |year=2012 |chapter=Dotara |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Dotara |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh}}
{{Indian musical instruments}}