Sitar

Sitar, Indian stringed instrument with a long neck and smallish, rounded soundbox. There are usually 7 strings—5 melody and 2 drone. These are plucked by a player seated on cushions or the floor. In 1957 the Indian sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar made the first of several concert tours of the United States, spreading the popularity of the instrument, which was then used by several rock bands.