Much of the making is a process of trial and error by craftsmen spanning generations, and all of them have spent a lot of their time obsessively enhancing the sound of their instruments, exploring finer layers of amplification. Each maker has his own personal idiosyncrasies in making instruments and crafting techniques by cutting and bending woodstaves, drilling holes in the pegblocks, fitting tuning pegs, vanishing or sealing the instrument. Their basic shape looks the same, but each is a unique expression of the maker.Īt any time of the day, especially when the windows are wide open, you can hear the busyness of the craft: the planes, the chisels, gorges, the scrapers and other hand tools. In one of the rooms, there are scores of rabab at various stages of completion. Our workshop is tucked away on the first floor of a nondescript alley surrounded by a labyrinthine of small businesses in the heart of Lahore. This instrument is also very light in weight, which made it very easy to carry on foot during the travels.I come from a lineage of rabab makers, who for generations, have made some of the finest instruments in the land. There is no need for a percussionist! It is a two-in-one instrument, which carries the tune as well as the rhythm. Not only does this instrument sing and resonate but it also keeps the rhythm by using the plectrum. The ‘Firandia’ Rabab was the ideal instrument. There are many beauties of this instrument. The Rabab, which was played by his beloved companion Bhai Mardana, followed Guru Nanak as a shadow for 27 years on his travels around the world. This is where the tradition of ‘Kirtan,’ the singing of hymns, began. Wherever Guru Nanak sang, the Rabab followed with such grace and majesty. Guru Nanak gave this Rabab to Bhai Mardana, his dear friend, to play and accompany him on his travels. Which was created by Bhai Firanda, who was instructed by Bebe Nanaki to make. But the Sikh Rabab is called the ‘Firandia’ Rabab. India houses many types of Rababs which vary from region to region. The Rabab was given to Guru Nanak Dev as a present from Bebe Nanaki, his elder sister. The mellow yet piercing sound comes due to the it’s hollow base which is covered with animal skin.
It is approximately 3 feet long, made primarily of ‘Tunn’ wood. This is a plucked instrument with gut strings that give more power and deepness in its sound. The First Instruments of the Sikhs is the Rabab.
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