There are a stunning array of bowed stringed instruments in use in India, in classical, religious, folk and popular Indian music. One of the most widespread is the Dilruba, which is found in two forms throughout the north, central, and east regions of Subcontinent. The Dilruba is found in the north, where it is used in religious music, and light classical songs in the urban areas. The Esraj is found in the east and central areas, chiefly in Bengal, though also in modern Bangledesh. It is used in a somewhat wider variety of musical styles than the Dilruba. The Esraj was a favorite instrument of the famous poet Tagore, who employed it in his songs. The structure of both instruments is nearly indentical, and they both have a medium sized Sitar-like neck, with 20 heavy metal frets. This neck holds on a small long wooden rack 12-15 sympathic strings. Both also feature 4 main strings which are bowed. All the strings are metal. The soundboard is a stretched piece of goatskin similar to what is found on a sarangi. You can hear this instrument being used on Samsara. The Esraj and dilruba are extremely similar. Basically, the only real differences between the two are that the Dilruba has a few more sympathetic strings and a differently shaped body than the esraj. I'm not really sure why there even are the two instruments, if they are so similar, except that it might have to do with different regions of India in which they are used. These instruments are essentially a combination of the sitar and the sarangi, a fretless bowed Indian instrument. The esraj and dilruba use a neck and frets very much like a sitar, but use a wooden body with a skin head and are played with a bow like a sarangi. The esraj and dilruba are only around 200 years old. When you play esraj or dilruba, you are not supposed to actually use the frets on the finger board. The frets are simply to let you know where the notes are located. The fingers of the left hand are not pressed behind the frets to play as with sitar or guitar. The fingers simply press gently onto the string above the fret of the desired note. The player can then slide up and down to create the characteristic portamento of Indian music. When one first buys an esraj, due to the lack of information on such instruments in the US, one may not know how to properly play. One often pushes one's fingers behind the frets like a sitar. The un-traditional way actually sounds a little more full and less scratchy. un-traditional way actually sounds a little more full and less scratchy. The esraj and dilruba can be very squeaky instruments. The traditional bow for these instruments is much heavier than bows for violins and cellos, and this usually causes the beginner to put too much pressure on the strings with the bow, which can cause excessive squeakiness. It is best to get accustomed to putting light pressure from the bow on the strings. You can also use a cello bow in place on the traditional bow, if it is more suitable to you. The esraj and dilruba are both tuned just like a sitar. The main melody string is Ma (F), the two next strings are Sa (C), and the last is Pa (G). Sometimes they can also be tuned Ma, Sa, Pa, Sa, with the last Sa an octave above the first. The sympathetics on both the dilruba and esraj are, like the sitar, tuned to the raga being played, in a scale. The dilruba actually has 2 sets of sympathetics, the regular sympathetics, and another set sometimes called the jawari strings. These jawari strings have a buzzing bridge which makes them ring louder. Sometimes these are tuned to the raga and any notes not being used in the scale, to make accidentals ring out, too.

Jeff Martin plays the Esraj at the beginning of "Save Me (live)".