Page:The Music of India.djvu/125

 hollowed out of one piece of wood, either jackwood or blackwood. The flat top of this bowl is about one foot in diameter. The bridge is placed on the bowl, and near it are a number of small sound-holes. The construction of the bridge is peculiar.

'A wooden arc supports a slab of wood, one inch by two and a half inches. A resinal cement is poured upon this and a piece of metal, passing underneath the second, third and fourth strings, is laid above and manipulated until the strings produce a clear tone free from all buzz or twang; a wet cloth is then applied, or a little cold water poured over the upper surface, so as to harden the cement. Under the first string a similar piece of metal, in this case of superior quality, either polished steel or bell-metal, is fixed in the same way. This process is considered very important, as the least carelessness affects the tone of the instrument and gives it a most unpleasant twang.' — (Captain Day.)

The side-string bridge is secured to the main bridge and the belly of the instrument, and is made entirely of metal. It consists of an arc of brass, with a projecting rim upon the side nearest the attachment. The body of the instrument is made of the same kind of wood as the belly, and is hollowed out thin. A projecting ledge of ivory separates the body from the stem. The neck is attached to the body also with ivory, and is usually curved downward into some weird figure. This also is hollow. Into the body just beyond the neck is fixed a hollow gourd on the under side, which forms a kind of rest for the vina and is useful also to increase the volume of the sound. This gourd is easily detachable. The frets of the instrument are made of brass or silver, and are secured to two ledges running along each side of the stem of the instrument. These ledges are made of some wax-like substance which can be softened by gentle heat, so that the position of the frets can be changed, if desired. There are altogether twenty-four frets, so that each string contains two complete octaves. Many Indian scholars are of opinion that the ancient books give no ground for thinking that any of the old classical musicians used more than twelve frets for the octave on the vIna. The tuning-pegs to the main frets are fixed two in each side of the neck, and the strings pass over the ivory bridge between the neck and the stem.