Why is sitar music such emotional music?
Music played on the sitar is improvised and comes from the heart. So it is a physical menifestation of a psychological phenomenon of a feeling or a mood in sound. Spontaneity is a key element in appreciation of music just like humor. Music done well on the spot has the effect of touching the heart. Sitar music is not memorized and regurgitated like someone playing a spoilt and scaled down versions of their famous father’s music. Alap, the first movement is particularly very emotional and has a sad quality to it. The emotional attribute comes in essence from meend or bends played and the sequence in which the notes are played by following each other.
