The surbahar is a kind of bass sitar. Usually its pitch is a fourth lower than the sitar's and the surbahar has a wider and longer neck and thicker strings. The special qualities of its full deep sound are shown to its best advantage mainly during meditative Alap and in the ancient majestic Dhrupad-style. Surbahars play a minor role in modern Indian musical life,
therefore its various shapes have never been standardised. They exist in a multitude of different sizes, fittings and designs. Thus the surbahar is also by its appearance still an instrument for individualists and enthusiasts. 

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