The Nepali Sarangi (Nepali: नेपाली सारङ्गी) is a Nepali folk instrument. It is a chordophone played by bowing. Traditionally in Nepal, the Sarangi was only played by people of Gandarbha or Gaine caste (both contested and interchangeable terms), who sing narrative tales and folk song, however, in present days, its popularity extends beyond the Gandharba community and is widely used and played by other caste members as well. It has also garnered much interest in other music genres, such as Nepali rock and film music. While the Sarangi has become the quintessential Gandharba instrument, its counterpart, the arbajo, which is a plucked lute, has fallen into obscurity.

Traditional Nepali Sarangi is not standardized with regards to shape, construction materials, or scale or key. It is made up of a single piece of wood. Having a neck and hollowed-out double-chambered body, they are often made from woods of trees that are easily available, most often that of saaj (साज, Terminalia elliptica), sisau (सिसौ, Dalbergia sissoo), khirro (खिर्रो, Falconeria), bakaino (बकाइनो, Melia azedarach), salla (सल्ला, Pinus), saur (सौर, Betula alnoides) , lankuri (लाँकुरी, Fraxinus floribunda), chilaune (चिलाउने, Schima wallichii) or aanp (आँप, Mangifera indica). While the upper chamber is left open, the lower opening, upon which the bridge rests, is generally covered up with dried skin of sheep or goat. The neck is fretless, and the strings are tied upon and tuned with the tuning pegs. The size of Sarangi differs according to the players' preference.

The Nepali Sarangi consists of four strings. The original strings were made up of sheep intestine, similar to the use of catgut (made from the intestines of cattle) in many musical traditions around the world. The Gandharba received intestines of sheep sacrificed during major festivals like Dashain, which they left in a pot for some days. Once the entrails was fully rotten, it was pulled out, leaving behind the fine nerves of the intestine in the pot. These were then woven to make strings. However these days, badminton strings, nylon and steel strings have generally replaced gut strings. The bow was traditionally strung with horse tail-hair, but, in the modern days, nylon bowstrings are common.

The range of the sarangi covers almost two octaves, and it is tuned low Sa Pa Pa high Sa. From right to left, the four strings of the sarangi are tuned to the lower fifth, root, root, and octave notes of a particular key. For example, if the middle two strings were tuned to G, the first and fourth strings would be tuned to the C notes below and above the G respectively. The middle two strings are used as drone. Alternatively the string can be tuned low Pa Sa Sa high Pa; if the middle strings were tuned to G, the low string would be a D below the middle string and the high string the D above.

At the performer’s discretion, the instrument is tuned either by ear to an arbitrary key, or when performing in a recording studio or with musical instruments of other cultures, tuned to a specific Western key.String order (thick → thin / left → right) 1. 1st string (thickest) → Sa (Tonic) 2. 2nd string → Pa (Perfect Fifth) 3. 3rd string → Sa (Upper Octave) 4. 4th string (thinnest) → Pa (Upper Octave) Example Notes If Sa = C: • 1st string → C • 2nd string → G • 3rd string → C (higher octave) • 4th string → G (higher octave)

There are different methods of producing notes on the Sarangi. Most players play the Sarangi by pressing the strings slightly with their fingers of the left hand and bowing the strings with right hand. However, Bharat Nepali and his students rub their left hand fingernails to rub against the strings to create sound.

Also, traditionally, the Gandarvas used to bow the root note continuously along with the notes of the song. As Sarangi is usually the only instrument used in their songs, except some Nepali percussion like Madal, the continuous sound of the root note (or drone from the 2 middle strings) provides the ambiance. Nowadays the Sarangi is also played along with other instruments, performers do not bow the drone string continuously.

Unlike the traditional way of playing the Sarangi in a single key, modern players have started to use modal techniques to play the Sarangi in different keys. Along with the folk tunes, the Sarangi players also experimenting the use of this instrument in modern and western genres these days.