"Guitar" Prasanna

He doesn't use slide ... its the bending technique.

I have seen similar stuff being played by our very own Ronnieanand (though he doesn't visit here any longer).
His improv do sound arbit ... but the "carnatic style" sounds super

Damn those melodies are haunting my mind every moment - can't get 'em out

You're telling me every "gamakam" is a bend? It's not possible to do that on consecutive notes while playing fast.

No, I'm pretty sure they're slides done without using a slide. Also, if I remember correctly, alpha, you saw him live at IIT Chennai and he thanked the professors there for failing him?

So how does one achieve microtone slides on a fretted instrument without a slide?

I don't think one can. And in context of Prasanna, I'm not sure he does either.

Almost all his Carnatic sections have 'gamakams' that are not quite semitones above or below.

ah, okay...I haven't ever studied what he does but I do remember watching a video of him on youtube some time ago. Ah, here we are:

Ragamorphism - Prasanna plays raga alapana of Thodi - YouTube

I thought this was also what he does on his songs.

Thanks for that, cleared things up. I stand corrected.

haha, that would be pretty hard to figure out without seeing someone doing it. Have you heard a guitarist called Sumith Ramachandran? He is based in Calcutta, plays twice a week at a local pub where I get to hear him play 70s/80s cover songs aside from playing with a host of other musicians on different projects. I'd first heard him play a style like this live and I didn't believe you could do it on a guitar.

There are so many urban legends about things he's done (and does), I've heard that he came from a village in the south famous for producing folk musicians...and how he could recognize which train was passing by after hearing the whistle (the actual story I read later in this interview here: Sumith and his strings). Apparently, he also endorses (is that the right word?) Godin guitars in India.

I'm not sure where you live but if you get a chance to see any of his bands live, I really recommend you do. Really good musician, very versatile and he has this great sense of melody that I love (and where I think he scores over a lot of other great guitarists I've heard). I think I'd hooked a few other people on here on to him back in the day (shsnawada?)

I couldn't find too many recordings of him but here are a few thrown around from different places:

Sumith Ramachandran & Rila Banerjee, Hourglassed - YouTube

Sumith Ramachandran works his Godin LGXT - YouTube

Sumith Ramachandran with Godin LGXT - YouTube

ooh, this is from the pub where I used to watch him play. You can hear how he changes to a more classic rock style because that's what people come for:

VTS_01_1.VOB - YouTube


3 of those musicians are my heroes. The drummer isn't but is one of the most respected in the city (and maybe the country? I don't know).

Originally Posted by bjr

No, I'm pretty sure they're slides done without using a slide. Also, if I remember correctly, alpha, you saw him live at IIT Chennai and he thanked the professors there for failing him?

Yes I remember :-)
But I didn't remember talking about it!

Originally Posted by thehundredthone

You're telling me every "gamakam" is a bend? It's not possible to do that on consecutive notes while playing fast.

Originally Posted by thehundredthone

So how does one achieve microtone slides on a fretted instrument without a slide?

Its sliding + bending.

I meant he doesn't use metal/glass slide.


We really need Ronnieanand here - who can give a demo.

Originally Posted by bjr

haha, that would be pretty hard to figure out without seeing someone doing it. Have you heard a guitarist called Sumith Ramachandran? He is based in Calcutta, plays twice a week at a local pub where I get to hear him play 70s/80s cover songs aside from playing with a host of other musicians on different projects. I'd first heard him play a style like this live and I didn't believe you could do it on a guitar.

There are so many urban legends about things he's done (and does), I've heard that he came from a village in the south famous for producing folk musicians...and how he could recognize which train was passing by after hearing the whistle (the actual story I read later in this interview here: Sumith and his strings). Apparently, he also endorses (is that the right word?) Godin guitars in India.

I'm not sure where you live but if you get a chance to see any of his bands live, I really recommend you do. Really good musician, very versatile and he has this great sense of melody that I love (and where I think he scores over a lot of other great guitarists I've heard). I think I'd hooked a few other people on here on to him back in the day (shsnawada?)

I couldn't find too many recordings of him but here are a few thrown around from different places:

Sumith Ramachandran & Rila Banerjee, Hourglassed - YouTube

Sumith Ramachandran works his Godin LGXT - YouTube

Sumith Ramachandran with Godin LGXT - YouTube

ooh, this is from the pub where I used to watch him play. You can hear how he changes to a more classic rock style because that's what people come for:

VTS_01_1.VOB - YouTube


3 of those musicians are my heroes. The drummer isn't but is one of the most respected in the city (and maybe the country? I don't know).

I believe I have 2/3 tracks of his.
Love his stuff too

if you still have them, can you upload them and send me a link or something? I lost my music collection from back then on a hard disk.