Meet the Maker #5 – Chris Doddridge

Meet the Maker – Chris Doddridge: Sitar making in United Kingdom

Intro

In the Meet the Maker series, I talk to sitar makers from all over the world. People who bring instruments to life with their hands, their ears and their hearts. Meet Chris Doddridge.

Some makers speak through words, others through the instruments they create. Chris Doddridge belongs to the second group. A quiet and modest craftsman, he does not seek attention for himself. His dedication can be found in the details of his work: in the careful choices of materials, the precision of his craftsmanship and the search for an instrument’s true voice.

Behind every instrument is a story of patience, listening and respect for tradition. Chris approaches instrument making with humility, allowing the music itself to become the expression of his work.

In this Meet the Maker we discover the person behind the instruments, a maker whose quiet presence and devotion reveal that craftsmanship does not always need many words.

Profile

Interview

How did you start making sitars?

On first hearing Pandit Ravi Ji sometime in the early 70s. I particularly loved the sound of kharaj in alaap.

I made my first sitar some years later in 87-88 ? I made the tumba body from paper & glue. A method that a few have tried & used in recent years.
I made my own sitar because I didn’t have the resources to go to India, and couldn’t find a good one in the UK. Prior to that I had been involved in making early medieval, renaissance & baroque stringed instruments.

Later inspiration came from hearing the surbahar of Pandit Chandrashekar Naringrekar and Ustad Imrat Khan sahib. I knew them that I was more in tune with the lower pitched instruments. It was this that led me in the direction of Dhrupad and to the eventual making of surbahar and rudra vina.

I was blessed in meeting Bahauddin Dagar who kindly sat with me and made a detailed drawing of his fathers rudra vina. My innovation was to make the fret system more like the sarasvati vina, only tied rather than set in wax. Others have since copied my method.
In particular Madhuwanti Pal, who kindly gave me credit for it.

More recently I was inspired by Arnab Chakravarty to try my hand at making a sarod. However I chose to construct it from components rather than the traditional method of carving the body from a solid log of wood.
I used very old mahogany reclaimed from Victorian furniture.

 What does your environment mean to your work?

I live in the heart of rural East Anglia. I enjoy solitude.

What, in your opinion, makes a good sitar?

One that I enjoy playing.

Where does your creativity come from?

My creativity & ideas comes from my own search. I love in particular old style sitar/surbahar. The simpler the better.

I think I have ideas rather than dreams.

How do you combine tradition and innovation?

By my own needs as an amateur musician. They are different because I made them the way I want them.

What materials do you prefer to use and why?

I use whatever timber I have. I particularly like using old reclaim wood.

How do you collaborate with musicians?

I don’t think I do.

What project are you most proud of?

Well that has to be my rudra veena. Again I made the tumbas from paper & glue. I particularly enjoyed the carving.
I wouldn’t say that it was the best veena. I’m never ever fully pleased with anything that I make. I don’t believe in perfection.
I believe in enjoying what is.

What was your biggest challenge?

My life. Surviving.

What are your dreams for the future?

I’m in my 80th year of this life. If I can still manage to do something each new day, make, play & paint, that will do me.

Quote From The Bench

I don’t believe in perfection. I believe in enjoying what is.

My Reflection

There is something deeply inspiring about meeting a maker who does not need to explain himself through many words.

Building instruments is an intimate process. The maker spends countless hours shaping materials, making decisions that may remain invisible to the musician, yet influence every note that is played. It is a conversation between the hands of the maker, the nature of the materials and the imagination of the musician.

What I appreciate in Chris is this humility towards the craft. The instrument is never about the maker’s ego, it is about creating a vehicle for musical expression.

For me, these encounters are a reminder that instrument making is not only a technical discipline. It is also a way of listening, of preserving knowledge and of passing something meaningful on to future generations.

Discover More

Want to know more about the work of Chris Doddridge:

And would you like to learn more about sitars and maintenance yourself? Feel free to take a look at SiTAR FAcToRY.

Next Episode

Coming soon in Meet the Maker: Scott Hackleman, Point Roberts, USA