Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, flanked by sons Amaan and Ayaan, regales the audience at Ranchi’s Taurian World School on Sunday. Telegraph picture

That the Sarod is another name for melody was evident on Sunday evening in Ranchi when the Ustad and his two sons took to the stage with nimble fingers on strings to create a vast and complex architecture of haunting music.

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan with Amaan and Ayaan performed at the amphitheatre of the capital’s Taurian World School against the inscription in the backdrop — “enchanting souls delight your senses”.

The Ustad and his sons represented the sixth and seventh generations of sarod players, respectively, since their ancestor Mohammed Hashmi Khan Bangash developed the instrument from its earlier incarnation — the Afgan Rabab.

His son, Ghulam Bandegi Khan Bangash, modified the Rabab by introducing a metal fingerboard and strings. His son, Ghulam Ali Bangash, perfected the instrument and played ragas on it. The instrument was finally known as the Sarod, meaning melody in Persian, and with it was born a distinct school of music — the Senia-Bangash gharana — in the sunset years of Mughal rule.

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, who called the Sarod as a “family instrument”, obviously, made the sounds of the Sarod go on the global playlist, teaming up with international music-makers and performing around the world.

On Sunday, the recital began with a detailed rendering of Raga Jhinjhoti, jointly by Amaan and Ayaan, whose synchronised performances drew repeated applause from the audience.

Then, they were joined by their illustrious father, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. The maestro began a solo performance with a mixed composition based on Raga Khambaj and Raga Gara that he had dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi.

The Ustad then demonstrated a piece of taraana.

He capped it up by paying a tribute to the “the great composer Rabindranath Tagore”, playing “Jodi tor dak sune keu na ase, tobe akla cholo re”.

Finally, it was time for the musical trio to perform together. They presented Raga Kirmani, accompanied on tabla by Mithilesh Jha and Fateh Singh Nandani.

The audience, repeatedly applauding, could be heard murmuring about the instance of the Indian guru-shishya parampara, where sons learnt from their teacher who also happened to be their father.

“If you don’t respect your teachers, don’t disrespect them either,” the Ustad told the students. “Our culture of seeking blessings makes Indians a class apart.”

School chairman Amit Bajla added that the concert was not about recreation. “Even if a single student here is drawn to music after this evening, I will consider it a success,” he added.

The evening began with Ganesh Vandana by two school students. Sandeep Mahavir of the Jaipur gharana presented a kathak performance to fusion instrumental music.