Mohan Veena

Mohan veena is a modern Indian innovation that turned the slide guitar into a fluent Hindustani voice. In classical music, raag demands continuous meend, subtle microtones, and long sustained phrases, and the slide technique naturally supports that language. It gained popularity because it offered a fresh sound while still obeying classical grammar, and because it could project well on stage and recordings.

It is typically a modified guitar with changes to setup that support slide playing, often adding sympathetic and drone strings for Indian-style resonance. The player plucks or picks with the right hand and uses a slide to glide pitch smoothly, producing long, vocal-like phrases and fast runs when needed. It is primarily a solo instrument, and what makes it unique is the blend of modern instrument ergonomics with Indian sympathetic richness, creating a distinctive fusion of sustain, glide, and shimmer.