Varieties Of Plucking Veena Strings (Meetu)

  • Sanna Meetu: Mild striking for delicate sound
  • Dodda Meetu: Hard striking for loud sound
  • Lo Meetu: Index finger strikes string from top to bottom
  • Veli Meetu: Strike from bottom to upwards
  • Kattera Meetu: Index and middle finger strikes in quick succession
  • Todu Meetu: Index and middle finger strikes separately
  • Tada Meetu: Middle finger strikes 3rd letter in Tisram
  • Addu Meetu: Index finger strikes, middle finger stops, and middle finger strikes again for Sahityam
  • Abaddhapu Meetu: Striking for beauty and pleasure without sahityaakshara
  • Koota Meetu: Simultaneously striking all 4 strings with 3 fingers for beauty
  • Vidi Meetu: Separately striking Shadja, Mandra Panchama, and Mandra Shadja strings for beauty
  • Pakka Meetu: Simultaneously striking side tala strings from bottom to top
  • Gotu Meetu: Simultaneously striking upper string and tala strings
  • Pattu Meetu: Index finger strikes and middle finger stops naada, similar to staccato in Western Music
  • Swara Meetu: Striking every swara
  • Sahitya Meetu: Striking only for Saahityakshara

If one learns all 16 varieties of striking and practices Janta Swaras with gamakas like Aandolita and Kampita, then they have achieved mastery in Veena playing.