(teacher). In one of the vocal concerts of his Guru Bidaram Krishnappa in Mysore, Chowdiah accompanied him using his new seven stringed violin. Krishnappa perceived the sound emanating from the violin was louder than usual. He stared at his disciple and his violin and noted that there were three additional strings. He angrily asked him '‘what is this contraption?'’ and had an outburst. Chowdiah, in all humility said that he added three more strings and evolved this seven stringed violin so that the sound of the violin could be heard even in the back rows of the concert hall. He was afraid of the Guru's outburst. Veena Seshanna who was also present in the audience, was aware of the seven stringed violin. He was pleased with Chowdiah's accomplishment at innovating the violin, and told Bidaram Krishnappa that Chowdiah must be allowed to play that violin. Sometime later, Chowdiah accompanied his master again in another concert using this new violin and his master was pleased with it. Seven-stringed violin was mocked by many critics and performers as an attempt at self-promotion. GNB mocked him as 'Soundiah', though the two reconciled later and performed together. C S Iyer, brother of Nobel Laureate C V Raman, was a performer and critic. He suggested at a meet in 1942 that seven-stringed violin should be consigned to the very depths of the Bay of Bengal. An enraged Chowdiah got up and ran towards the dais brandishing his violin bow. He was restrained from bodily harming C. S. Iyer. In 1947 Chowdiah came with a 12 stringed violin to demonstrate it but he was prevailed upon by Semmangudi who was that year's conference president not to go ahead with the demonstration. All major practitioners continue to use the traditional four stringed violin only. But V Sethuramiah, Chowdiah's disciple, mostly used seven-stringed violin; and Sethuramaih's solo playing and accompaniment samples are available on the net. Achievements Chowdiah designed the seven-stringed violin to ensure that the accompanist could match the vocalist (the need for this was felt especially in the early and mid-20th century when no amplification devices were available). He was known as Pitilu Chowdiah – Pitilu (fiddle) being the word for violin in South Indian languages such as Kannada . As he hailed from Tirumakudalu Narasipura near Mysore, so he is also known as Mysore T. Chowdiah. Chowdiah founded the Ayyanar College of music, in Mysore