Flair shown in sitar-playing attempt (8)
I believe the answer is:
artistry
'flair' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'sitar-playing attempt' is the wordplay.
'playing' indicates anagramming the letters.
'attempt' becomes 'try' (synonyms).
'sitar' with letters rearranged gives 'artis'.
'artis'+'try'='ARTISTRY'
'shown in' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for artistry that I've seen before include "Creative flair" , "Finesse" , "Skilled workmanship" , "great skill" , "Creative skill learned by study and practice" .)