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The tanpura, also known as tambura, is an essential instrument in Indian classical music, revered for its role in providing a continuous drone that supports the melody and rhythm during performances.
The tanpura (Sanskrit: तंबूरा, romanized: Taṃbūrā; also referred to as tambura, tanpuri, tamboura, or tanpoura) is a long-necked, plucked, four-stringed instrument originating in the Indian subcontinent, found in various forms in Indian music. [1]
Apr 12, 2022 · Tanpura is most important instrument for learning and practicing indian classical music. One another advantage of tanpura is it helps in ear training as well. In tanpura there are 3 main notes (pa of lower octave, 2 lower sa of middle octave & lower sa of lower octave).
- Tanpura/तानपुरा : Making and Construction
- What Is Javar (जवारी) of A Tanpura?
- How Is A Tanpura tuned?
- What All Is Heard from A Tanpura?
- Anecdotes and Legends
A Tanpura is a product of nature. Ideally, all the parts and components should be sourced from nature. The most important part of the Tanpura is the gourd resonator called Tumba or Bhopla / भोपळा . Made from a dried, hollow gourd, this resonator gives Tanpura the unique volume. Traditionally, these gourds are grown at Mangalwedha in Maharashtra and...
In the image above, it can be seen that four threads are inserted between the four strings and the bridge. If that thread is removed, the tone of the Tanpura will be very muted (बंद जवारी). As one inserts the thread and gradually moves it downwards, the string starts getting lifted a bit and tone starts to open up (खुली जवारी). The tone brightens u...
Tuning a Tanpura is a process that one has to learn by observing the Guru. Here is a flow of the process for the sake of the conceptual understanding of the tuning process. The two middle strings, called Jod / जोड are tuned to the Sa (षड्ज). The last string is tuned to the Sa of the lower octave (खर्ज). The first string is usually tuned to Pa (पंचम...
Though a Tanpura has just four strings, it produces many overtones across multiple octaves. From a well tuned Tanpura, all the seven Shuddha Swaras are audible along with a few flat notes. As one gets better at listening to Tanpura, the singing or playing automatically improves.
Ustad Abdul Karim Khan is well known for his love for tanpuras. Because of him, a large number of Tanpura makers shifted to Miraj. Miraj today is well-known globally for its skilled Tanpura makers. It is also said that Karim Sahab would make his Kurtas from the same fabric which he used for Javar of his Tanpura so that he would always have the thre...
Tanpura - A Cornerstone of Indian Classical Music. In the previous article, we looked at the Tanpura from the perspective of sound and showed how the clever combination of the rounded bridge and the cotton thread causes each string to emit its harmonics sequentially.
The canvas of Indian Classical Music, Tanpura is the single most important instrument for a musician. It is not only the sonic drone but also a Guru who guides the student of music.
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The tanpura is a drone instrument of Indian music prevalent in both the Hindustani and the Carnatic systems. It plays an important role in a concert of classical music by providing the base note (adharaswara) and by creating an aesthetic ambience on the stage.
