And its place in indian classical music Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Behind him: his disciples Deshpande and Rathod Purushottam Walawalkar on the harmonium on his left And Shashikant (Nana) Mule on the tabla on his right The tanpura (or tamboura) holds a unique and significant place in Indian classical music. Whether it's classical or semi-classical vocal music or instrumental music, one always sees an artist playing the tanpura, a long-necked instrument with a gourd at the bottom,

Understanding Sound as a Wave We all remember from school physics that sound travels as a wave. Something initiates the wave, it travels through the air, reaches our ears, and we perceive it as sound. In music, what initiates this wave is either the human voice or a musical instrument. At the source of vibrations, they are typically very weak and need a resonating body  to amplify them. This resonating body is what completes the instrument: In voice:  The wave is initiated in

What is swara in Indian classical music? If you’re new to Hindustani Classical Music, the word swara (often translated as “note”) shows up everywhere. But what exactly is a swara—and how is it different from any other sound we hear in daily life?