The Tanpura

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, while seated behind the main performer. Many people may wonder what the purpose of this tanpura is. In this article, we will explore the role of the tanpura, the science behind it, and how it is constructed. Twenty-five to thirty years ago, electronic tanpuras emerged as an alternative or complement to the traditional tanpura made from natural materials. Recently, numerous tanpura apps have become available for smartphones. We will also briefly look at the technology behind these. I should mention that when I refer to Indian or Hindustani Classical music (and simply classical music) in this article, I mean Hindustani classical music. While the Carnatic (South Indian) music tradition in India is equally ancient and rich, my familiarity with Carnatic music is limited, and I have confined this article to Hindustani classical music.

Some Basic Definitions

Readers who are already familiar with terms like raga, swara, saptak, and shruti in Indian classical music may skip this part and move on to the next section.

The concept of 'raga' is central to Indian music. Sometimes, Indian music is even referred to as 'raga music'. In our music, we recognize 12 notes. 'Sa, Re, Ga, ma, Pa, Dha, Ni' are the 7 'shuddha' (pure) notes, while 're', 'ga', 'dha', and 'ni' are the 4 flat (komal)  notes, and 'Ma' is the sharp (teevra) note. We won't delve into the reasons behind these names in this article. To put it simply, all ragas are formed by selecting specific combinations of these twelve notes. I say 'simply' because there are specific rules about the treatment of the selected notes in the raga, for constructing any raga: 1) A raga must have at least five notes, 2) A raga can have different notes in its ascending and descending scales, 3) There are specific rules about how to use different notes while singing or playing an instrument, such as whether to hold a note (nyas) or not, and for how long, 4) The note 'Sa' must always be present in a raga, and 5) One of the three notes 'Pa', 'Shuddha ma', or 'teevra Ma' is mandatory in every raga. 5) Each raga uses specific nuances or microtones of notes, which in musical terms are called 'shruti'. The fourth and fifth points are important in the context of this article. Before we proceed, let's familiarize ourselves with some more terms. When we  take higher and higher notes starting from the Sa, that is 'Sa, re, Re, ga, Ga, ma, Ma, Pa, dha, Dha, ni, Ni' we reach to the higher Sa. In musical terms, these notes are called 'Shadja (Sa)', 'Rishabh (Re)', 'Gandhar (Ga)', 'madhyam (ma)', 'Pancham (Pa)', 'Dhaivat (Dha)', and 'Nishad (Ni)'.

As mentioned earlier, when we ascend from Sa, re, Re in the middle octave, we reach the higher Sa. If we continue ascending with Sa, re, Re, and so on, we reach the next higher Sa, and theoretically, this can continue indefinitely. Similarly, if we descend from the middle octave with Ni, ni, Dha, dha, and so on, we reach the lower Sa, and theoretically, we can continue this way indefinitely. To simplify our discussion of notes and octaves, let's represent the middle octave as (1) and the notes in the middle octave as Sa(1), re(1), Re(1), ga(1), and so on. The lower octave is called 'mandra', and we'll represent it as (0), and the notes in the mandra octave as Sa(0), re(0), Re(0), ga(0) etc. Similarly, the higher octave above the middle octave is called as 'taar' and the one above that as 'ati-taar', using numbers (2), (3) and naming the notes accordingly. In singing, vocalists typically perform within the mandra, madhya, and tar octaves, and all ragas can be expressed within these three octaves. Singers who try to go beyond these limits are often criticized by knowledgeable artists and audiences as being “show-offs”.

The note Sa is considered the foundational note (tonic) in our music. All other notes originate from Sa. There's a Sanskrit shloka, “षडज। षट् स्वरा: जायन्ते यस्मात्” which means “from shadja (Sa), six notes are born”. Hence, in musical terminology, Sa is referred to as “Shadja”.

The Importance of the Tanpura in Indian Music

As mentioned earlier, the tanpura holds a unique and significant place in Indian classical music. A tanpura typically has four strings (although some may have five or six). The first string is tuned to Pa(0), ma(0), or Ni(0), the second and third strings to Sa(1) in the middle octave, and the fourth string to Sa(0) in the lower octave (The lower Sa known as “kharja” in musical terms). Some vocalists use mandra Ni on the first string. Most other singers use 'mandra ma' on the first string if the raga they are singing does not include Pa (for example, Malkauns, Chandrakauns) or if Pa is used less frequently but ma is more prominent in that raga (for example, Bageshri). The reason for this will become clear shortly.

Naturally, a reader might wonder how the Sa of the middle octave is determined. When it comes to singing, male singers generally sing with notes between the “C” and the “E” (Safed 1 to Safed 3) in the middle octave of the harmonium as their middle Sa, while female singers generally sing with notes between the “G#” and the “A#” (Kali 4 to Kali 5) in the middle octave of the harmonium as their middle Sa. Of course, there are exceptions. The unique characteristic of the tanpura is that in a well-tuned tanpura, each string produces very rich harmonics of the note to which it is tuned (for example, the first string tuned to mandra Pa produces shuddha Re in the middle octave). The 'Sa' of the lower octave (kharja) produces a clear 'shuddha Ga' in the higher octave. This shuddha Ga is also known as “svayambhu Gandhar in musical parlance

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The artist accompanying on the tanpura continuously plucks these four strings. A skilled singer or instrumentalist is one whose voice blends so seamlessly with the sound of the tanpura that it becomes indistinguishable whether the sound is coming from the throat or the tanpura. The notes produced by the tanpura provide a “solid”  support for the singer, and the singer tries to align their voice with these notes. The note Sa is so important in vocal as well and instrumental music that the tabla is also tuned to Sa (there are exceptions to this, but we will not get into that). The sound of the tanpura creates a beautiful backdrop for the singer, who tries to align his or her voice as closely to the notes emanating from the tanpura. Therefore, it is believed that Indian classical music cannot exist without the tanpura. The reason for tuning the first string of the tanpura to 'ma' or 'pa' based on the raga being presented, as mentioned earlier, will become clear from this. Ustad Abdul Karim Khan (the founder of the Kirana Gharana) was renowned for his exceptionally well-tuned tanpuras. There's a story about him where he once tuned his tanpura but wouldn’t sing. When his disciple asked why, he replied, "The tanpuras are so beautifully tuned and sound so good that I don't have the courage to sing!" The tanpura was so important to him that when he settled in Miraj, Maharashtra, he brought along craftsmen who made tanpuras, and even today, Miraj is known as a village of tanpura makers.

Before the start of a concert, artists typically tune their tanpuras in the green room behind the stage in the concert hall. In spite of that, the strings of their tanpuras are affected by the temperature variations in the concert hall due to the Air Conditioning and fans, and the artists have to often stop in the middle of the concert and re-tune their tanpuras. This sometimes makes impatient listeners in the audience fret!

Let us briefly touch upon two important, advanced concepts before we proceed, though I will not go into too much depth with these concepts here. The first concept is the relationship between Shadja-Madhyam and Shadja-Pancham. The relationship between the Sa and ma in the same octave is the same as the relationship between Pa and the higher Sa. Similarly, the relationship between Sa and Pa is the same as the relationship between ma and the higher Sa. In other words, the (musical) interval between Sa(1) and Pa(1) is the same as between ma(1) and Sa(2). Furthermore, this same interval exists between Pa(1) and Re(2), Re(1) and Dha(1), and Ga(1) and Ni(1). Similarly, the interval between Sa(1) and ma(1) is found in pairs of notes like Re(1) and Pa(1), Ga(1) and Dha(1), etc. This concept is called the “Shadja-Pancham and Shadja-Madhyam Bhaav”.

The second concept is that of 'shruti' in music. In Western terms, this is referred to as 'micro-tones'. Ancient texts like Sangita Ratnakara state that there are twenty-two shrutis in an octave. Each note in the octave is associated with certain shrutis, and these texts describe the location of each shruti. However, this is a highly debated topic, and a deep dive into it is beyond the scope of this article. Suffice it to say that artists use the backdrop of sounds produced by the tanpura to create musical innovations.

To help readers understand some of these concepts, here are two 30-second recordings each of an E Tanpura – the first tuned to Pa, and the other one to ma.

Having understood the significance of the tanpura, let's now delve into the technical aspects of its design and construction.

The Science Underlying the Tanpura 

Before we discuss the mechanics of the tanpura, let's briefly touch upon the naming of musical notes. With the introduction of the harmonium into Indian music, we have adopted Western standards for the frequency of notes. In Western music, the note "A" in the middle octave, which corresponds to the sixth white key on a harmonium, is standardized at 440 Hertz (cycles/second) as set by the International Standards Organization (ISO) after extensive discussions with musicians. While this standard has been in use since the 19th century, it remains a subject of debate. Similarly, in Indian music, the Safed 6 (A) in the middle octave is now generally tuned to 440Hz for all instruments.

We all remember from our school or college physics labs the experiment involving a vibrating string and a tuning fork. A simple metal string, fixed at one end and going over a pulley and stretched by a weight at the other end, can be made to vibrate at different frequencies by adjusting its length or tension. When a tuning fork of a specific frequency is struck and brought near the vibrating string, the string will resonate with the tuning fork if its natural frequency matches that of the tuning fork. This experiment demonstrates that increasing the tension or decreasing the length of a string increases its frequency of vibration, while decreasing the tension or increasing the length decreases the frequency.

All stringed instruments, including the veena, sitar, sarod, sarangi, guitar, and of course, the tanpura, operate on this same principle. Even the veena held by Goddess Saraswati is based on these principles. As seen in the picture of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi's concert, the tanpura is played by placing it on the ground, resting the elbow on the knee, and plucking the strings in the middle.

Using these principles, let's understand how the tanpura works.

Let's now see how the tanpura works using these principles. Understanding this will be easier if you look at some pictures of the tanpura. Typically, the strings are plucked in this order: 'Pa' (or 'ma' or 'Ni'), then two 'Sa' strings, and finally the 'kharaj' or fourth string. After a brief pause following the fourth string, the sequence is repeated: 'Pa Sa Sa Sa - - Pa Sa Sa Sa - -'. This is the standard way of playing the tanpura.

It's important to note that the strings used for the tanpura are made from specific alloys. If you go to a music store to buy tanpura strings, you'll be asked which notes you want. You can buy a complete set of strings for notes like "Kali 1," "Safed 3," and "Kali 5." These strings can generally be tuned a semitone higher or lower. Also, since women's voices are generally higher than men's, women's tanpuras are shorter than men's because the strings on women's tanpuras are shorter.

The reason for this can be understood from the following formula. To calculate the frequency of a vibrating string, we use the formula:

f = T/(m/L)/2L, where f: frequency, T: tension on the string, m: mass of the string, L: length of the string.

While this might seem complex, it clearly shows that increasing the tension on a string increases its frequency, while increasing its weight or length decreases its frequency. Therefore, to create a string for a specific note, a string made of a suitable alloy and with a specific thickness is used to ensure the correct weight. This is evident in the pictures of the tanpura, where you can see that each string has a specific weight and length. Now, let’s talk about the tension on the string. On the top of the tanpura, you’ll see four pegs, one for each string. By turning these pegs, the tension on the strings can be increased or decreased. Additionally, the small beads you see in the fourth picture are used for fine tuning. The formula mentioned above gives us the basic frequency of the string. However, each string also produces several harmonics – the second, third, fourth, fifth, and so on.

Courtesy: https://universe-review.ca/R12-03-wave02.htm

The accompanying image shows the first (fundamental), second, third, fourth, up to the sixteenth harmonics of the middle C note, along with their waveforms. This shows that the amplitude of higher harmonics decreases gradually. This is exactly what happens every time a tanpura string is plucked. The rich sound of the tanpura is created by these harmonics from each string. With practice, one can hear some of these notes more clearly. A good criterion for a pleasant sound is when your voice matches the notes produced by the tanpura. Some of the audible notes include Sa (second harmonic) and Pa (third harmonic) in the middle octave from the 'kharaj' string, and 'Ga' (known as 'svayambhu gandhar') in the higher octave. From the 'Pa' string in the lower octave, you can hear a 'Shuddha Re' in the higher octave (ninth harmonic). Within an octave, the frequency of Pa is 1.5 times that of Sa, the frequency of 'Shuddha Ga' is 5/4 (1.25) times that of 'Sa', and the frequency of ma is 4/3 (1.333...) times that of Sa. It is believed that those with highly trained ears can hear all the notes of an octave from the tanpura.

Now, let's talk a bit about 'javari'. This concept is unique to Indian stringed instruments and is not found in any other instrument in the world. In the second picture, you can see the 'ghodi' (bridge) and below each string, there is a thin thread like those used in sewing. By plucking a string and moving this thread up and down, the sound of the string becomes fuller at a specific point, almost magically. Based on my understanding, the surface of the 'ghodi' is slightly convex, as shown in pictures 2 and 3. The 'javari' thread is clamped between the tanpura string and this surface. When you pluck the string and move the thread, at a specific point due to the shape of the 'ghodi', the length of the string changes very slightly, and the resulting harmonics cause the sound of the string to bloom like a flower.

Electronic Tanpuras and Tanpura Apps

About 20-25 years ago, some companies introduced electronic tanpuras to the market that artificially synthesized the sound of a tanpura. These electronic tanpuras allowed users to adjust the pitch and volume using buttons. Although their sound was considered more artificial compared to a real tanpura, their ease of use led many people to adopt them. Many singers and musicians started using electronic tanpuras alongside traditional ones. Later, various apps were developed for smartphones using advanced technology. These apps recorded samples of real tanpura sounds and offered a more natural tone compared to the electronic tanpuras. Despite this, many musicians still prefer to use the traditional tanpura alongside these apps. This clearly shows that even though electronic options have emerged, the traditional tanpura, with its centuries-old history, continues to hold its place in Indian classical music.

Footnote: There are two important concepts in Indian classical music: While Indian classical music involves many other important concepts like 'laya' (rhythm), 'taal' (beat), and others besides 'rag' (melody), we haven't discussed them in this article as they are less relevant to the topic of the tanpura."