Author : Alicia Parker
One of the classic instruments or earliest of instruments, the Tambura, is also known as tamboura, tamburi, and tanpura. The small version of the instrument is known as Tanpuri. The instrument is a long-necked and fretless Indian classic instrument. It is usually 40-60 inches long and has four metal strings. Precision in tuning is achieved by inserting some bits of wool, adjusting some small beads attached to its strings, and lowering the bridge. In the western part of India, the instrument is made of the hollow part of jack wood; while in North India, it is made of gourd. It is held vertically, and the player sits just behind the instrument while playing it.
The instrument tanpura serves two major purposes. It becomes accompaniment f the folk music in South Asia. It also helps to invent new tonal foundations, which are also known as Raga. In the kings’ courtyard, the tanpura used to be the major instrument to entertain the people. The round-headed sound chamber used to be filled with paintings of Goddess Ganga, Saraswati, Sita, and devotee of Lord Ram, Hanuman. The neck was decorated with figures of some male musicians playing horns or pipes, drums, and acrobats. Sometimes women having matkas stacked upon their heads used to be painted on the neck of the tanpura.
Why is Tanpura used in music and dance performances?
Tanpura is used as a drone instrument in Indian Classical music. It is not used to create rhythm or melody. In Indian classical music, the notes are relative to each other and are not fixed. You can easily identify ‘Sa’ with the immediate higher note ‘Re’. Therefore, Tambura is used to create the tones for the base ‘sur’, which is called adharaswara.
So, the main purpose behind using the specific instrument was to create adharaswara for music performances. The performer used to create the rest of the music by using the base notes. The instrument has some similarities with Sitar. It does not have frets like the sitar. The performer keeps plucking the strings of tanpura uniformly throughout the performance.
History and etymology of tanpura
Tanpura has been there in Indian classical music since ancient times. However, the modern shape of tanpura came 500 years ago. Since then it started featuring paintings of God and Goddess on the body. As per a theory, the name tanpura is derived from the Sanskrit word, ‘tana’. ‘Tana’ is a musical phrase and ‘Pura’ means full.
Another theory brings a different history of the name of the instrument. It says that the name is derived from the Persian word tanbur. Tanbur is a long-necked musical instrument. The instrument was used as a major instrument in the middle-east. Tanpura is essentially an Indian adaptation of the middle-eastern instrument.
Manufacturing of Tanpura:
A place in Maharashtra called Miraj is the center of Tanpura manufacturing. The best quality Tanpura is manufactured in Miraj. Tanpura is usually made of a special kind of dried gourd grown in the Pandharpur area located in Maharashtra.
There are five main parts of tanpura-
- Resonator or ‘Tumba’
- Soundboard or ‘Tabli’
- Neck joint or Gullu
- Fingerboard or ‘patta’
- Neck or ‘dandi’
Tanpura usually has four strings. There are some special kinds of tanpura that have five strings. However, the one with four strings is more authentic and prevalent.
Different types and sizes of tanpura:
- Tanpura comes in different sizes, from 3 ft to 5 ft. It comes primarily in 3 variations.
- Male tanpura which is larger in size
- Female tanpura; relatively smaller in size
- Smaller than female tanpura used as an accompaniment of sarod or sita
Tuning the Tanpura:
You need to tune tanpura regularly to make the best sound emerge from it. The best way to get the instrument tuned is by the professionals. The shopkeeper who sells tanpura can tune it for you. Otherwise, you have to get it tuned from the professionals. Today, students learning playing the instruments are also interested to play the electronic tanpura to amplify its sound. The electronic tanpura can play both table and tanpura.
