Tanpura (Tambura)
Tanpuras from Kanai Lal & Sons, Hemen & Co, Monoj K Sardar and our own workshop, in male, female and tanpuri sizes. Each one is strung, tuned and checked in our Delhi workshop before it ships.
Choosing yours
A tanpura plays no melody. It holds a drone that everything else is tuned against, and its whole job is a long even sustain with no dead notes. That is why the size question matters more than the decoration.
Male tanpuras are the longest, usually around 55 inches, and sit lowest. They suit male vocalists and instrumental accompaniment. Female tanpuras are shorter, around 48 inches, and pitched higher for female voices. A tanpuri is smaller again, for travel and for practice where a full instrument is impractical.
The rule is to match the tanpura to the singer, not to the player. If you are buying for a vocalist, their range decides the instrument.
Gourd or wood is the other choice. Traditional tanpuras use a dried gourd resonator, which gives the richest sustain but is fragile and reacts to climate. Wooden bodied instruments, sometimes called Miraj style in wood, are more robust and travel better, with slightly less bloom in the tone.
Tuning and setup
We string and tune every tanpura before it ships, and set the jawari so each string sustains evenly. On a tanpura this matters more than on any other instrument, because a single dull string ruins the drone.
The four strings are normally tuned Pa, Sa, Sa, Sa, that is the fifth, then the tonic in three octaves, though Ma replaces Pa for some ragas. Fine tuning is done with the beads on the strings rather than the pegs once you are close.
Thread under the strings at the bridge is what creates the shimmering overtone. Moving it a millimetre changes the whole voice of the instrument. If a string sounds thin, that thread is usually the first thing to adjust, not the tuning.
Expect to retune over the first days after shipping. Strings stretch and the instrument settles.
Care and climate
Gourds crack in dry air. If you live somewhere with hard winters and heated rooms, keep the tanpura well away from radiators and consider a humidifier in the room. This is the single most common cause of damage we see on instruments shipped to North America and northern Europe.
Slacken the strings if the instrument will be unused for more than a few weeks, and store it upright or flat but never leaning on the gourd.
Wipe the strings after playing. A tanpura is often left out and played daily, which is good for the instrument but hard on strings.
Questions we get asked
Male or female tanpura, which should I buy?
Match the instrument to the singer, not the player. Male tanpuras are longer and pitched lower for male voices and instrumental accompaniment. Female tanpuras are shorter and higher. Buying the wrong one means the drone fights the voice.
What is a tanpuri?
A smaller tanpura, for travel and practice, and for accompanying instrumental work rather than a voice. The sustain is shorter but it is far easier to carry and to store.
How is a tanpura tuned?
Usually Pa, Sa, Sa, Sa, the fifth followed by the tonic in three octaves, with Ma replacing Pa for certain ragas. Coarse tuning is at the pegs, fine tuning at the beads.
What are the threads under the strings for?
They sit between the string and the bridge and create the shimmering overtone that defines the tanpura sound. Moving one by a millimetre changes the voice. If a string sounds thin, adjust the thread before the tuning.
Gourd or wooden body?
Gourd gives the richest sustain and is traditional, but reacts to dry air and is fragile. Wooden bodies travel better and are more forgiving of climate, with a little less bloom in the tone.