Shruti Box
Shruti boxes in teak and pine, made in our own workshop near Delhi. Each one is tuned and checked in our Delhi workshop before it ships, and every reed is played through before it goes into the box.
Choosing yours
A shruti box is a bellows-driven drone. It does one thing: it holds a steady reference pitch so a singer or instrumentalist can tune to it and stay there. There is no keyboard and nothing to play.
Size is the main decision. Small boxes are light and easy to carry to class or a yoga room, but the drone is thinner and the bellows need working more often. Large boxes hold a fuller, longer drone with less effort, and are the right choice if the box mostly stays in one place.
Note range follows size. Most boxes cover thirteen notes, an octave from C to C, which is enough for almost all vocal practice. If you sing consistently outside that range, check the note list before ordering.
Teak is denser and gives a slightly warmer tone; pine is lighter and cheaper. For a box that travels weekly, the weight difference is worth considering.
Tuning and setup
Every box leaves us tuned. We voice each reed and play through the full range, because a reed that sounds correct on the bench can buzz once the box is closed.
Open the stoppers only for the notes you want. Most players use two: the tonic and the fifth. Opening more does not make a richer drone, it makes a chord, and it will fight the raga.
The bellows want a slow steady rhythm rather than hard pumping. A shruti box played gently sustains longer and sounds better than one worked hard.
Reeds drift over years rather than months. If a single note goes suddenly dead or sharp, that is usually dust or a shifted reed rather than tuning, and it is a workshop job.
Care and climate
The bellows are leather and cloth, and they are the part that ages. Work them gently for the first week after a long shipment, since material that has been folded flat in a box needs to flex back into shape.
Keep the box away from radiators, air conditioning vents and direct sun. Dry heat shrinks the wood and hardens the bellows; persistent damp does the opposite.
Close all the stoppers when the box is not in use. It keeps dust out of the reed chamber, which is the main cause of a note going dead.
Questions we get asked
What is a shruti box used for?
It holds a steady drone so a singer or instrumentalist has a fixed reference pitch. It is used in vocal practice, kirtan, yoga and meditation, and as an alternative to a tanpura where portability matters.
Small or large shruti box?
Small boxes are lighter and easier to carry but the drone is thinner and needs more pumping. Large boxes hold a fuller drone with less effort. Choose by whether the box travels or stays put.
How many stoppers should I open?
Usually two: the tonic and the fifth. Opening more produces a chord rather than a drone, and it will fight the raga rather than support it.
Is a shruti box the same as a tanpura?
No. Both provide a drone, but a tanpura is a stringed instrument with a shimmering overtone and a decaying pluck. A shruti box gives a continuous reed tone. Many singers use a shruti box for practice and a tanpura for performance.
Does it need tuning?
Rarely. Reeds drift over years, not months. A single note going suddenly wrong is usually dust or a shifted reed rather than tuning, and it needs a workshop rather than home adjustment.