Comments on: T is for Tanpura not Sitar; it’s Good to Know the Difference

By: Finding your Sa (your swar, sruti or pitch) | Likhati

Finding your Sa (your swar, sruti or pitch) | Likhati — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 18:07:14 +0000

[...] Learning to tune a Tanpura to one’s pitch is considered essential in perfecting one’s pitch or sur or shruti. More on Tanpuras here. [...]

By: V is for Veena | Likhati

V is for Veena | Likhati — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:49:54 +0000

[...] follows on from T is for Tanpura not Sitar; it’s Good to Know the Difference and S is for Sitar and Surbahar. The intention of these three posts is to help people tell the [...]

By: V is for Veena « Punarjanman

V is for Veena « Punarjanman — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:58:11 +0000

[...] 9, 2009 by Ra This follows on from T is for Tanpura not Sitar; it’s Good to Know the Difference and S is for Sitar and Surbahar. The intention of these three posts is to help people tell the [...]

By: cb

cb — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 06:04:21 +0000

Just yesterday I had a major discussion with my daughter’s music teacher – she plays the harmonium while singing and we were talking about whether or not to shift to a tanpura. He said we could get an electronic tanpura if at all, as its easier to tune (if a person can tune a tanpura (non-electronic) then he’d have mastered 3/4ths of classical music was his opinion). He has left the decision to me, but said that none of his other students play the harmonium.

Another musician I know strongly feels that at this point she should stick to a harmonium esp’ly as she is able to play it very well and in perfect sync with her singing.

Am a bit confused!

cb, she needn’t give up the harmonium, if she learns to tune the Tanpura. Simply learning to sustain the shadja against the tanpura, for longer and longer intervals of time, is an essential part of shruti training. Even if she doesn’t have a manual Tanpura, an electronic one is a must, imho. The Radel is one of the electronic models available where you are. They require very little tuning. Learning to tune the manual Tanpura helps one perfect one’s shruti and perfect one’s ear. The earlier she starts the better, I think the teacher is right. You might want to read the note on the Tanpura on this page: http://www.tanpura.de/.

By: some body

some body — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 04:36:27 +0000

ra/mg/pj:

conventional wisdom has commented on the better halves of asha parekh and jennifer lopez. who is the tambura and who is the sitar?

now that i’ve got that off my chest, i need to read your post. music i love, especially desi – north or south.

- s.b.

p.s.: i hope this meets your comments policy/standards!

I’m glad you could lighten your burden!