Guide to Tuning Tambura

[pattu]

I live in a place n which there are no Indian musicians. I have learnt Carnatic music for four years and I bought a tambura from Chennai recently. Unfortunately I had no time to learn how to tune it. My pitch is C.

Can any one please guide me to tune the tambura? When I hold the tambura what is the right string (right from my side)? Is it shadja? What swara is the middle string and what swara is the left string? I would also appreciate any other tips and help on tuning the tambura. Because I have decided to sing only with tambura as sruti, not with E-sruti box.

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, pattu, You wrote that you have already learnt music for four years but you had no time to learn how to tune the Tambura.

After seeing your post I also waited for some time to find some response. But, there is none.
You must be enlightened about some facts of music which you are not aware. Even though I feel very sorry to question you, I could not resist myself being a 73 years old truthful teacher to question you.

Then, who is your teacher and what did you learn in these four years? Would you please clarify if you don’t mind?

Being a professional-teacher and professional-Violinist, having participated in hundreds of music-concerts all over the globe and having spent most of my life with all kinds of Tamburas, each one carrying one kind of dissonance or the other (of course, most of our musicians have become sufficiently immune to find this dissonance), I prefer only Electronic-automatic-tambura but not manual Tambura at all in which way I prefer to go on a motor-cycle only to save my invaluable time and energy but not on an ordinary cycle. amsharma

[Shivadasan]

Dear Pattu,

When you face the tanpura the left extreme string is the lower Sadja the (‘C’). In the extreme right is the Panchama string which can also be tuned to Madhyama for Madhyama sruti if required. The middle two are both tuned to the higher Shadja.

The strings are tuned with reference to C obtained as output from any musical instrument one might find convenient. First, the tension in the strings are raised to a comfortable level and then each one of them would be tuned individually. The handle of the ‘birudai’ is turned clockwise or anti clockwise to raise or lower the tension of the string. The string is plucked and the tone generated is compared to the reference note. The turning of birudai handle would continue till the tone approximately reaches the required pitch.

After obtaining a roughly accurate notes from the strings, they would be fine tuned by moving the ivory beads forward or backward. Once done, the Jiva thread is moved forward or backward to get the extra vibration. The proof that the middle strings are correctly tuned is that if you pluck one string the other would also vibrate.

These are only guidelines and they canot replace personal instruction from a person like A.M. Sharma
Shivadasan

[narayan]

Dear Pattu,

I fully support your attempts to use the tanpura and wish you all the best.

To add to what Shivadasan has said, you can try tuning the four strings first and only then move the jiva thread to get the required effect. I found that for the rough tuning, the horizontal position of the tanpura is required and the beads can be adjusted slightly while you hold it vertical with the stem close to your ear (to get a better sense of whether it is aligned). Then for the jiva, again you may need to make the tanpura horizontal. These are very elementary points, but may still be worth your while.

A lot of it is by the feel for it, and the more you do it, the better the feel is. All I can say is that it is worth the effort.
narayan

[thenpaanan]

Dear Pattu,

I fully support your attempts to use the tanpura and wish you all the best.
...
A lot of it is by the feel for it, and the more you do it, the better the feel is. All I can say is that it is worth the effort.
narayan

To add to Narayan's comment, take heart from my story as well. I had learned CM from various teachers for about ten years and had never come close to a tambura because my teachers used sruthi boxes and harmoniums (electronic versions were not available back then). I had seen tamburas from afar but never touched one and was endlessly fascinated. Then I got an opportunity to see a tambura at close quarters at a friend's but still did not know a thing about tuning. One day when I had the means I took the plunge and bought a tambura on my India trip. The one advantage I have over you is that the tambura maker (Sri Ramji) gave me some elementary instructions on how to handle it (different from how to tune it perfectly). Over the years I have just learned the tuning part by trial and error. I cannot say that I am very good at it but am fairly decent. As Narayan says it is definitely worth the effort. I have discovered that many (most?) people these days who are quite advanced in CM but have always used an electronic box show surprising delight when they hear the feel and aura of an acoustic tambura.

After fifteen years I had to change the strings and that was when I realized that I had never put a set of strings on a tambura before. So, it continues to teach this old dog new things beyond just the sheer joy of the new colors of the magical sound it produces every time it is retuned.

-Thenpaanan

[msakella]

On seeing the post of our brother-member, pattu, I, being a teacher, felt very unhappy about this particular music-teacher (of course, he/she is not an exception) who taught him music for four years but not even the basic Shruti. Hats off to this music-teacher.

Everybody knows well that while Shruti is the mother Laya is the father and, thus, Shruti has been given the first and foremost preference like mother. Most of our classical musicians have become immune to one kind of dissonance or the other of Shruti. They sing along with Shruti only but not in Shruti at all like our counterparts of Hindusthani-music. More over, the adamant conservatives are more bothered about the traditional values but, most unfortunately, not the true music. It is absolutely futile to explain about Shruti-sensitivities to our musicians and listeners of our South Indian music. amsharma

[Shivadasan]

I regret there was a mistake in the earlier post which has been since been corrected. When you face the Tanpura with its Kudam on the floor the right extreme string is Panchama and the left extreme string is the Lower Shadja.
Shivadasan

[pattu]

Shivadasan, narayan and tenpaanan, thanks a lot to the three of you for encouraging me and instructing me. I'll start tuning my tambura from tomorrow, Sunday.

Dear amsharma-ji, my teacher is a person of little means, has been like that throughout his life. He has found it difficult to make both ends meet and yet was always sincere in teaching music to whoever was interested. he has only one sruti box which did duty for all his students. From poor people he charged only Rs.10 per class. His highest charge was Rs.50 a class. People like me could pay him only ten rupees per class; with 3 classes a week it amounted to Rs.120/ a month and this only 10 years ago, not in the 1920s or 30s. Sometimes I couldn't even pay 120 rupees. For I am the son of a supplier (usually called server) in a hotel. My teacher never bothered to collect the balance amount the next month and refused even when my father offered him. My teacher's wife also had to chip in by stitching clothes to meet household expenses. They managed to decently marry off their daughter. My parents also could marry off my sister. Today my teacher is no longer able to teach. He is being lovingly supported by his daughter and son-in-law. After much compulsion some of his students joined together and decided to give him a monthly pension. He refused. We ultimately persuaded him to accept. My teacher could not teach me to tune a tambura because he did not possess one. But he has taught me sruti shuddham.

I studied with great difficulty and am employed in a private industry in north India. And I have now bought a tambura. Life may have been easy for people like you, but not for people like me or my teacher. Let me narrate another story, a true story.

5 years ago I met a person in Tamilnadu. I went to this place with a Professor of an IIT. This 'person' sang exquisite music which enthralled me no end. Certain things I had never listened to in anyone. This 'person' started learning music when he was 28, simply because his father discouraged him and wouldn't have him learn music. Years were spent in frustration until he could stabilise himself financially. He started learning from a veteran. He found it very difficult to handle talams as he had never had any basic music education like sarali or jandai. But his sheer passion made him learn many of the masterpieces the veteran musician could teach. This 'person' wanted to become a professional musician, but how could one, beginning at the age of 28 in a period when there was very little sponsorship or encouragement available? Now, this 'person's' music is confined within the four walls of his home and probably available to a few people who know about him. This 'person' is also a member of this forum and he posts here.

Sharma-ji, there are people like my teacher, this 'person' and like me too, in this world.

[Pratyaksham Bala]

pattu:
Great!
Best wishes to you; and namaskarams to your Teacher.

[Nick H]

Thank you, Pattu: it is a wonderful story you have told of your life, your teacher's life, and our unknown fellow forumite. You are great people.

[cacm]

Dear Pattu,
What you have written is VERY MOVING & to me is AN INSPIRATION. I would like to correspond with you- my email is [email protected]- separately from this forum & share ideas with you. I will be in Chennai during sep10th-nov 4th; Any chance you will be in Chennai during this period? Where do you live? VKV

[prashant]

pattu: Your story is extremely touching, as is your dedication to music. I wish you all the very best in your musical journey, and echo the sentiments of narayan, Shivadasan, thenpaanan etc that time spent in getting acquainted with your tambura, tuning it, and singing along with it will be well worth your while. You will most definitely relish the beautiful experience of singing to the accompaniment of a well-tuned tambura. Good luck to you!

[rshankar]

Pattu, thank you for sharing. Yours is a truly inspiring story. Best wishes to you in life and all your endeavors!

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, pattu, Feel extremely happy to go through your touching post, dear.

I very well know that this kind of honest-freelance-music-teachers are there everywhere struggling hard to make their both ends meet. That is why I never write against such noble persons even though many are used to think that I always write against the music-teachers. I always write about the music-teachers who are well employed but do not try to discharge their duties honestly in which way they are supposed to do.

Even though many of our people think that as my life is easy I am used to talk and write all these derogatory remarks against the music-teachers. But, none of you know that no other employed music-teacher, being sincere and honest, on earth suffered like me. As I was sincere and honest I was kicked out like a foot-ball by the ‘Honourable-Principals’ transferring me from one place to the other for SIX times in the first FIVE years and twelve times in all 35 years of my service unlike any other person in our Department and I was the first person having even been suspended for nine months and dragged to the court of Law on a concocted criminal case. But, my honest and sincerity only saved me in every manner all the time till now.

As your noble teacher doesn’t own a Tambura he could not teach you how to tune it but, all the more, I extremely feel happy to know that he taught you Shruti-shuddham which helps you a lot later while tuning it. Very well, dear.

You wrote about another person also who had started learning music very late but managed to learn well. Very nice to hear that. Even though I prefer to teach only kids, finding his enthusiasm, I am also teaching to a person, Chi. Muthuravanan, of nearly 40 years from Cumbum, Theni District on Skype, and within five months, now, he is able to sing many of the intricate rhythmical Kalpana-svaras.

I very well know that there are many sincere and honest people on the globe and their sincerity and honesty only pays them properly. I always pray for them only but not for the deceitful music-teachers at all. amsharma

[msakella]

In continuation to my last post I would also like to add the following.

While you are very fortunate for having learnt four long years from such a noble teacher I had to learn Violin only for one year altogether in my life time in the span of four years that too from the most disgraceful and dishonest music-performers but not teachers at all. amsharma

[Shivadasan]

Dear Pattu,

I understand your zeal for music and Tanpura and sympathize with you for having been placed at a place where there are no musicians. I have myself had experienced such a situation.

There are many subtle factors involved, like the strings, the bridge the thread, the birudais etc. about which I would like to tell you in detail. If you contact me through my email [email protected] I can explain many of the intricacies and also help you out of many practical difficulties you might encounter and ensure that your efforts are successful.

By the way if you are placed in a very hot climate, beware of the extreme dry heat of summer which might damage the instrument.

Shivadasan

[varsha]

Pattu
You are a true gentleman . Your story is a moving one too . Gave me a twang like one of the stories of Shivram Karanth (in Kannada). The very fact that one is searching for shuddham in the midst of cacophony is proof that one is on the way to that elite zone . Please do contact Dr Kashyap Dave - who is a member here - but may not be visiting these pages . By north , I dont know how north you are . But if you are close to ahmedabad , a visit to his home is a must . He made me play - unbelievable as it seems - the sarangi on one great afternoon . If you are farther up though , skype should be handy .

[vasanthakokilam]

This is out of my own curiosity and not a challenge.

To those who can easily tell the difference in sound between a real tambura and the digital version of it: Can you also easily tell the difference between the sound of the real time playing of the tambura and a high fidelity recording of the same played from a portable device?

[Shivadasan]

It is very difficult to sense the difference between a high quality recording and the live Tanpura. But it may be possible to find out the difference between live tanpura and an electronic tanpura while hearing in close quarters. If the electronic tanpura is loaded with high quality recording of a tanpura it might be difficult to identify it.

[Shivadasan]

I wonder why people rate sruthi box as a lesser useful instrument than the tanpura. If the teaching is about adhering to the sruthi there no instrument better than a fine tuned sruthi box. Even in the sruthi box the training would be better if only Sa is used without Ma or Pa in the early stages for the student to help him understand what is sruthi suddham is all about. The vibrations of the string in tanpura is not so sweet as the fine tuned sruthi box. I have heard even gandhara in a high tuneful sruthi box.

In the way the tanpura is being handled by non specialists these days one requires a good amount of vidwat to sing in tune. But when you hear the jodi Miraj tanpuras of Kumar Gandharva in close quarters, you are transported to heavenly atmosphere and wish that music does not interfere with it. Same is the case with 4 tanpuras of Pt.Omkarnath Thakur. One factor for this is that the tanpuras were of the highest quality made by experts in Miraj. The other factor is they took adequate time to tune the tanpuras in a perfect manner. I was present on one occasion when Kumar Gandharva took almost 40 minutes to tune them. But once tuned, the atmosphere itself becomes divine. Sruthi box cannot stand before such a tanpura.

[Nick H]

Just curious: why should it take 40 minutes to tune four strings? It does not take 40 minutes to tune a violin. It doesn't even take 49 minutes to tune a sitar, with 18 (?).

I wish the tanpura could be given more chances. Why should it not be mic-ed, and the elecronic box turned off --- then we might have the opportunity to decide which we prefer.

[pattu]

Thanks all of you for your kind and encouraging words. I have started tuning the tambura and the results are encouraging. VKV and Shivadasan, I have emailed both of you.

[Shivadasan]

Dear Nick,

The reason why it should take 40 minutes to tune a tanpura can be understood only by a person who has some practice in tuning a tanpura, particularly twin tampuras. The perfectionist wants not only the accuracy of vibration, but also a high quality of sound from all the strings. Particularly tuning four Sa strings emanating from two different tanpuras to sound exactly the same is a very complicated proposition. They depend on various factors like differences in the tanpuras, differences in the strings, differences in the jiva string etc.. Not only that, if there is even small defect in the birudai etc the tension changes the moment its position is changed from horizontal to vertical or if the tanpura player user more force on the strings. That is why most musicians are satisfied with not such a perfect sound or avoid tanpura altogether. Great artists like Kumar Gandharva require that divinely quality of tanpura sruthi on which they depend for their inspiration. So they do not hesitate to give the time it needs. I hope it is clear now.

Shivadasan

[Nick H]

Thank you for your patient explanation, Shivadasan

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, vasanthakokilam, To tell the truth, the problem is the addiction to the ‘Real-tambura’ but not with the emanating sound.

The person, who was born and brought up in the vicinity of Kuvam-river in Chennai, naturally becomes addicted to that bad smell and wherever he goes he cannot even sleep without that foul smell but runs back to his home to sleep well.

In the same manner, while an electrical-fan is used to get sufficient air while sleeping, the person who becomes addicted to it cannot sleep without that even in winter even though he doesn’t need it in that season. Thus, most of our musicians have become immune of the dissonance of the sound emanated either by the Real-tambura or Electronic-tambura and are unable even to find the dissonance. If they are provided with the ‘Real-tambura’ they will become satisfied immensely and if they are provided with any other Shruti-instrument than the ‘Real-tambura’ they feel very unhappy and frown upon it. Here the case is of addiction to the ‘Real-tambura’ but not either dissonance or consonance of sound as they are unable even to locate it.

Recently a musician, who had acquired two Doctorates in music, happened to give a Lec-dem on music along with his Electronic-tambura of a very reputed brand. While all the people in the hall were enjoying his music well I was feeling very bad of the dissonance emanating from the Tambura. At the end, when I asked the musician whether he is able to locate the dissonance, he, most surprisingly, replied that there was no dissonance at all in his Tambura and praised that brand.

In the same manner, once even in the Music Academy, Chennai, while the ‘Real-tambura’ was predominantly emanating the upper-partial ‘Antara-gandhara’ the main-artist was very conveniently singing elaborate ‘Todi’ in his Lec-dem and all the audience, except me, are enjoying well nodding their heads and applauding joyfully. In the same manner, even in my Violin-accompaniment life, I have experienced umpteen incidents which obviously proved that our musicians are more bothered about using the ‘Real-tambura’ but unable even to feel the emanating dissonance. Even though I am also one among all our musicians I was very greatly benefited by following the School of Shri M.S.Gopalakrishnan and getting the true sense of music.

As our brother-member, Shivadasan, wrote I too wonder why people rate Shruthi-box as a lesser useful instrument than the Tambura. As he also wrote if the teaching is about adhering to the Shruthi there is no instrument better than a fine tuned Shruthi-box. While the fine tuned Shruti-box, in general, always emanates consonant sound only there is no such guarantee from the ‘Real-tambura’. Even though some finer affects of the ‘Real-tambura’ cannot be brought in electronic instruments, I feel that my Electronic-automatic-tambura-cum-shruthi-box (designed along with Tambura of three octaves and Shruthi-box with notes of Shadja, Sadharana-gandhara, Antara-gandhara, Shuddha-madhyama, Panchama, Shuddha-dhaivata & Chatusshruthi-dhaivata - all of both Madhya and Tara-sthayis each) which I have been using since more than 30 years is only the first of its kind on earth bringing out the Shruthi always with full consonance. Except in respect of some finer aspects, my Shruthi instrument is only the most reliable Shruthi instrument if the singer is sufficiently and efficiently knowledgeable to handle and utilise it properly. This may need only 1 or 2 minutes to tune it with perfect consonance but not more than that. amsharma

[pattu]

Thanks a lot all of you for such kind and encouraging words. I have started tuning my tambura and feel encouraged by the initial results. Of course got to nowhere near being perfect, but it is encouraging, nevertheless.

[Shivadasan]

Dear Pattu,

I had sent further details about tuning the tanpura to your email address. Unfortunately it has bounced back. I have sent it again today. Still, I thought I would post it in the thread so that you might be able to use it. It might be useful to some others who might need such hints

Shivadasan

Tuning the Tanpura - Hints

After fine tuning the strings, some times the pitch might increase or decrease on its own. For setting off this error, slightly increasing or decreasing the pitch by pressing or pulling the string does the work. If the pitch is slightly high, press the string or pull it out a little and release it and check up the pitch. It would have reduced a little.
Similarly if the pitch is low you can press the string at the place where they are tied up to the birudai. It will have the effect of increasing the pitch a little.
I assume that you have got the strings for your sruthi and that they suit your tanpura length. You can use the strings meant for lower srtutis, say, 1 kattai for tuning 2 kattais or more. But the strings will become very tight and fingers will have to apply extra pressure. Also the jiva string might even get cut when you try to move it for adjusting. The sound will be more, but it would be sharper.
If the correct strings are used the fingers will encounter a slight pressure but not much. The strings will be able to vibrate for a longer time.
If a string meant for higher sruthi is used for a low sruthi there will be literally no pressure on the fingers. Vibrations would be weak resulting in a weak sound.
You will be able to tune the tanpura more accurately if you listen to the sound by keeping your ears on the dandi of the tanpura.
First, tune the tanpura without jiva string and then only do the adjustment of the jiva string . The two strings of higher Sa should be tuned before the adjustment for jiva string, by striking them one after the other till they sound the same. Then they should be adjusted with the jiva string and again checked up whether they still sound the same.

Once it is tuned correctly, the way it is played counts very much. The index finger is to be used. The string should be slightly pressed and the finger should slide out of the string sideways in a soft manner, allowing it to vibrate. The uninitiated pluck the string strongly and add the plucking sound to the output. It will be tun, tun ,tun,tun. In the best method of playing the tanpura the plucking can never be heard. It will be a continuous tone going from one note to another.

One other reason for the plucking not being heard is the quality of adjustment of the jiva string. If you experiment with the tones produced at various places on the bridge you would notice that at one place the plucking will not be heard. The vibrations will start after you pluck the string. If you achieve it , it is the secret for continuous tone.
Another important factor is the timing of the plucking. The proportions of timing should be Pa – 4, Sa-2, Sa-2, Sa Lower 5 or 6.
If the jiva adjustment is successful the string would vibrate for a long time, particularly the lower Sa. Another secret of continuous tone is that a string should be plucked only when the vibrations of the earlier string is about to die, not before not later.

With regards,

Shivadasan

[Radhika-Rajnarayan]

The uninitiated pluck the string strongly and add the plucking sound to the output. It will be tun, tun ,tun,tun. In the best method of playing the tanpura the plucking can never be heard. It will be a continuous tone going from one note to another.

Indeed, the essence of tambura plucking is in the way the strings are caressed, not 'plucked'. The late Ustad Vilayat Khan Saheb once told Raj Narayan when he consulted him about the quality of sound to be generated in the electronic tambura :
((harshly 'plucking' on Rajnarayan's forearm)"aise naheen tanpure ke taar ko chhedte hain" -
(then softly caressing Rajnarayan's forearm) "aise chhedte hain"
That was truly an unforgettable experience for him.
Another time, we showed 2 tamburas to Vidushi Smt Lalgudi Rajalakshmi - one that had the smooth plucking, and another with distinct plucking (which many of our customers had asked for). We played them in another room, so she could make an unbiased judgement. The second tambura with the distinct pluck, she made a non-committal polite 'nanna irukku' comment . But the moment we switched on the smooth plucking one, she immediately said "Idhu dhaan nija tambura sruti. Enakku AIR-la varusha kanakku-la tambura naadham kettu vazhakkam, nanna theriyum. Idhudaan sari".

One other reason for the plucking not being heard is the quality of adjustment of the jiva string. If you experiment with the tones produced at various places on the bridge you would notice that at one place the plucking will not be heard. The vibrations will start after you pluck the string. If you achieve it , it is the secret for continuous tone.

Once, many years ago, Pt Ravi Shankar was staying at a hotel in Bangalore and had asked Rajnarayan to visit him there with the electronic tambura. When he reached there, he found a disciple struggling with an acoustic tambura, which had decided to be moody that day. Rajnarayan reached there, and Panditji said 'can you help him with the tanpura?' He managed to coax the instrument by adjusting the jeeva thread and the fine tuning beads. Panditji was so pleased, he said 'you have an excellent ear. Now strum the tanpura for me while I practise' - and treated him to an hour of blissful music.
A well-tuned tambura, acoustic or electronic, can transport the musician to bliss just listening to it.

[Radhika-Rajnarayan]

Another point - from my teachers - the hand that plucks the strings should have all the fingers close together 'in the shape of a lotus bud', vertical at a slight angle, and then the plucking should be : panchamam string with the ring finger, Saarani and anusaarani (the 2 Sa notes) with the middle finger and the mandaram with the forefinger, all the time maintaining the position of the hand. Spreading out the fingers or placing the hand horizontally with respect to the strings, tends to result in the harsh pluck like a veena.

[varsha]

it was nice to see you describe the electronic veena on dd bharathi yesterday . lovely program .

[Radhika-Rajnarayan]

Huh? Didn't know about the telecast. So typically DD! Probably you saw my description of the Digital veena? There is a difference.

This was recorded by the late N S Srinivasan a few years ago, as part of an exhaustive research project on Indian musical instruments.

[thenpaanan]

It is very difficult to sense the difference between a high quality recording and the live Tanpura. But it may be possible to find out the difference between live tanpura and an electronic tanpura while hearing in close quarters. If the electronic tanpura is loaded with high quality recording of a tanpura it might be difficult to identify it.

This is true in the case of recorded music or music heard from a distance. One cannot tell the difference between a tanpura and its recording or a high quality electronic simulation.

But if you are in the physical proximity of an acoustic tanpura, especially the large North Indian models, the difference is palpable. The reason is that the vibration of the tanpura can be felt through the air if you are close enough. Perhaps a technical way of saying that is that a good tanpura vibrates in subsonic frequencies as well and these low frequencies cannot be heard by the ear (hence "subsonic") but can be felt by the body (some of these frequencies come across as a rumbling). If there are two tanpuras in tune and correctly placed, the effect is magnified more than double. One may argue that there is nothing musical about this effect (since it cannot be heard by the ear) and I would agree. Nonetheless I find the effect very soothing and tend to hug a well-tuned tanpura every chance I get.

-Thenpaanan

[thenpaanan]

This is out of my own curiosity and not a challenge.

To those who can easily tell the difference in sound between a real tambura and the digital version of it: Can you also easily tell the difference between the sound of the real time playing of the tambura and a high fidelity recording of the same played from a portable device?

Note the tautology in your question: to tell the difference between a real (meaning acoustic presumably) tambura and a "high fidelity" electronic recording would mean the recording does not have adequate fidelity, would it not?

Not to bust your chops, my answer to your question is "no." But the difference is not in sound but in aura.

-Thenpaanan

[vasanthakokilam]

Thenpaanan, I did not know about that subsonic vibrations. I will have to check it out and experience it.

On the tautology you mention, yes, taken to the limit that is true I am really curious about that within practical limitations.
A high fidelity recording that can be played in a good portable audio player ( not custom made, not too expensive , say < $200 etc.). There is some loss in such recordings due to transduction at the minimum and some lossy encoding. And, the recreation of the stereo sound from any player is not exactly same as the sound emanating live from the tampura. Also, some audiophiles seems to imply that there is some 'warmth' missing in any digital recording. Given all these differences and more, I am curious if they really matter or not, when it comes to tampura sound. I thought may be those with good ears can tell. If they can tell the difference, there may be something we should be able to do to narrow the difference even further, given the fixed frequencies and well known timbre of the tampura sound.

.

[Nick H]

I don't think I have ever seen any hi-fidelity equipment in a carnatic concert hall, including, unfortunately, the hall's own sound system.

An iPod-or-similar plugged/docked into a small, portable speaker? I can accept all sorts of praise, such as, incredible for its size; astonishing compared to similar sized products of a few years ago; even adequate for the job; but high fidelity? No.

To satisfy an "audiophile," I'm afraid that the recording will have to be on vinyl, and played back through tube (valve) amplifiers. We can safely disregard "audiophiles" with a shrug of sadness that the word no longer means lover of sound but implies all kinds of nonsense. Confession: I'm a regular contributor to a hifi forum too! :$

I have just one experience of a tambura. It must have been about 1975, and it was in the flat of a London friend who had travelled to India and learnt music here. I sat, held it against the side of my head and strummed it. I was immediately transported into a deep, rich texture of rhythms which I felt with my whole body. It was such an experience that I did not want to put it down --- but I was only to feel it for a minute or two. I guess it was one of the big HM tamburas. How wonderful it must be to experience that and to be able to produce music with one's own voice, blending into that vibration.

[vasanthakokilam]

Thenpaanan, Nick: You two make me want to rush out and hug a tampura! On the next chance I get, I will do just that.

[Shivadasan]

Hearing a well tuned tanpura from a distance is one thing and hearing it with your ears pressed on the tanpura is another thing. You hear innumerable variety of sounds which are not normally heard . If the tuning is perfect it takes you into a meditative state and you would not like to come out of it.

[arvind]

Dear Paatu,

Thanks for your post....very nice to know that you have purchased a real Tanpura. You may be interested to know that I have just released a new iPhone / iPad / iPodTouch app (see www.RealTanpura.com) which has real stereo recordings of a physical Tanpura at different shruthis recorded professionally in a studio - so you can get the full richness of sound of a real tanpura unlike the many electronic tanpuras which produce sounds electronically using mathematical or synthetic algorithms.

There are many ways to tune the tanpura - please see the WikiPedia article on how to tune tanpuras for lots of detailed information. Also, if you download the RealTanpura app (go to www.RealTanpura.com), you can set the pluck speed to "Slow", and then you can hear the shruthis of each of the strings of the Tanpura, and use that as a guide to tune your physical tanpura.

Good luck! And Congratulations on choosing to get a real Tanpura!

Regards,
Arvind.