Shruti instruments

srikant1987 · Post by **srikant1987** » 18 Jan 2009, 20:56

This was something I've been thinking about, but the new thread by Preposterous reminded me to post about it.

Since every concert needs (an electronic shruti box and) a tambura, why can't sabhas keep one each of these, along with sound systems? I am not that sure about the tambura ... any artists here may please say if they would be happier to strum their own tambura instead, even if they need to carry it all the way to the concert hall.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 18 Jan 2009, 21:25

A good idea. But what if in some cases they turn out to be sub-standard as the sound system?!

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 18 Jan 2009, 23:34

Very likely true, especially with the tambura.

An electronic box can be expected to be more or less constant; a stringed instrument will depend on having proper care and attention. I'm sure Martin, who shared a lot of tampura lore with us a while back, would be horrified by the idea of a communal instrument, left in the corner with the brooms and mic stands between concerts.

mri_fan · Post by **mri_fan** » 19 Jan 2009, 09:04

Just some things to consider;

Even with electronic thamburas, there are slight differences in sruthis

Musicians may also feel more comfortable using whatever thambura they practice with, because there are variations in the drone timing between different brands.

Also, not all musicians sing at exactly 5,or 3, or 1, etc...some will be just a tad higher than 1, and will want to make sure that they use their own box which they'll be confident is at the exact pitch they want.

There is also a superstition (probably believed by the older generations), that switching a thambura is a sign of bad luck to come, and will therefore resist such a change.

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 19 Jan 2009, 09:15

cameo · Post by **cameo** » 19 Jan 2009, 09:25

Is'nt, both tambura and sruthi box serving the same purpose.. then why both are used together in concerts ??

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 19 Jan 2009, 09:54

The same as adding a khanjirA, ghaTam or mOrsing to the mrudangam sound?
By the way, I like to call it 'mOrsing'--the instrument DOES sing when someone like Rajashekhar plays it. We have wondered before on the forum: what is the correct way to spell it?

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 20 Jan 2009, 01:10

M-o-r-s-i-n-g, as far as I know --- but since when did I know much about Indian language?

There are those who like to render it approaching Moohorseing --- perhaps they consider it better suited to the farmyard? some people do not like the instrument!

I understand that our Rajasthani cousins call it the morchang, and that does have more onomatopoeia perhaps.

Dr John Marr, In London (Probably one of the few end-of-concert speech makers who can actually say, "I haven't heard that song since 1938," and go on to describe the artist, the accompaniment and all) told me once that the word came from (err.. I think he said...) Afghanistan.

Hmmm... I bet one of our learned forumites knows!