I would like to know, from other advanced learners and teachers, about the possible substitutes for a manual tanpura. Would it be an electronic sruthi instrument like radel or would a cd recording of a tanpura be better for music practice? Also, how close must the tanpura/ sruthi box be. Is it ok to have it very close to the ear. This is because if it is a bit far( say a foot), I cannot hear it all that well in the upper reaches.
Thanks in advance,
Shibi
Best substitute for tanpura
-
msakella
- Posts: 2127
- Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16
Re: Best substitute for tanpura
Dear brother-member, shibi, On 17-10-2006, under the thread ‘Most reliable Shruti-instrument’ I have posted some information somewhere else in these columns. But, as it is very difficult now to search for it, I have searched for it in my records, found and re-posted it now with some slight modifications for your information.
To make their concert-music more mellifluous all the musicians should regularly use this kind of reliable electronic automatic Tambura not only in their concerts but in their daily practice also which inspires and encourages the artist to sing or play well IN Shruti but not WITH Shruti.
As you all know the traditional Tambura consists of 1 mandra-panchama, 2 madhya-shadjas and 1 mandra-shadja, which means you must become satisfied to sing along with only two notes, Shadja and Panchama but with Shadja of 2 octaves, mandra and madhya-sthayis. Moreover, in our Tambura this Mandra-shadja always emanates the upper-partial, Antara-gandhara of which our Karanata-music-artistes have become immune and do not feel impenitent to sing Ragas having Sadhara-gandhara. In the same manner many of our artistes, even without feeling the dissonancy of notes, very happily sing Panchama-varja-ragas even with Panchama in the Tambura.
Using our conventional Tambura having only two notes, Shadja and Panchama, is just like having our meal with only two items and becoming content with them. But, in which way we wish to have more number of items in our meal to make it more delicious and enjoyable we should always make our music more mellifluous and enjoyable by adding more relevant notes of the Raga to be sung to our Shruti. Having considered this aspect I have experimented upon the mixture of these notes in our Shruti.and succeeded. The details are as follows.
Until the introduction of the electronic Tambura in the recent past we are compelled to become dependents upon this traditional Tambura only which produces only two notes, i.e., Shadja and Panchama as mentioned above.. Nowadays, as these electronic Tamburas are very easy to carry, doesn’t need a player or thread (jeevaali) at all, can be tuned automatically to any Shruti within a few seconds, there will not, generally, be any fluctuation in Shriti, can be changed to any Shruti within a few seconds etc., etc., many artists have been preferring to switch over to this electronic Tambura. Nowadays, no fool goes by foot to Varanasi when there are umpteen modes of journey to quicken the process of journey considerably. Thus, according to the necessity, now, umpteen varieties of electronic Tamburas are also available in the market but creating confusion to the artists in respect of its selection and many artists are preferring to have a natural sound of the Tambura . But, to my surprise, irrespective of the cost, I did not find even a single Tambura carrying natural sound devoid of any dissonant affect of notes. In some Tamburas this dissonance is so minute that even many of the artists are unable to trace it but after its purchase they are turning a volte-face if some sensitive artist points out the dissonance. So, to overcome all these problems, I have designed a more reliable electronic automatic Tambura and been using it since last more than 20 years. To whomsoever I have introduced this instrument, they all, having become addicted to this instrument, are refusing to sing along with any other Shruti instrument. Along with other electronic musical instruments like Metronomes, Tamburas and Shruti-boxes, this instrument is also produced by one of my disciples who is also a Diploma holder in Karnataka-violin. His name is Mr Paul Sudhakar and he is available on telephone number 040-27730012 & 9848283388. Now, I shall define this instrument.
This instrument is an electronic-automatic-tambura. If we tune only one note as Adhara-
Shadja all the other remaining notes of it will become tuned automatically. Tamburas of 3 octaves i.e., mandra, madhya and tara-sthayis are provided in the Tambura-section of this instrument. In addition to the usual notes of mandra-panchama, 2 madhya-shadjas and madra-shadja like in the manual Tambura, each Tambura of each of the 3 Sthayis is provided with shuddha-madhyama and upper-shadja also. Each one of these 3 Tamburas can be used either with Panchama or with Madhyama or without both Panchama and Madhyama and with all Shadjas. More over these 3 Tamburas can also be used either independently or simultaneously as per the need and choice of the user. In this instrument, apart from this Tambura-section, there is another second section of drone of harmonium-reeds also. In this second section two octaves i.e., madhya and tara-sthayis, each of Shadjas, Antara-gandharas, Shuddha-madhyamas, Panchamas and Chatusshruti-dhaivatas are also available, all to be used either independently or simultaneously as per the need and choice of the user.
There is no exaggeration if I tell that unless the user of this instrument have the requisite knowledge in operating both the sections of it his singing will un-doubtedly become chaotic with the operation of dissonant notes.
This instrument has to be tuned basing upon the notes of the Raga to be sung. At the first instance, before tuning it, it is very important to know the details of the inter-relation of notes. Panchama and Madhyama should never be put on simultaneously and in the same manner Madhyama and Antara-gandhara also should never be put on simultaneously. Shadja, Panchama and Antara-gandhara is a very nice combination to be put on while singing Ragas consisting Antara-gandhara i.e., Mohana or Kalyani or Shankarabharana etc. For the Ragas having Sadharana-gandhara it is better to avoid the mandra-sthayi-tambura as the mandra-sthayi-shadja always emanates the upper-partial i.e., Svayambhoo-svara, Antara-gandhara and to have madhya-shadja or tara-shadja as the upper-partials tend to disappear in the upper octaves. For Panchama-varja-ragas Panchama must be avoided. For Ragas like Shreeranjani or Bageshree the mandra-sthayi-tambura should, at first, be put off and, in both sections, Shuddha-madhyama should be put on along with Chatusshruti-dhaivata according to the taste of the user. For the Raga Hamsanandi, Antara-gandhara and Chatusshruti-dhaivata should be put on avoiding Panchama.. This is just like preparing the items of the meal according to the taste of the individual. This instrument, costs $60/- each (Packing and mailing charges extra) and is the only one of its kind. This is manufactured only by placing an order. (some time back when I have demonstrated this instrument in the presence of Sangita Kalanidhi Dr.Shripada Pinakapani, he exclaimed it and suggested to demonstrate it in the Music Academy, Chennai. Later, on his initiation, when I have demonstrated it in the Music Academy our South-Indian-conservatives could not relish it well as many of them are not that sensitive of the mixture of notes in Shruti-instruments). amsharma
To make their concert-music more mellifluous all the musicians should regularly use this kind of reliable electronic automatic Tambura not only in their concerts but in their daily practice also which inspires and encourages the artist to sing or play well IN Shruti but not WITH Shruti.
As you all know the traditional Tambura consists of 1 mandra-panchama, 2 madhya-shadjas and 1 mandra-shadja, which means you must become satisfied to sing along with only two notes, Shadja and Panchama but with Shadja of 2 octaves, mandra and madhya-sthayis. Moreover, in our Tambura this Mandra-shadja always emanates the upper-partial, Antara-gandhara of which our Karanata-music-artistes have become immune and do not feel impenitent to sing Ragas having Sadhara-gandhara. In the same manner many of our artistes, even without feeling the dissonancy of notes, very happily sing Panchama-varja-ragas even with Panchama in the Tambura.
Using our conventional Tambura having only two notes, Shadja and Panchama, is just like having our meal with only two items and becoming content with them. But, in which way we wish to have more number of items in our meal to make it more delicious and enjoyable we should always make our music more mellifluous and enjoyable by adding more relevant notes of the Raga to be sung to our Shruti. Having considered this aspect I have experimented upon the mixture of these notes in our Shruti.and succeeded. The details are as follows.
Until the introduction of the electronic Tambura in the recent past we are compelled to become dependents upon this traditional Tambura only which produces only two notes, i.e., Shadja and Panchama as mentioned above.. Nowadays, as these electronic Tamburas are very easy to carry, doesn’t need a player or thread (jeevaali) at all, can be tuned automatically to any Shruti within a few seconds, there will not, generally, be any fluctuation in Shriti, can be changed to any Shruti within a few seconds etc., etc., many artists have been preferring to switch over to this electronic Tambura. Nowadays, no fool goes by foot to Varanasi when there are umpteen modes of journey to quicken the process of journey considerably. Thus, according to the necessity, now, umpteen varieties of electronic Tamburas are also available in the market but creating confusion to the artists in respect of its selection and many artists are preferring to have a natural sound of the Tambura . But, to my surprise, irrespective of the cost, I did not find even a single Tambura carrying natural sound devoid of any dissonant affect of notes. In some Tamburas this dissonance is so minute that even many of the artists are unable to trace it but after its purchase they are turning a volte-face if some sensitive artist points out the dissonance. So, to overcome all these problems, I have designed a more reliable electronic automatic Tambura and been using it since last more than 20 years. To whomsoever I have introduced this instrument, they all, having become addicted to this instrument, are refusing to sing along with any other Shruti instrument. Along with other electronic musical instruments like Metronomes, Tamburas and Shruti-boxes, this instrument is also produced by one of my disciples who is also a Diploma holder in Karnataka-violin. His name is Mr Paul Sudhakar and he is available on telephone number 040-27730012 & 9848283388. Now, I shall define this instrument.
This instrument is an electronic-automatic-tambura. If we tune only one note as Adhara-
Shadja all the other remaining notes of it will become tuned automatically. Tamburas of 3 octaves i.e., mandra, madhya and tara-sthayis are provided in the Tambura-section of this instrument. In addition to the usual notes of mandra-panchama, 2 madhya-shadjas and madra-shadja like in the manual Tambura, each Tambura of each of the 3 Sthayis is provided with shuddha-madhyama and upper-shadja also. Each one of these 3 Tamburas can be used either with Panchama or with Madhyama or without both Panchama and Madhyama and with all Shadjas. More over these 3 Tamburas can also be used either independently or simultaneously as per the need and choice of the user. In this instrument, apart from this Tambura-section, there is another second section of drone of harmonium-reeds also. In this second section two octaves i.e., madhya and tara-sthayis, each of Shadjas, Antara-gandharas, Shuddha-madhyamas, Panchamas and Chatusshruti-dhaivatas are also available, all to be used either independently or simultaneously as per the need and choice of the user.
There is no exaggeration if I tell that unless the user of this instrument have the requisite knowledge in operating both the sections of it his singing will un-doubtedly become chaotic with the operation of dissonant notes.
This instrument has to be tuned basing upon the notes of the Raga to be sung. At the first instance, before tuning it, it is very important to know the details of the inter-relation of notes. Panchama and Madhyama should never be put on simultaneously and in the same manner Madhyama and Antara-gandhara also should never be put on simultaneously. Shadja, Panchama and Antara-gandhara is a very nice combination to be put on while singing Ragas consisting Antara-gandhara i.e., Mohana or Kalyani or Shankarabharana etc. For the Ragas having Sadharana-gandhara it is better to avoid the mandra-sthayi-tambura as the mandra-sthayi-shadja always emanates the upper-partial i.e., Svayambhoo-svara, Antara-gandhara and to have madhya-shadja or tara-shadja as the upper-partials tend to disappear in the upper octaves. For Panchama-varja-ragas Panchama must be avoided. For Ragas like Shreeranjani or Bageshree the mandra-sthayi-tambura should, at first, be put off and, in both sections, Shuddha-madhyama should be put on along with Chatusshruti-dhaivata according to the taste of the user. For the Raga Hamsanandi, Antara-gandhara and Chatusshruti-dhaivata should be put on avoiding Panchama.. This is just like preparing the items of the meal according to the taste of the individual. This instrument, costs $60/- each (Packing and mailing charges extra) and is the only one of its kind. This is manufactured only by placing an order. (some time back when I have demonstrated this instrument in the presence of Sangita Kalanidhi Dr.Shripada Pinakapani, he exclaimed it and suggested to demonstrate it in the Music Academy, Chennai. Later, on his initiation, when I have demonstrated it in the Music Academy our South-Indian-conservatives could not relish it well as many of them are not that sensitive of the mixture of notes in Shruti-instruments). amsharma