Hindustani Music Instruments

Tambura

• Drone Instrument

• Four-stringed lute

• long unfretted neck with 4 or 5 strings

• tuned to the tonic (sa) or dominant (pa)

• Plucked

Tabla

• Percussion instrument

• Pair of drums of higher + lower pitch

• Dayan = higher pitch

• Bayan = lower pitch

• Players learn different sounds + strokes by reciting drum syllables - bols

• Drumheads made of goatskin with circle of black tuning paste

• hit drums - different places on drum produce different sound

Sitar

• Melody instrument

• Long-necked lute like instrument

• usually 17 strings

• moveable metal frets

• 3-4 playing strings

• 3-4 drone strings

• rest are ‘sympathetic strings’ - not played but vibrate in sympathy

• Plucked with plectrum

Sarod

• Melody instrument

• Fretless fingerboard covered with metal sheet - much easier to play glissandi than on sitar

• 4-5 playing strings

• 4 drone strings

• about 15 sympathetic strings

• plucked with plectrum

Sarangi

• Melody instrument

• Fretless, bowed lute. Held vertically with instrument resting in lap

• 3 playing strings

• 1 drone string

• up to 40 sympathetic strings

• more sustained sound with softer start

• played with bow

Bansuri

• Melody instrument

• Bamboo flute

• 6/7 finger holes

• No keys- players have to learn complicated fingerings covering whole and half holes to play microtones and slides

• blow air into it