The tanpura (; also referred to as tambura, tanpuri, tamboura, or tanpoura) is a long-necked, plucked, four-stringed instrument originating in the Indian subcontinent, found in various forms in Indian music. Visually, the tanpura resembles a simplified sitar or similar lute-like instrument, and is likewise crafted out of a gourd or pumpkin.
The tanpura is not used to play a melody, but to support and sustain the performance of another musician or vocalist, as well as musicians accompanying a dance performance. One of the three strings tuned to the tonic is thus an octave below the others, adding greater resonance and depth to the ambient drone.
History
thumb|A woman playing the tanpura, ca. 1735
The Tanpura (or in ancient times called the Tumburu Vina) dates back to approximately 300 B.C. The roots of the instrument are apparent in the Nāṭyaśāstra by Bharata Muni (~200 BCE–200 CE), where drone-based accompaniment is described (though not named Tanpura). also from the Indian subcontinent. Early Mughal paintings during this time illustrated scenes of a tambur player.
Additional evidence of the instrument was seen from the middle of the 17th century. Some portrayals showed a completely wooden, fretless tanpura (Tanjore style), and others shown as a wooden tanpura with a gourd (tumba). These illustrations revealed many different varieties of the instrument.
Tanpuras form the root of the ensemble and indeed of the music itself, as the tanpura creates an acoustic dynamic reference chord from which the ragas (melodic modes) are anchored. is regarded as the finest producers of tanpuras in the world. The family has been making tanpuras for over seven generations from 1850. The signature of the Miraj tanpura is the shell of a bottle gourd that is used for the body of the tanpura. This gourd is specifically grown for the purpose of instrument making and must be hung and dried for one year. The other components of the instrument are carved from wood. The entire process to construct one tanpura takes approximately three weeks.
Construction
The body shape of the tanpura somewhat resembles that of the sitar, but it has no frets – as the strings are always plucked at their full lengths. The Tanpura is different from other string instruments as it does not have any frets or a fretboard. After polishing the instrument using gum copal (a natural resin), the instrument is strung and finely tuned. When the string is plucked, it has a large amplitude. As the energy of the string's movement gradually diminishes, the contact point of the string with the bridge slowly creeps up the slope of the bridge. Depending on scale, tension and pitch, this can take between three and ten seconds. The acoustics of the room where the instrument is being played can also affect the resonance of the sound. According to this principle, tanpuras are attentively tuned to achieve a particular tonal shade relative to the tonal characteristics of the raga. These more delicate aspects of tuning are directly related to what Indian musicians call raga Svaroop, which is about how characteristic intonations are important defining aspects of a particular raga.
Sizes and tunings
Tanpuras come in different sizes and pitches: larger "males", smaller "females" for vocalists.
Male vocalists use the biggest instruments and pitch their tonic note (Sa), often at D, C or lower, some go down to B-flat; female singers usually a fifth higher, though these tonic notes may vary according to the preference of the singer, as there is no absolute and fixed pitch-reference in the Indian Classical music systems. A female singer may take her 'sa' at F, another at A. With a five-string instrument, the seventh or NI (major or minor 7th) can be added: PA-NI-sa-sa-SA (5-7-8-8-1)or MA-NI-sa-sa-SA (4-7-8-8-1). Both minor and major 7th harmonics are clearly distinguishable in the harmonic texture of the overall sound, so when the Ni - strings are tuned into these harmonics, the resultant sound will be perfectly harmonious.
Others argue electronic versions fail to emulate subtle imperfections and resonance of a traditional tanpura. Additionally, electronic versions have reduced opportunities for students to accompany their gurus (teachers) in performance or concert settings. This tradition is a long-standing practice in the gurukula system in music.