Krsna Kirtana Songs est. 2001                                                                                                                                                      www.kksongs.org

Hypertext on Indian Instruments

RUDRA VINA

 

The rudra vina is the most ancient stringed instrument in India. From ancient painting from the Vedic time period, there were pictures of the rudra vina. Narada Muni was known to play the rudra vina. The demigoddess of the arts, Sarasvati Devi, played a special type of vina, called the Sarasvati Vina, commonly heard in South India, today. By tradition, in gurukula studies, the rudra vina was taught. The rudra vina was very famous in dhrupad music. However, due to the decline in popularity of dhrupad music, the popularity of the rudra vina started to decline. The more direct reason for its decline is due to the presence of more modern stringed instruments such as sitar, sarod, and sarangi, to name a few.

 

The rudra vina is a large fretted zither with two large gourds connected by a bamboo neck. There are usually six or seven main playing strings, and no sympathetic strings. The rudra vina, today, is almost near extinction.

 

TANPURA

 

The most ancient sound next to the vina, is the tanpura. Tanpura is felt as the origin of sounds. The tanpura is a drone instrument, consisting of a gourd resonating body with a wooden neck. There are four strings, although more expensive tanpuras may contain anywhere from five or seven strings. For a typical four string tanpura, the final three strings are tuned to the tonic or "sa." The first string is usually tuned to the fifth of the lower octave or "pa." In some ragas, which lack the fifth, the first string might have to be tuned to natural fourth or "shuddha ma." In evening ragas, the first string may be tuned to natural seventh or "shuddha ni." Please visit my page on tanpuras for more information.

 

SITAR

 

The sitar is by far the most predominant instrument heard in international music. The sitar is said to have evolved from the rudra vina. Many musicians assume that the sitar was derived from a Persian instrument called the setar. Some will even consider the sitar as a cross from the setar and the rudra vina. The sitar's popularity greatly increased when Pandit Ravi Shankar brought the sitar to the West in the 1950s and 1960s. George Harrison learned how to play sitar from him and S.D. Batish. Since then, the sitar has become the instrument of fascination for all music lovers.

 

The sitar has seven main playing strings and thirteen sympathetic strings tuned to the raga. Usually, sitars have one big resonanating gourd, although it is not uncommon to find another smaller gourd near the top of the wooden neck. The neck has many moveable frets which are changed in position according to the raga. Sitar is an instrument about clarity and beauty. It is said that it takes "20 years to learn, 20 years to appreciate, and 20 years to teach."

 

Now, a bass sitar, called surbahar, is also used, although not as popular.

 

SAROD

Another commonly heard instrument is the sarod. Sarod is not as popular as the sitar, although sarod is very much alive as the sitar. Some will even argue that there is more sweetness in the sarod than the sitar. The origin of the sarod is assumed to have come from the Afghani instrument called the rabab. With great modification of the rabab, the sarod has finally evolved.

 

The sarod, unlike sitar, is made of a wooden resonanting body covered with goat skin. There are four or five main playing strings with thirteen sympathetic strings tuned to the raga. Unlike the vina or the sitar, this instrument is not fretted. This allows much ornamentation in Indian music to take place, such as complex glissandos or "meends", and nice long pitch bends.

 

SARANGI

 

There is a saying that nothing can be learned or felt without struggle and pain. This statement is very true for the sarangi. The name "sarangi" is derived from the word "sau rangi" which means "one-hundred colors." In fact, this instrument is often nicknamed the "Instrument of One-hundred colors." This is the only instrument that is made to create the emotions and to some extent replicate the sounds of a human. For this reason, it is tradition to use sarangi to accompany the artist. It wasn't until the 20th century where sarangi grew into a solo instrument.

 

The sarangi is a bowed instrument. The bow is much heavier than a cello bow, and is made of horse-hair. The body resembles sarod with an entire fretless body of tun wood, with goat skin on the resonating body. There are four main playing strings made of gut, and nearly thirty or forty sympathetic strings that resonante to create a haunting mood. Unlike any string instrument, it is the finger nails that control the pitch. The complexities of this instrument and the introduction of the harmonium made sarangi one of the most difficult instruments to play. In fact, its period of decline is beginning to start. Purists are keeping sarangi, as harmonium cannot do justice in imitating the emotions and sounds of the human voice.

 

ESRAJ/DILRUBA

 

Since the sarangi has become very difficult, many musicians tackle the esraj. The esraj is a cross between a sarangi and sitar. It's fingerboard looks exactly like a sitar's, while the resonating body and bowing techniques is that of a sarangi's. The fret's allow the musician to know exactly where the notes are in relation to another. Unlike sarangi, the esraj allows the use of fingers, instead of nails. Amazingly, the esraj can replicate the sound of the sarangi pretty well. Esraj tends to have a slightly "violin-like" sound.

 

Esraj is very popular in Bengal, while its sister, the dilruba with a bigger resonating body, is found in Punjab. Please click here for my realizations with the esraj.

 

VIOLIN

 

The violin is a western instrument in origin, although it is used in South Indian classical. The construction is exactly the same, although the posture and techniques in playing is very different. The fingerboard points toward the ground, and the bigger end is on the chin.

 

SANTOOR

 

The santoor is actually a Persian instrument. Despite its distant origin, the santoor has created a home in Indian classical music. The santoor has a wooden horizontal rectangular body containing nearly forty strings. Each string is hammered to produce a tone. This instrument is very difficult as there are many strings with differently tunings. Great dexterity is required to play this instrument.

 

BANSURI

 

The bansuri is perhaps the most recognized instrument as well as the msot ancient woodwind instrument. This instrument is mostly identified with Lord Krsna, who plays the bansuri known as "murali." The bansuri is essentially a bamboo flute with seven holes. Filling the holes partially or fully creates changes in pitch. The flute is played horizontally. Its cousin, the venu, is played in South India. During concerts, as this is a blown instrument, it is not uncommon having an extra flute player keeping the drone.

 

SHEHNAI

 

It is one of the most auspicious instruments of all. Srila Prabhupada said that listening to the shehnai in the morning is a very auspicious omen. The shehnai is essentially an oboe with a double reed. Shehnai is usually accompanied with another shehnai player who keeps the drone. Unlike any instrument, shehnai, is accompanied with a non-classical pair of drums called the nagara. Its cousin in South India, known as nagaswaram, sounds pretty close to the shehnai.

 

HARMONIUM/SRUTI-PETI

 

Ever since British rule, the harmonium was brought to India. The original harmonium was designed like a typical organ, where you sit above the ground, and play with both hands. This allowed chords and more intracies. However, the harmonium was evolved to a small, portable reed organ. The draw-backs of the harmonium was the inability to play with both-hands, as one hand is required to pump air into the organ. However, since Indian music frowns on chords, this limitation was no problem. Since then, musicians started relying on keyboarded harmoniums more and sarangis less. Some musicians dislike the harmonium because it cannot allow "gamaks" or producing microtones. In addition, the harmonium is tuned to the equally tempered Western scale. A common result is that excessive harmonium players tend to go "besura" on Indian based compositions. Nevertheless, harmonium has become very popular as an accompanying instrument due to its simplicity. It is used virtually everywhere except classical music and South India.

 

Sruti-peti was derived from the harmonium to replace the tanpura. The function of sruti-peti is drone, not melody. With someone is pumping air into the small organ, the "sa" of the raga is already emphasized. This prevents the carrying and using a large and fragile tanpura. However, sruti-peti has strong limitations. For instance, you can only emphasize the "sa." You cannot emphasize secondary or tertiary drones. Also, sruti-petis prevent transpose, while tanpuras have that functionality. As sruti-petis are relatively inexpensive, musicians rely on sruti-petis for cost-efficiency.

 

MRIDANGA (ANCIENT)

 

This is the most ancient drum of all drums. Mridanga literally means "clay body." The original mridanga dated to the Vedic period. From Vedic paintings, it’s told that the original mridanga appeared as a barrel shapped drum with thick heads. The original mridanga, is however, extinct. The only "fossils" of the original ancient mridanga are the "bols" or mnemonic strokes are found in Indian classical dances today.

 

Now, the term mridanga refers to a general class of barrel drum.

 

TABLA

 

Tabla is the most popular pair of drums in India. The origin of the tabla is assumed to have come from cutting a pakhawaj into two. Some will argue that the tabla had a Persian origin from the pair of drums called the nebla.

 

The tabla is one of the most important instruments in Indian music. The tabla is a pair of two drums. The smaller wooden drum is known as the daya, which is tuned to the tonic of the raga. The larger nickel drum is known as the baya, which is tuned to the fifth of the raga. Both heads are made of complex layers of goat skin with an iron black region known as the syahi. The syahi is what gives the tabla its distinct melodious sound, its control, and tonal quality.

 

The tabla has a special place in Indian music, because every musician, regardless if they are dancers, singers, or instrumentalists, must know tabla. Their dance, song, or instrumental pieces will go to waste if they do not know the basics of tabla. Tabla, originally, was an accompanying instrument. Ever since late Ustad Allarakha came to the West in the 1960s, tabla was not only greatly popularized, but it earned a title as a solo instrument.

 

PAKHAWAJ

 

The pakhawaj is said to the direct descendent of the ancient mridanga, as well as the direct ancestor of the tabla. The pakhawaj is a wooden barrel shaped drum with a very deep and bass sound. The smaller head, daya has a thicker head than that of the tabla. The bigger bass head, the baya, requires a temporary application of atta flour and water.

 

Pakhawaj was very popular with dhrupad, kheyal, and old classical styles of singing and dancing. Due to the near-extinction of those styles, the pakhawaj is starting to lose its popularity. However, its close relationship with the tabla keeps it alive. The pakhawaj has its brother in South India, which is known as "mridangam." This is made of jackwood, and the heads are much thicker and has a slightly different tone.

 

KHOL

 

This is by far, the most popular drum in our movement. The khol, also known as mridanga, has a clay body with greater girth. The smaller head, the daya, has a head size of three inches in diameter, tuned to the "ma" or "pa", rarely "sa" of the raga. The bigger head, the baya, has a diameter around nine inches tuned to the low tonic. The overall sound of this drum is very high pitched than the typical tabla or pakhawaj. Both heads are made of goat skin with iron syahi. The khol is commonly used in bhajan and kirtan, especially amongst the Gaudiya Vaishnavas and Bengali musicians.

 

Ever since Srila Prabhupada introduced the khol to ISKCON, and ever since the temples started growing, the khols have diverged into four different styles. The first is having a fiberglass body with skin heads. The second style is using brass body with skin heads. The third style was invented by Isan Das, who invented a heavy fiberglass body with plastic heads with black rubber as the syahi. This is known as the "Balarama mridanga." Lastly, the khol with skin heads could be made from buffalo skins, and clay syahis. The Balarama mridanga and the buffalo skinned khols are now known for "banging" kirtans.

 

KARTAL

 

This is the moment common percussion instrument in the "ghan" vadya. The word "kartal" means "to make a clap." Rather, this implies a rhythm. The purpose of kartal is to produce a rhythm. The origin of side rhythms have been in found in the Vedic paintings through striking blocked wood with jingles together and small cymbals known as "manjira." In most of North India, kartal represents blocks of wood with jingles. The word "kartal" refers to a totally different instrument in Bengal and East India. Kartal refers to brass finger cymbals of at least three inches or more. Since Gaudiya Vaishnava kirtans take place in the Bengal region, kartal is thought of as "finger cymbals." The finger cymbals are known as "manjira" in North India.

 

There are many more instruments that have not been discussed. This is just to serve as a good introduction to the flavors of Indian music. If you are interested in more information about the instruments of India, please look at our links pages and visit them.

 

*** AUTHOR’S NOTE: Since the publication of this article, there has been a formalized page of Indian instruments found in the Music Section; known as the Gallery of Instruments. ***